If you're planning on covering transit, land use, or related topics in the future, I am certain the folks over at YIMBY Denver or Strong Towns Denver would be up for interviews!
Sure, but we already know their answers. I think the point of what these guys are doing, is to interview random people and riders to hear their honest opinions to gather enough data to find out how many people would support and want the IC service implemented, and how many would not, along with their honest opinions and feelings about the current state of the transit network in the region. That guarantees unbiased data gathering to paint a honest, clear picture, rather than muddying it with people and groups who will of course be fully bias to the IC line's implementation. They'd use it to promote and push for it. That's not what you want when you're hunting down the true opinion of the average transit rider on the system.
Something not mentioned is how much better rail would be in winter. I-25 from the Springs to Denver can turn into a black ice death trap in winter, especially near the Palmer Divide. I've been in a 75+ car pile up, and countless hours stuck between exits because of a sudden snow (again at the divide) on I-25 and every time I think about how this could be avoided with rail.
I am from Pueblo, and I would absolutely LOVE to have this passenger rail. Driving to work on I-25 is such a nerve wracking experience these days with all the congestion.
My biggest complaint is that when they developed the area around Union Station they eliminated the ability to through-run trains to the platforms: which will bite them when they try to develop an intercity corridor through the region
Yup, it even shot themselves in the foot with the commuter rail, it made running commuter lines to the south much more difficult. Had FasTracks stuck to their plan we would already have a commuter train between Denver and Boulder/Longmont, but it got delayed forever and Amtrak had to swoop in and rescue the project this year. They had a major missed opportunity to build a commuter rail line parallel to US36 when they did the major rebuild of 36 back in 2016.
@@MRey-t9u the distance between the existing Denver Union Station station house and the Light Rail tracks is similar to the distance between Chicago Union Station and the Clinton CTA Blue Line, the distance between Chicago Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center, as well as the distance between Chicago Union Station and the Quincy stop on the Loop. That’s to say: a front range stop by the light rail would be facility functionally separate from the historic Denver Union Station building. It would have been superior to have left themselves with the option of integrating new intercity rail into the existing building.
We used to have this 100yrs ago, and foolishly got rid of the infrastructure we used to have to do this along the Front Range. We also could get around via trolleys in all of our old cities (even Pueblo for example had an extensive trolley system). We were so gung-ho about the car we ruined other ways of getting around which was not smart on the part of previous generations to do.
I like having bus and train available for when you don't want to drive or it's just easier to walk, bus, train. Just keep your head about you and most times your fine . Just like any big city, any big transportation, just how it is. I think having a train system would be great!
This concept has been bantered about since the 1960's. I recall a Civics Class lecture by my Teacher at the time, who told us about what to expect for the Front Range Communities into the next Century. Sue enough the other big issue to be solved was, Where is the Water coming from, to slake the thirst of the millions more expected to live in Colorado? Keeping in mind back then there were only about 1.5 million people living in Colorado at the time or we had 3 Congressional Districts.
I love this video it's very interesting to hear what people say and want. As a Conductor for RTD I hear and talk about it often with my passengers. It will be amazing to see what more people think and hope it won't become a boondogle.
Hey @TheFrontPageFRCC, thanks for the coverage of FRPR - excited to see the future segments. We are a grassroots advocacy based in the Denver metro who are very focused on FRPR, and while we are 100% supportive of installing passenger rail on the corridor, we are very concerned about the quality of service being contemplated on an apparently narrow and minimal initial scope going before voters per the recent commentary from the District - we have been vocal on advocating for a more useful vision of FRPR that is fast, frequent, reliable, and accessible. In terms of design, this means we are advocating that the initial spine between Fort Collins and Pueblo via Boulder, Denver, and CO Springs run hourly-or-better service (not the radically unambitious 1970's-style Amtrak 2-6 trains/day they are currently focused on) and for the District to build more sections of dedicated track than the handful of sidings here and there that are currently contemplated with trains that allow for fully accessible boarding for all riders without employee assistance. The freight-dispatched model the FRPR District is currently focused on usually results in a lot of delays (less reliable service on average vs. major airlines), where sidings that were designed to hold freight trains with passenger trains speeding by are frequently used to hold passenger trains while freight trains crawl through. We view substantial new and dedicated infrastructure (lots of passenger-only track) as necessary to prevent the same kind of severe freight delays we and others have experienced on Amtrak Cascades, Amtrak Midwest, and other state-funded Amtrak services that would be the closest peers to the Front Range Corridor since it is freight-dispatched (not just 1 but 2 Class-I railroads). There is only one frequent and reliable state-sponsored intercity rail corridor the US that is dispatched by a Class I freight railroad, and it is just one freight railroad (not 2), and has a special legacy agreement that has not been replicated since Amtrak was founded. Would be happy to compare notes - we have done a very in-depth analysis of the last batch of materials published by the FRPR District - and would be happy to help in any way we can.
