Making Tracks

Getting trains up I-70 was once just a pipe dream. Today there are three technologies to choose from.

A A A Comments (2) By Jessica Centers Thursday, Mar 15 2007

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Though the RMRA plans to look at the products of General Atomics, Stadler and Colorado Railcar, it's not closing the door to other alternatives. Ultimately, the group envisions the state putting out a bid to vehicle manufacturers after a rail system has been approved.

Colorado Department of Transportation Region I director Jeff Kullman says the agency can preserve a corridor for transit along I-70 without defining the technology. "We're certainly going to give it some characteristics," he says. "For example, it's got to be kind of monorail-like and high-speed. But we believe the decision for the final technology needs to be made when the funding is available. Let's assume that's ten years from now.

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Tim 03/21/2007 4:27:00 PM

Not so, Steve. Widening I-70 to eight lanes just isn't possible on any budget -- there's too many narrow points along the way, and too many towns (Idaho Springs, Georgetown) to make that ever feasible. No one's ever suggested that -- six is the max we've heard of -- even that would cost billions, would destroy much of downtown Idaho Springs and Georgetown, would mean years of T-Rex style construction delays (making the problem worse in the short run), and at the end of the day not really help the problem very much -- we'll still be stuck in traffic jams with no alternate route. The rail solution is much more scalable, gives guaranteed travel times (something highway will never be able to do), provides an additional mode of travel on a different grade, and provides the framework for capacity expansion over the next 100 years. That's not to say that some highway improvements aren't needed (manage choke points, more climbing lanes and pull-offs), but the highway can't be the only alternative going forward -- we need BOTH highway and rail.

Steve 03/15/2007 5:34:00 PM

Acgtually I think wideing I-70 to 6 or 8 lanes is an absolute no-brainer, with a blind factor thrown in. It would take someone totally blind and completely without brains to think this up as a solution to the problem.