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Citizens Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting Rick Clarke, Assistant GM – Capital Programs June 20, 2012. FasTracks Guiding Principles. Staff relied heavily on our Guiding Principles to develop our approach for the DRCOG submittal Ensure every step contributes to the full vision
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Citizens Advisory Committee Quarterly MeetingRick Clarke, Assistant GM – Capital ProgramsJune 20, 2012
FasTracks Guiding Principles • Staff relied heavily on our Guiding Principles to develop our approach for the DRCOG submittal • Ensure every step contributes to the full vision • Focus money available to the greatest good • Spend public money wisely • Maximize outside funding before going to taxpayers • Deliver key investments in all corridors Build As Much As We Can As Fast As We Can Until It Is All Done!
On-going FasTracks Implementation • Continue implementing $4.2 billion worth of FasTracks projects • Continue working with RTD Board and stakeholders to aggressively seek alternative funding sources for the program through grants, public private partnerships, unsolicited proposals, etc. • Pursue a future sales and use tax election when the region is ready • Identify key short-term decisions for program implementation • Provide monthly updates to the RTD Board on the plan moving forward
DRCOG Process • DRCOG’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) identifies planned transportation projects through 2035 • The RTP must be fiscally constrained, otherwise federal funding for the entire region could be in jeopardy • RTD has to submit a specific project list and construction timeframes for all projects to be completed prior to 2035 to ensure the RTP remains fiscally constrained • Based on discussions with DRCOG, RTD is planning to submit an RTP Amendment in August 2012 • This submittal will represent a snap-shot in time, and can change in the future as new opportunities arise
2035 RTP Amendment • The RTP Amendment will: • Be a placeholder, providing the RTD Board of Directors with additional time to evaluate and determine appropriate phasing for FasTracks projects prior to submitting a new SB 208 report • Assume no additional sales and use tax election • Include a detailed financial plan and a brief summary of each of the projects anticipated to be completed by 2035 • Not include the Northwest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project • To better define this project, RTD is seeking funding to conduct a planning study beginning in early 2013 • RTD will continue working with our stakeholders in the northwest to evaluate mode options, etc. • Be followed by a more detailed SB 208 report in early 2014, which may change the assumptions included in this RTP Amendment
2035 RTP Amendment Approach • Identify a list of projects to be completed by 2035 (including a placeholder schedule for completion of these projects) that are strong candidates for leveraging public/private funds and/or receiving federal grants • Project list and schedule can be updated in the future as opportunities arise • RTP Amendment would also assume a future debt-only Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) election in the early 2020’s
2035 RTP Amendment Approach • Depending on the results of financial modeling, the list of projects to be completed by 2035 could include: • North Metro to 72nd:completing this initial segment first positions North Metro for a future New Starts grant for the rest of the project • North Metro from 72nd to SH 7: allows RTD to complete this corridor assuming 50% of the cost will be covered by a New Starts grant • US 36 Bus Rapid Transit to Table Mesa: allows RTD to partner with CDOT and HPTE to leverage state funding and toll revenues OR Northwest Rail segment to Church Ranch: allows RTD to continue working with the BNSF Railway to move forward with construction of corridor segments • I-225: allows RTD to take advantage of the proposal(s) received for this corridor • Southeast Extension: allows RTD to move forward with a New Starts grant application
Overview of Approach for 2035 RTP Amendment • RTD Board will take action on RTP Amendment submittal to DRCOG in August 2012 that identifies a list of projects to be completed by 2035 (including a placeholder schedule for completion of these projects) that are strong candidates for leveraging public/private funds and/or receiving federal grants • Within one year of approval of the RTP Amendment, RTD will engage regional stakeholders and the public in a process to determine how to complete FasTracks and to reflect that outcome in a new SB 208 report to DRCOG
Next Steps • July 2012: RTD Board consideration of options and assumptions to be included in the RTP Amendment • August 2012: Formal RTD Board action to approve RTP Amendment and supporting financial plan; submittal of RTP Amendment to DRCOG • December 2012/January 2013: RTP Amendment approval by DRCOG • Within One Year of RTP Amendment Approval (December 2013/January 2014): RTD submittal of a new SB 208 report to validate or revise the project list and schedule identified in the RTP Amendment