Thanks for the quality local coverage! My mother since she moved here in 98' has said everyone talks about wanting a train up to Denver. My main issue is how slow this development is going. We should have been rolling on this project 10 years ago already. So much has already changed, I worry in another 10 years when its finally up and running, it'll already be out dated for the population needs. Castle Rock alone has at least quadrupled in size in the last 10 years. I also always wonder what Palmer would think. He's probably rolling in his grave.
I’m excited for you to be showcasing this subject. I’m a huge proponent of FRPR despite likely being a very light user when it comes. Earlier this year Amtrak ran a version of the FRPR from Denver Union Station to Longmont & back, covering much of the route in this video. It was great & showed the potential, even at reduced speeds on freight rails. One issue that rarely gets discussed is that the Boulder train station is at Boulder Junction, not downtown where the Flatiron Flyer buses go (they used to go to BJ pre-pandemic). That’s important as nearly every train passenger will still need to transfer to a local or circulator bus (or other mode) to get to their destination. With the Flatiron Flyer, there are several stops on the way In Boulder which could still be more convenient than the train depending on final destination. Since you’ll be probably be covering the complicated financial issues, this convenience aspect is not always considered when talking with Boulderites who voted for FasTracks 20 years ago, with the promise of a train through Boulder to Longmont. There’s lots of opinions about the B line extension, where it should stop in phase 1, where the money comes from, what level of service should be asked to fund & if people in the FRPR District (who would be paying the sales tax, not the entire state) would be willing to fund a “starter” service or a full service that is fast, frequent, reliable and accessible. I highly encourage you to check out two local advocacy groups that are working on the project & have more material to explore: Greater Denver Transit (www.greaterdenvertransit.com/frontrangepassengerrail) & ColoRail (www.colorail.org/front-range-passenger-rail). DM me if you’d like direct contact info for either organization (@topero).
The Flatiron Flyer is RAIL REPLACEMENT BUS SERVICE! Phase 2 of FasTracks outlined how the commuter rail system needed a train to boulder. The B line, eventually, will go the current route to Boulder Junction. Just look up the wikipedia page for the B line or RTD's open records. It is law in FasTracks. I just hope that this high-speed rail happens fast and doesn't have the same things FasTracks had happen. It was built too slowly and ran out of money as a result.
@@BEEFUS2000 I wish that were all true! The train is another means to the NW areas, but FF# & B line are not meant to compete but to complement. They won’t run exactly the same routes. Did you hear the report from the NW rail study to RTD board members this week? RTD can’t afford to do the B line on its own so it’s hoping FRPR will bridge the gap, in another 4-8 years.
Great video! What surprised me is that most people in this video and in the comments seem unfamiliar with Amtrak. They talk about crime and stuff like that, but they are only focusing on what a metro or light rail would be like, not intercity Amtrak. It's odd to me to see people who never rode Amtrak, which that is what I'm much more familiar with than subways, light rail, or commuter rail. Also for safety, Amtrak has conductors that greet you when you get on the train and constanly7 patrol the cars for tickets and to keep an eye on things. Again, nothing like a subway car. I was also expecting them to be in favor and even enthusiastic about the rail project. I think they would be less hostile to trains and less pro bus if they knew what Amtrak was and had experience riding it.
