Sometime in the next two years or so, voters will likely get a chance to decide when the FasTracks rail project will be completed.
If Denver-area voters approve a doubling of the existing 0.4-cent sales tax this year, the $6.7 billion project could be finished in 2017, FasTracks staff told the Regional Transportation District board’s FasTracks monitoring committee Tuesday night.
If voters OK a new tax in 2012, the buildout could be done by 2019.
But if they support no new tax, completion could be pushed back to 2040, staff members told the committee.
The full board of directors will discuss the issue Tuesday, but won’t decide until April when to let voters choose.
In the meantime, the RTD board will meet with the Metro Mayors Caucus Task Force, the Coalition for Smart Transit and other outside groups to gauge support for a tax increase.
The staff’s recommendation was to move forward with a “preliminary” plan assuming a vote this year, but a “backup” plan for a 2012 ballot measure.
The committee chafed only at the staff’s terminology for the two proposals, because neither has been pegged a preference of the full board, as of yet.
“Ultimately I don’t think there’s a ‘preliminary’ or secondary, but we’re looking at alternatives,” said board member John Tayer.
The FasTracks project, approved by voters in 2004, includes plans for 122 miles of commuter and light rail, 18 miles of additional bus rapid- transit service and thousands of new parking spots for RTD commuters.
But since its approval, cost overruns and a reduction in tax revenues collected during the recession have forced RTD to consider returning to voters for additional tax money. Without it, building the full system will take decades.
One of the two proposed budgets will go to the Denver Regional Council of Governments — the metro planning organization that disburses federal money for projects such as FasTracks.
“The board is being very thorough before making a determination,” RTD spokeswoman Pauletta Tonilas said before the meeting.
“We would not want to go on the ballot and lose.”
Cost estimates have been trimmed by about $400 million, according to the staff proposal.
RTD expects the federal government to sign a $1.03 billion funding agreement in 2011, said RTD spokesman Scott Reed.
The agency also could seek funding by bringing in a partner from the private sector.
Staff writer Joey Bunch contributed to this report.
Heather McWilliams: 303-954-1698 or hmcwilliams@denverpost.com
