The long-awaited opening of the G-Line and an end date of costly round-the-clock flaggers at more than a dozen crossings on existing commuter rail lines might become clearer Wednesday, when state regulators could begin to ease a logjam in the metro area’s nascent rail system.
State regulators could vote at their morning meeting on a request from the Regional Transportation District that would allow the agency to do away with flaggers who for more than a year have been controlling traffic at a dozenat-grade crossingsalong the University of Colorado A-Line to Denver International Airport and the B-Line to Westminster.
It also wants to commence full testing on the G-Line, which was supposed to start providing service last fall to commuters living in Wheat Ridge and Arvada . RTD in June.
RTD for months tried to meet federal standards for how long its crossing gates need to stay down whenever a train passes. But technology used by the agency left the gates down as much as 20 seconds too long per train. The between RTD, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for months.
“Getting these approvals will be a big step forward for (the commuter lines) and we will especially be able to see full testing on the G-Line, which will get us that much closer to opening for passenger service,” RTD spokesman Scott Reed said Tuesday.
There is still no opening date for the 11-mile G-Line, Reed said. RTD officials haven’t heard from federal regulators on either the testing issue or the gate timing request, both of which will need the FRA’s approval before being able to move ahead. RTD ultimately wants a “permanent waiver” that would allow it to operate the A-Line, B-Line and G-Line on the new gate timing schedule without flaggers having to be present.
But state approval would at least count as a partial success for RTD, which has been embarrassed by the rocky start — and protracted delay — of its signature rail lines. This past April, The Denver Post calculated that RTD’s private sector partner, Denver Transit Partners, had with flaggers and police officers during its first year of operation.
“If the changes are approved, it would be the first step toward lifting the flagger requirement,” PUC spokesman Terry Bote said Tuesday. “RTD would still need to field-demonstrate that the crossings are operating under the revised design.”
That means the flaggers will likely be in place for weeks to come while RTD proves the integrity of its crossing technology on the A-Line and B-Line. The G-Line would have to wait for regulators to sign off on those lines before it could start service.
But Reed said just getting to Wednesday’s meeting is an accomplishment.
“Having this formally under consideration is evidence of all the work we’ve done with PUC and FRA,” he said. “It’s an important show of progress.”