At 3:43 the image you showed as she said "RTD light rail" was actually one of the commuter rail train sets. The light rail uses different vehicles, and technically they are different. Not to say that the commuter rail lines don't go to union station, all of them actually do. Interestingly I've heard talk about the RTD commuter rail B line (green line) being extended to Boulder/Longmont, but that may have just been a proposal. Currently the B line only serves one station that the G line doesn't, that being Westminster Station (which is in an inconvenient spot, and has poor land use surrounding it for transit oriented development)
The fort collins section is complicated and may need to be relocated into a trench. like phenix or the upcoming rio grand plan. The current line is street sunning through down town and really not up to modern standards
I'm really a fan of the bright line model that was used in south Florida. I think it's important that transportation is spear headed by private companies (and partially funded/partnered with governments) because they are forced to keep the price, safety and usability in check or it will go out of business. The government has no incentives when just taking and using other people's money (our taxes) to fund, build and upkeep these systems
Colorado should be focusing on inner city infrastructure, buld will people will ride. Cap Hill, Rino, Highlands, build into our dense neighborhoods, then add intercity travel.
We need to do both. BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) is the method most agreeable to expand or upgrade routes as LRT/commuter rail is too expensive for the bureaucrats to envision. Connecting neighborhoods will still be relegated to major stroad corridors, not local streets unfortunately.
From Pueblo, and I partly disagree with you. Yes, we do need to work on inner city infrastructure, but we are desperately lacking good forms of transportation along the front range. The congestion on I-25 is so bad that I am frequently at a dead stop 2-3 times when travelling from Pueblo to Denver, which I do often for work.
I love what the bus driver stated about buses being superior to rail. He echos my sentiments. If it's a proper IC, ICE or High-Speed train, then it's always an fantastic, necessary thing to fund and implement, however, rail if not built right (grade-separated) is a disaster, and never worth supporting, funding or implementing. Light Rail especially unless again, it is like SkyTrain in Vancouver. Rail is stuck in a proprietary corridors, with no way to avoid getting stuck, stranded or otherwise be shut down because of any number of problems that can transpire. They cannot detour, reroute, etc. They're absolutely and utterly damned, and therefore, so are it's passengers and those that rely on them to get around. Buses do NOT have those issues. They're versatile. They can easily reroute and detour if need be. You can run them in 2-5 minute headways with zero problems if a true BRT that is enforced by LEO consistently and aggressively. Rail cannot do that, as it is unsafe. I come from the Portland area, so I'm intimately familiar with the issues with rail, specifically Light Rail. Consistent issues abound. And TriMet has to keep a contingency fleet of about 100-200 buses around in order to take over MAX's own job and route as a "MAX Shuttle" because of how frequently and persistent problems occur with the system. It also directly proves the point of exactly why Buses are in fact, a far superior mode of transit in a localized routing, whether just a city, or a metro region. Again, the only way trains could compete is with a system like SkyTrain, which is entirely grade separate. But even then it does not eliminate the other persistent problems rail has. Buses are a true standalone AND complimentary transit mode. It can and does serve as both better than any other mode of transit. It's the foundation of a solid, reliable, high-quality transit network, the backbone and the glue. Streetcar (tram, trolley) is a mode of LRT made specifically to run short inner urban loops to compliment both real rail services and bus service. Basically just to get riders from one mode to the other quicker. Like a shuttle for access to other modes. That's also what true LRT is. Not what MAX or Link do. That's technically a metro system, which should always use medium to heavy rail vehicles, not LRVs, as LRVs are not made for that. It's a weird corruption that really started here in the US, likely due to transit agencies and thus governments being lazy and half-halfing a system. Akin to Trolleybuses... do NOT get started on those. I genuinely despise them with a passion and have a intense vendetta against them haha.
Light rail and metro are not the correct comparisons here, and Portland light rail is an especially poorly designed metro/light rail. The comparison you should be making is with Amtrak, as this would be much more like an Amtrak service, that while not usually grade separated, the tracks have a ROW and infrequently cross roads compared to light rail. This is comparing apples to oranges. Intercity rail is completely different from light rail.
The high-speed rail (HSR) networks in Japan and China using bullet and maglev trains put the US to shame. Maglev trains are much more efficient and faster than traditional trains, and have a smoother ride. The Shanghai maglev has a maximum cruising speed of 186 mph. They're currently working on a maglev connection between Wuhan and Beijing that could reach up to 1,243 mph (not that this much speed would be needed for the FRPR, but could be useful in a national network to augment or replace Amtrak). Hopefully the FRPR would be elevated or designed in such a way that it doesn't have to stop at road intersections for traffic lights, like the RTD Light Rail does. It would also avoid the pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle collisions that RTD Light Rail experiences. I'm also not a fan of how the RTD Light Rail tracks are so shoddy that you get thrown around (especially annoying when having to stand or when taking a bicycle on board).
