Transportation Commission Approves FASTER Funds for Transit

December 21, 2010 - Statewide Transportation Plan - DENVER – Bus operators, cities, counties and other entities are receiving a much-needed boost after the Colorado Transportation Commission awarded nearly $21 million of FASTER (Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation & Economic Recovery) funds for statewide and regional transit projects over the next three years.

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Division of Transit and Rail will distribute the funds to assist projects such as renovations to Denver’s Union Station and construction of a park-n-ride in Leadville.

“We had to grade each project on their individual merits since the amount requested for FASTER funds exceeded what is currently available,” said CDOT Division of Transit and Rail Director Mark Imhoff.  “The criteria included financial need, readiness, and how well it will integrate with the area’s transportation system and improve regional mobility.”

Twenty-two projects will be partially funded by FASTER over the next two years:

  • Avon – Site work for local bus operations and storage facility
  • Broomfield – Funding with which RTD can leverage additional funds to extend HOV lanes on U.S. 36
  • Colorado Springs – Replace 34 vanpool vehicles
  • Colorado Springs – Front Range Express (FREX) vehicle maintenance (Colorado Springs-Denver commuter buses)
  • Denver – Union Station renovations to accommodate Amtrak
  • Denver – Construction of pedestrian bridge between light rail and Greyhound stations
  • Durango – Construction of bike overpass and trail extension along U.S. 160 corridor
  • Eagle, Lake, Garfield & Pitkin counties – Technological improvements for Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) and Eagle County Regional Transportation Authority (ECO)
  • El Paso County – Purchase software and equipment for multi-agency call center for elderly and disabled transportation services
  • La Junta – Construction of bus access and parking at Amtrak/Greyhound station
  • Lamar – New facility construction for Amtrak/Greyhound station
  • Loveland – Construction of regional bus transfer center
  • Mesa County – Construction of bus transfer center for Grand Valley Transit and Greyhound
  • Trinidad – Multi-modal facility construction for Amtrak, Greyhound and local bus system

Park-n-Rides:

  • Eagle County (Wolcott) – Improvements to existing, unpaved facility
  • El Paso County – Construction of Black Forest facility
  • Evans – Construction of new facility along U.S. 85
  • Fort Collins – Construction at South Transit Center
  • Fort Lupton – Construction of new facility along U.S. 85
  • Leadville – Construction of Lake County facility
  • Pueblo County – Improvements to unpaved facility at I-25/Purcell Boulevard
  • Thornton – Replace lot near 104th/Washington with new facility at 104th/Colorado Boulevard

More information about the statewide projects is available at: www.coloradodot.info/projects/faster/DRAFTFinalScoringFASTER121510.pdf

Recommendations to award $15 million for local transit projects, also funded by FASTER, will be considered by the Commission when it reconvenes in January 2011.

CDOT’s Division of Transit and Rail was created by legislation in 2009 to oversee a statewide transit program.  It has the authority to promote, plan, design, finance, operate, maintain and contract for transit services such as passenger rail, buses and advanced guideway systems.

A provision in the legislation provides for the allocation of FASTER funds into the State Transit and Rail Fund, which provides grants to local governments for transit projects, such as new bus stops, bike parking, maintenance facilities or multi-modal transportation centers.