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RTD Elected Officials Briefing, Held February 10th, 2012
RTD hosted its quarterly elected officials briefing concerning progress on the West Rail Line on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 at the West Rail Line Project Office, 10445 W 6th Ave, Lakewood Colorado, 80215. The meeting was hosted by RTD, District M broad member Matt Cohen, and started precisely at 7:30 am.
Notables in attendance were Colorado State Representatives, Max Tyler, HD23, and Andy Kerr, HD26 along with Lakewood City Council members from Ward 1, Ramey Johnson, Ward 2, Cindy Baroway & Scott Koop; Ward 3, Sue King and Ward 5, Tom Quinn. Also present were Golden City Council member, Ward 1, Marcia Claxton, RTD Board Member, Bruce Daly, District N, City of Lakewood's West Rail Line Corridor Project coordinator, Dave Baskett, City of Lakewood's Light Rail Ombudsman, Jerry Goldman, City of Lakewood's Public Relations, Kathie Beard; City of Golden's Planning and Development, Steve Glueck; Colorado Passenger Association member, Edie Bryan; former RTD Board Member, District M, Dave Ruchman; Two Creeks Neighborhood Association member Sara Farrar-Nagy were in attendance as well as Lynn Yehle, Eiber Neighborhood Association.
RTD Board Member, Matt Cohen opened the meeting with a memorial to one of the West Corridor's most dedicated community activists, Fran Yehle, who passed suddenly this past November. Several people were given the opportunity to express their heartfelt sympathies at Ms. Yehle's passing and wished the best for her husband, Lynn, who was in attendance.
My personal note: If anyone could teach the lesson of community activism, it was Fran. The lesson that impressed me the most that I came away with -- Speak Up -- or someone else will speak for you and their agenda will prevail. She also taught me that in municipal politics; it really comes down to who shows up in the room, and who can sway the policymakers with their organized clout. She will be sorely missed.
Mr. Cohen then handed the meeting over to Jim Starling, the West Rail Line Project Manager who informed the group of the sad news that the remaining amount of contingency funds remaining was under 4 million dollars and most likely would be completely used up by the end of the project in 2013.
Mr. Starling also briefly discussed the results of the grade crossing safety task force meetings that were held and showed photos of where the task force recommended changes including a 20 MPH speed restriction at the grade crossings, no-trespassing fencing, and signage extensions.
Richard Clarke, Assistant General Manager for Capital Programs with RTD FasTracks then gave a brief presentation that basically said that "all systems are go" and everything is on schedule to open on time in May of 2013.
Brenda Tierney, Public Information Officer, announced the return of West Rail line tours in April which will be held every 3rd Friday of the month. She mentioned that the link to sign up for the tours will be appearing soon online. Ms. Tierney also mentioned that last year they used two buses and all the tours were completely booked.
She also mentioned that the RTD Bike Path from Kipling Street, which includes the bridge path over Kipling Street, to Garrison Street is now opened thanks to the persistence of Lakewood's West Rail line's project coordinator, Dave Baskett, whose major concern was that students attending the Eiber Elementary School would be much safer crossing over Kipling Street then crossing at street level as has been the case in the past. Here, Here.
Ms. Tierney also rapidly ran off current completion statistics for the project: Bridges - 100%; Stations - 78%; Tracks - 94%; Walls - 99%; Utilities - 99%; System Construction - 90%; Overall completion rate: 90%.
Next up was Ms. Nanci Kerr, Public Information for Swinterton contractors who will be building the parking garages at Wadsworth and Sheridan Stations. She informed the group that they would be a public meeting on March 01, 2012 at the West Rail Line Project Office, 10445 W 6th Ave, Lakewood Colorado, 80215. As you all recall, the Wadsworth Station garage will have spaces for 1,024 automobiles and the Sheridan Garage will have room for 817. [Or, as I like to envision them - 10,000 and 8,000 bicycle parking spaces].
Greg Conzales from BBRI Systems gave an update on the systems construction (overhead electrical wires, switching systems, etc). He briefly thanked the Jefferson County Police for their quick apprehension of the copper wire thieves that caused considerable damage at the Red Rocks Station and I-70 (another reason there will be no contingency funds left).
Jon Brazeal, Deputy Project & Construction Manager gave the group his usual fine pictorial tour of the West Rail Line's Construction progress. As in the past, I have to send you to the photo gallery. In future newsletters, I will provide a link to the RTD Elected Officials Briefing that has the photos presented at the briefing.
As a final note, Mr. Brazeal did show an important photograph of, what he called, "fancy graffiti," - an over 100 foot mural, all done with spray cans, of a mural art project under the newly remodeled Federal Bridge and adjacent to the developing Decatur/Federal light rail station. Click here to see the photo which supporters believe the mural art helps to deter destructive graffiti.
It was at this point that Ms. Sara Farrar-Nagy, of the Two Creeks Neighborhood spoke up:
"You have to stop calling it graffiti: graffiti is vandalism and so far as we are concerned in the Two Creeks Neighborhood, graffiti is punishable by legal action. So, you must use your language carefully because you are going to further perpetuate confusion and perhaps demonstrate tolerance for graffiti which is completely unacceptable."
Several in the gathered group seemed to shout out at the same time in response to Ms. Farrar-Nagy comment: "URBAN ART."
THE BACK FENCE has always believed that any construction project plagued by graffiti should take 1% of the cost put aside for the removal such graffiti and put it towards an organized art program "to prevent graffiti vandalism by generating positive, well-tended and active community gathering spaces..."
The Next meeting is scheduled for May 11, 2012. Stay tuned.
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