It doesn't prohibit flow through it'll just take ingenuity and tunneling. Amtrak has had the same troubles with backing its trains in and out since forever. Redevelopment didn't create the problem, it simply didn't correct a decades old existing problem.
The biggest obstacle is going to be the results of RTD, which sucks and has pitiful passenger rates. However I think everyone would like a nice, relatively fast rail line from Fort Collins to Pueblo. The death is in the details
//TLDR Do it, do it now! But there's tradeoffs. I drive Pueblo to Denver and back every couple months. A train would be cool. I do wonder about the price compared to my Bolt though. It takes about $7 worth of electricity to drive that round trip in the spring and summer. Let's round it to $10 to account for the occasional public charging. Would the ticket cost $10 or less? Probably not. I'm betting at least $20, but likely $50 or more. Plus there's the cost of parking or getting the ride to and from the station. Would it be faster? Given how people drive on I-25 I doubt it :P Takes me about 2 hours do drive that. //the video says over 3.5h, maybe if there's an accident or bad weather it'll take that long, but last few times I've driven it I left around 6am and was pulling in to my destination in Lakewood before 8:30. If I include the trip from my house to the train station, either car service or park n ride, and then doing it again at my destination it definitely would not be faster than simply driving. More convenient? Nope. Sorry, but just no. Having my car up in Denver is handy when I'm not going the same place as the fam, or if I want to run my own errands while I'm up there. Would I do it at least once? Of course, might even make it a regular thing. Plus I'm probably not the ideal user of this. Those who make the trip far more often, or far less often, or those who don't have EVs or even gas cars would definitely benefit. So do it, do it now! Also need to electrify the buses.
I'm afraid that like Portland, OR, there will be a payroll tax to support the "MAX" even if you don't ride it. Then you have to pay to ride it....can you say scam? I will just pay the express lane toll if things get a bit congested.
How about interviewing the 98-99% of the people who refuse to ride public transit for their opinions? So many college students forgetting the basic rule of scientific research, having a blind experiment to prove what you are doing in the experiment was not an accident. You also need a questioning viewpoint. Just getting opinions from those favoring your proposal is not being scientific, it is being political.
This would turn out to be another fiasco like the California Central Valley high speed rail boondoggle....years behind schedule and billions over budget. They can't even get break even ridership on the current RTD Light Rail system. To build it above grade to make it high speed would be prohibitively expensive. But most importantly, the population density is not high enough to support it,
I don't get why when roads and highways go over budget, you and a lot of others don't give a shit, but when it's the railways that do this you all go "boondoggle". You're a hypocrite.
If the people who live where they plan to build it , pay for it fine. Just don't expect the rest of us to be enthusiastic since Denver treats the roads elsewhere in the state as an afterthought
Documentaries and vlogs are two different things. Documentaries are made to provide information to viewers, while vlogs are more a long the line of just being for entertainment. Furthermore, documentaries don't need to be high quality, they just need to provide accurate information, which this was does pretty well.
Small correction! Andy Karsian isn't just a board member, he is the General Manager of the Front Range Passenger Rail Board! Sorry Andy!
Wow, I wouldn't have expected such high quality editing from such a small channel. I hope the algorithm blows this up.
If you're planning on covering transit, land use, or related topics in the future, I am certain the folks over at YIMBY Denver or Strong Towns Denver would be up for interviews!
Another great group would be Greater Denver Transit!
Sure, but we already know their answers. I think the point of what these guys are doing, is to interview random people and riders to hear their honest opinions to gather enough data to find out how many people would support and want the IC service implemented, and how many would not, along with their honest opinions and feelings about the current state of the transit network in the region. That guarantees unbiased data gathering to paint a honest, clear picture, rather than muddying it with people and groups who will of course be fully bias to the IC line's implementation. They'd use it to promote and push for it. That's not what you want when you're hunting down the true opinion of the average transit rider on the system.
