The Denver Regional Council of Governments board has doubled the amount of federal transportation funds it plans to give to FasTracks, jacking the total to $120 million.
Each of the 11 corridors would receive a portion of the money based on costs each faces, said Steve Rudy, DRCOG director of transportation planning.
“Some corridors are getting $13 million some are getting $700,000,” he added.
Last year, the Regional Transportation District said the cost of FasTracks, which will add six new rail lines in the Denver area, had ballooned to $6.1 billion from the estimate of $4.7 billion in 2004.
By law the council of governments must annually review the transit plan. After that review, the board said the RTD’s estimates were optimistic.
The board made the commitment after Jefferson County asked for $7.4 million to restore parking spaces that had been planned for a garage at a station at the Jefferson County Government Center, Rudy said.
The number of planned spaces had been reduced to cut costs.
Other governments said they, too, should get additional federal dollars for portions of the project running through their territory if the board agreed to contribute funds to restore the parking, Rudy said.
The commitment in principle is based on the organization’s best estimate of the amount of federal Transportation Improvement Program funding it can expect through 2019, Rudy said.
FasTracks is scheduled for completion in 2016.
It calls for trains from central Denver to Denver International Airport, north to Adams County, Boulder/Longmont, Arvada/Wheat Ridge and Golden, as well as the extension of light rail in the Interstate 225 corridor.
“This action reflects a long tradition of local governments coming together through DRCOG to support programs that will improve our quality of life,” said Board Chair Nancy McNally, mayor of Westminster.
“The DRCOG Board believes FasTracks is vital to serving the region’s needs in the future and we want to help ensure the voters get the product they expect.”
Tom McGhee: (303)954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
