Opening the long-promised RTD G Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge has been stopped in its tracks by a state regulatory review that has dragged on for 20 months and counting. What began as a needed and appropriate in-depth look at safety of railroad crossings has morphed into a that has exhausted the patience of the taxpayers, commuters and business people in our communities.
The good news is that the state Public Utilities Commission is moving forward with an appeal that the residents, taxpayers and commuters in our city hope is completed quickly so that the trains can start to roll.
The ongoing concern centers on new technology that is designed to lessen the wait times for motorists at crossings along the Regional Transportation District lines. We share with federal and state regulators a deep commitment to ensuring the safety of passengers, motorists and pedestrians.
This dispute, which is over literally seconds in wait times, resulted in crossing guards being posted along the A Line to the airport and the G Line. We were hopeful that a resolution was near when the Federal Railroad Administration granted a five-year waiver that approved the A Line crossings and allowed the G Line testing to proceed. Unfortunately, the PUC voted to maintain the status quo – and thus keep the G Line in limbo.
Our understanding is that the crossing-gate technology works as it was designed and is safe. All reasonable upgrades that can be installed have been installed. The fact that the railroad administration gave a green light to the crossings and resumption of testing showed that the federal government believes it is now time for our commuter rail system to move forward.
The current stalemate is simply not tenable for anyone. Prior to allowing the appeal to proceed, state regulators were in essence giving RTD two options: keep the flaggers in place at crossings and keep the G Line in suspended animation or scrap the whole new system and start over. (This latter step would not only delay progress for years, it would violate a federal mandate for the new technology.)
Calling this a train wreck is not too strong a term.
We urge the maximum amount of transparency in this upcoming appeal, so that the commissioners and the public can hear all the facts. We, along with our two city councils, have signed letters urging the PUC to take this step and ensure an open and transparent appeal of this matter. Our citizens voted to raise their own taxes, embracing the promise that commuter rail holds for our quality of life, our transportation system and our economy.
It is long past time for this vision to become reality. It is time for state regulators to complete their review and let the trains roll. It is time for the citizens of Arvada, Wheat Ridge and the entire Denver Metro region to — at long last — get the commuter rail line we have paid for.
Marc Williams is the mayor of Arvada.
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