Something not mentioned is how much better rail would be in winter. I-25 from the Springs to Denver can turn into a black ice death trap in winter, especially near the Palmer Divide. I've been in a 75+ car pile up, and countless hours stuck between exits because of a sudden snow (again at the divide) on I-25 and every time I think about how this could be avoided with rail.
The algorithm pulled a gem. What a great video!
Informative. Tremendous need in Colorado.
I am from Pueblo, and I would absolutely LOVE to have this passenger rail. Driving to work on I-25 is such a nerve wracking experience these days with all the congestion.
Think you also forgot mention people driving like they are the only car on the road once you reach Fountain.
imho this would bring more prosperity to Pueblo
@@Solscalr Mad Max
My biggest complaint is that when they developed the area around Union Station they eliminated the ability to through-run trains to the platforms: which will bite them when they try to develop an intercity corridor through the region
Yup, it even shot themselves in the foot with the commuter rail, it made running commuter lines to the south much more difficult. Had FasTracks stuck to their plan we would already have a commuter train between Denver and Boulder/Longmont, but it got delayed forever and Amtrak had to swoop in and rescue the project this year. They had a major missed opportunity to build a commuter rail line parallel to US36 when they did the major rebuild of 36 back in 2016.
The front range corridor can run through the light rail platform that is a through line. That is the proposed route anyways
@@MRey-t9u which is far less ideal than being able to board next to the historic depot. They un-necessarily eliminated their ability to do that
@@tylerkochman1007 true but remember it’s only like a 3 minute walk from the light rail platform to the station. It’s probably not a big deal
@@MRey-t9u the distance between the existing Denver Union Station station house and the Light Rail tracks is similar to the distance between Chicago Union Station and the Clinton CTA Blue Line, the distance between Chicago Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center, as well as the distance between Chicago Union Station and the Quincy stop on the Loop. That’s to say: a front range stop by the light rail would be facility functionally separate from the historic Denver Union Station building. It would have been superior to have left themselves with the option of integrating new intercity rail into the existing building.
We used to have this 100yrs ago, and foolishly got rid of the infrastructure we used to have to do this along the Front Range. We also could get around via trolleys in all of our old cities (even Pueblo for example had an extensive trolley system). We were so gung-ho about the car we ruined other ways of getting around which was not smart on the part of previous generations to do.
Awww shit, its finally here
Finally here…in at 3 years, but >10 years for the whole alignment🙁
Really informative and well done! Looking forward to part 2 and 3. Great work!!
I like having bus and train available for when you don't want to drive or it's just easier to walk, bus, train. Just keep your head about you and most times your fine . Just like any big city, any big transportation, just how it is. I think having a train system would be great!
Shoutout to bill 🗣️‼️‼️
I like the narrator
This concept has been bantered about since the 1960's. I recall a Civics Class lecture by my Teacher at the time, who told us about what to expect for the Front Range Communities into the next Century. Sue enough the other big issue to be solved was, Where is the Water coming from, to slake the thirst of the millions more expected to live in Colorado? Keeping in mind back then there were only about 1.5 million people living in Colorado at the time or we had 3 Congressional Districts.
I love this video it's very interesting to hear what people say and want. As a Conductor for RTD I hear and talk about it often with my passengers. It will be amazing to see what more people think and hope it won't become a boondogle.
Hey @TheFrontPageFRCC, thanks for the coverage of FRPR - excited to see the future segments. We are a grassroots advocacy based in the Denver metro who are very focused on FRPR, and while we are 100% supportive of installing passenger rail on the corridor, we are very concerned about the quality of service being contemplated on an apparently narrow and minimal initial scope going before voters per the recent commentary from the District - we have been vocal on advocating for a more useful vision of FRPR that is fast, frequent, reliable, and accessible.
In terms of design, this means we are advocating that the initial spine between Fort Collins and Pueblo via Boulder, Denver, and CO Springs run hourly-or-better service (not the radically unambitious 1970's-style Amtrak 2-6 trains/day they are currently focused on) and for the District to build more sections of dedicated track than the handful of sidings here and there that are currently contemplated with trains that allow for fully accessible boarding for all riders without employee assistance. The freight-dispatched model the FRPR District is currently focused on usually results in a lot of delays (less reliable service on average vs. major airlines), where sidings that were designed to hold freight trains with passenger trains speeding by are frequently used to hold passenger trains while freight trains crawl through. We view substantial new and dedicated infrastructure (lots of passenger-only track) as necessary to prevent the same kind of severe freight delays we and others have experienced on Amtrak Cascades, Amtrak Midwest, and other state-funded Amtrak services that would be the closest peers to the Front Range Corridor since it is freight-dispatched (not just 1 but 2 Class-I railroads). There is only one frequent and reliable state-sponsored intercity rail corridor the US that is dispatched by a Class I freight railroad, and it is just one freight railroad (not 2), and has a special legacy agreement that has not been replicated since Amtrak was founded.
