Commuters catch an RTD bus to downtown Denver from the Church Ranch Boulevard Park-n-Ride along U.S. 36 in Westminster on Aug. 17, 2012. (RJ Sangosti, Denver Post file)
Re: “Longmont rail at any cost? No,” July 6 editorial.
So let me get this straight. Your staff is proposing that Longmont shut up, stop whining and settle for a bus rapid transit system?
You declare, “Unfortunately, those projects are not eligible for FasTracks revenue” (Longmont to Boulder bus rapid transit), even though you clearly state that “FasTracks has paid for bus rapid transit to begin on U.S. 36 next year” (Boulder to Denver). Didn’t that strike you as peculiar? And we should be joyful that RTD has received a $1 million grant to build a $57 million bus rapid transit project and is “hopeful” of finding further funding. Cost to RTD:Zero.
FasTracks was a voter-approved transit program that RTD would like to rewrite post facto. If RTD wants Longmont to roll over, they can remove us from the FasTracks tax district. Until that happens, I support holding RTD to deliver on its promises.
Robert Lee, Longmont
This letter was published in the July 9 edition.Your editorial concerning RTD not building a rail line to Longmont addresses a moot point. While it is debatable if RTD ever intended to build this line, it is clear now that RTD is doing everything it can to justify the decision by discouraging ridership in Boulder County.
Case in point: The city of Boulder urged citizens to take mass transit to the fireworks at the Civic Center on July 3. Logic would dictate providing additional buses to handle the crowds. RTD’s response, however, was to institute a Saturday schedule for that day, cutting the Denver-Boulder buses to only one per hour. The result was that at 11 p.m., more than 500 frustrated RTD patrons were packed into the Union Station bus terminal attempting to board a single BV bus to Boulder.
How many of these environmentally conscious folks will take the bus to the next big event in Denver?
Bob Schwall, Boulder
This letter was published in the July 9 edition.