Would be happy to compare notes - we have done a very in-depth analysis of the last batch of materials published by the FRPR District - and would be happy to help in any way we can.
a transit video? from the front page? What more could I possibly ask for?
build a street car on colfax first, its the highest ridership public transit in colorado by far
I agree! We’ll see how BRT goes for the next 2 generations before we get any upgrades.
That is a fine beard on that bus driver.
Some really valuable local journalism y'all are doing. Keep it up!
Very well done! My family and I would benefit so much from this project, glad I could learn more about it
Thanks for the quality local coverage! My mother since she moved here in 98' has said everyone talks about wanting a train up to Denver. My main issue is how slow this development is going. We should have been rolling on this project 10 years ago already. So much has already changed, I worry in another 10 years when its finally up and running, it'll already be out dated for the population needs. Castle Rock alone has at least quadrupled in size in the last 10 years.
I also always wonder what Palmer would think. He's probably rolling in his grave.
RTD has good frequency?! LOL
Great work, this is awesome to see! Thanks!
I’m excited for you to be showcasing this subject. I’m a huge proponent of FRPR despite likely being a very light user when it comes.
Earlier this year Amtrak ran a version of the FRPR from Denver Union Station to Longmont & back, covering much of the route in this video. It was great & showed the potential, even at reduced speeds on freight rails.
One issue that rarely gets discussed is that the Boulder train station is at Boulder Junction, not downtown where the Flatiron Flyer buses go (they used to go to BJ pre-pandemic). That’s important as nearly every train passenger will still need to transfer to a local or circulator bus (or other mode) to get to their destination. With the Flatiron Flyer, there are several stops on the way In Boulder which could still be more convenient than the train depending on final destination.
Since you’ll be probably be covering the complicated financial issues, this convenience aspect is not always considered when talking with Boulderites who voted for FasTracks 20 years ago, with the promise of a train through Boulder to Longmont. There’s lots of opinions about the B line extension, where it should stop in phase 1, where the money comes from, what level of service should be asked to fund & if people in the FRPR District (who would be paying the sales tax, not the entire state) would be willing to fund a “starter” service or a full service that is fast, frequent, reliable and accessible.
I highly encourage you to check out two local advocacy groups that are working on the project & have more material to explore: Greater Denver Transit (www.greaterdenvertransit.com/frontrangepassengerrail) & ColoRail (www.colorail.org/front-range-passenger-rail). DM me if you’d like direct contact info for either organization (@topero).
The Flatiron Flyer is RAIL REPLACEMENT BUS SERVICE! Phase 2 of FasTracks outlined how the commuter rail system needed a train to boulder. The B line, eventually, will go the current route to Boulder Junction. Just look up the wikipedia page for the B line or RTD's open records. It is law in FasTracks. I just hope that this high-speed rail happens fast and doesn't have the same things FasTracks had happen. It was built too slowly and ran out of money as a result.
@@BEEFUS2000 I wish that were all true! The train is another means to the NW areas, but FF# & B line are not meant to compete but to complement. They won’t run exactly the same routes.
Did you hear the report from the NW rail study to RTD board members this week? RTD can’t afford to do the B line on its own so it’s hoping FRPR will bridge the gap, in another 4-8 years.
very informative, amazing video!
Great video! Good to know the options available on the front range!
finally, the algorithm didn't disappoint. well-done!
I loved it. It was much better than Cats. I can't wait for the next part.
the front page could you make a video about the Tennessee pass rail line in Colorado
comment to boost algorithm! Solid video.
Great video! What surprised me is that most people in this video and in the comments seem unfamiliar with Amtrak. They talk about crime and stuff like that, but they are only focusing on what a metro or light rail would be like, not intercity Amtrak. It's odd to me to see people who never rode Amtrak, which that is what I'm much more familiar with than subways, light rail, or commuter rail. Also for safety, Amtrak has conductors that greet you when you get on the train and constanly7 patrol the cars for tickets and to keep an eye on things. Again, nothing like a subway car. I was also expecting them to be in favor and even enthusiastic about the rail project. I think they would be less hostile to trains and less pro bus if they knew what Amtrak was and had experience riding it.
At 3:43 the image you showed as she said "RTD light rail" was actually one of the commuter rail train sets. The light rail uses different vehicles, and technically they are different.
Not to say that the commuter rail lines don't go to union station, all of them actually do.
Interestingly I've heard talk about the RTD commuter rail B line (green line) being extended to Boulder/Longmont, but that may have just been a proposal.
Currently the B line only serves one station that the G line doesn't, that being Westminster Station (which is in an inconvenient spot, and has poor land use surrounding it for transit oriented development)
The fort collins section is complicated and may need to be relocated into a trench. like phenix or the upcoming rio grand plan. The current line is street sunning through down town and really not up to modern standards
I'm really a fan of the bright line model that was used in south Florida. I think it's important that transportation is spear headed by private companies (and partially funded/partnered with governments) because they are forced to keep the price, safety and usability in check or it will go out of business. The government has no incentives when just taking and using other people's money (our taxes) to fund, build and upkeep these systems
Colorado should be focusing on inner city infrastructure, buld will people will ride. Cap Hill, Rino, Highlands, build into our dense neighborhoods, then add intercity travel.
We need to do both. BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) is the method most agreeable to expand or upgrade routes as LRT/commuter rail is too expensive for the bureaucrats to envision. Connecting neighborhoods will still be relegated to major stroad corridors, not local streets unfortunately.
From Pueblo, and I partly disagree with you. Yes, we do need to work on inner city infrastructure, but we are desperately lacking good forms of transportation along the front range. The congestion on I-25 is so bad that I am frequently at a dead stop 2-3 times when travelling from Pueblo to Denver, which I do often for work.
@@subamf4519 it’s both/and, not either/or
I love what the bus driver stated about buses being superior to rail. He echos my sentiments. If it's a proper IC, ICE or High-Speed train, then it's always an fantastic, necessary thing to fund and implement, however, rail if not built right (grade-separated) is a disaster, and never worth supporting, funding or implementing. Light Rail especially unless again, it is like SkyTrain in Vancouver. Rail is stuck in a proprietary corridors, with no way to avoid getting stuck, stranded or otherwise be shut down because of any number of problems that can transpire. They cannot detour, reroute, etc. They're absolutely and utterly damned, and therefore, so are it's passengers and those that rely on them to get around. Buses do NOT have those issues. They're versatile. They can easily reroute and detour if need be. You can run them in 2-5 minute headways with zero problems if a true BRT that is enforced by LEO consistently and aggressively. Rail cannot do that, as it is unsafe.
I come from the Portland area, so I'm intimately familiar with the issues with rail, specifically Light Rail. Consistent issues abound. And TriMet has to keep a contingency fleet of about 100-200 buses around in order to take over MAX's own job and route as a "MAX Shuttle" because of how frequently and persistent problems occur with the system. It also directly proves the point of exactly why Buses are in fact, a far superior mode of transit in a localized routing, whether just a city, or a metro region. Again, the only way trains could compete is with a system like SkyTrain, which is entirely grade separate. But even then it does not eliminate the other persistent problems rail has. Buses are a true standalone AND complimentary transit mode. It can and does serve as both better than any other mode of transit. It's the foundation of a solid, reliable, high-quality transit network, the backbone and the glue.
Streetcar (tram, trolley) is a mode of LRT made specifically to run short inner urban loops to compliment both real rail services and bus service. Basically just to get riders from one mode to the other quicker. Like a shuttle for access to other modes. That's also what true LRT is. Not what MAX or Link do. That's technically a metro system, which should always use medium to heavy rail vehicles, not LRVs, as LRVs are not made for that. It's a weird corruption that really started here in the US, likely due to transit agencies and thus governments being lazy and half-halfing a system. Akin to Trolleybuses... do NOT get started on those. I genuinely despise them with a passion and have a intense vendetta against them haha.
Light rail and metro are not the correct comparisons here, and Portland light rail is an especially poorly designed metro/light rail. The comparison you should be making is with Amtrak, as this would be much more like an Amtrak service, that while not usually grade separated, the tracks have a ROW and infrequently cross roads compared to light rail. This is comparing apples to oranges. Intercity rail is completely different from light rail.
Fact check. Nancy was wrong about "light rail" to the airport from union station. The technology is "commuter rail"
i gotta get outta westminster ;-;
4:33 why is this collage all Boston and then a retired WestBahn KISS lol
cute narrator
The high-speed rail (HSR) networks in Japan and China using bullet and maglev trains put the US to shame. Maglev trains are much more efficient and faster than traditional trains, and have a smoother ride. The Shanghai maglev has a maximum cruising speed of 186 mph. They're currently working on a maglev connection between Wuhan and Beijing that could reach up to 1,243 mph (not that this much speed would be needed for the FRPR, but could be useful in a national network to augment or replace Amtrak).
Hopefully the FRPR would be elevated or designed in such a way that it doesn't have to stop at road intersections for traffic lights, like the RTD Light Rail does. It would also avoid the pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle collisions that RTD Light Rail experiences. I'm also not a fan of how the RTD Light Rail tracks are so shoddy that you get thrown around (especially annoying when having to stand or when taking a bicycle on board).
It doesn't prohibit flow through it'll just take ingenuity and tunneling. Amtrak has had the same troubles with backing its trains in and out since forever. Redevelopment didn't create the problem, it simply didn't correct a decades old existing problem.
They've been talking about this since 2008. It'll never happen. It would be great if it did, but it won't.
For some reason, big oil always try to block transit projects like these.
The biggest obstacle is going to be the results of RTD, which sucks and has pitiful passenger rates. However I think everyone would like a nice, relatively fast rail line from Fort Collins to Pueblo. The death is in the details
train
//TLDR Do it, do it now! But there's tradeoffs.
I drive Pueblo to Denver and back every couple months. A train would be cool.
I do wonder about the price compared to my Bolt though. It takes about $7 worth of electricity to drive that round trip in the spring and summer. Let's round it to $10 to account for the occasional public charging. Would the ticket cost $10 or less? Probably not. I'm betting at least $20, but likely $50 or more. Plus there's the cost of parking or getting the ride to and from the station.
Would it be faster? Given how people drive on I-25 I doubt it :P Takes me about 2 hours do drive that. //the video says over 3.5h, maybe if there's an accident or bad weather it'll take that long, but last few times I've driven it I left around 6am and was pulling in to my destination in Lakewood before 8:30.
If I include the trip from my house to the train station, either car service or park n ride, and then doing it again at my destination it definitely would not be faster than simply driving.
More convenient? Nope. Sorry, but just no. Having my car up in Denver is handy when I'm not going the same place as the fam, or if I want to run my own errands while I'm up there.
Would I do it at least once? Of course, might even make it a regular thing.
Plus I'm probably not the ideal user of this. Those who make the trip far more often, or far less often, or those who don't have EVs or even gas cars would definitely benefit.
So do it, do it now!
Also need to electrify the buses.
I'm afraid that like Portland, OR, there will be a payroll tax to support the "MAX" even if you don't ride it. Then you have to pay to ride it....can you say scam? I will just pay the express lane toll if things get a bit congested.
How about interviewing the 98-99% of the people who refuse to ride public transit for their opinions? So many college students forgetting the basic rule of scientific research, having a blind experiment to prove what you are doing in the experiment was not an accident. You also need a questioning viewpoint.
Just getting opinions from those favoring your proposal is not being scientific, it is being political.
This would turn out to be another fiasco like the California Central Valley high speed rail boondoggle....years behind schedule and billions over budget. They can't even get break even ridership on the current RTD Light Rail system. To build it above grade to make it high speed would be prohibitively expensive. But most importantly, the population density is not high enough to support it,
RTD's commuter line is a joke, as is the light rail. The only one with any value is the one going out to the airport
I don't get why when roads and highways go over budget, you and a lot of others don't give a shit, but when it's the railways that do this you all go "boondoggle".
You're a hypocrite.
If the people who live where they plan to build it , pay for it fine. Just don't expect the rest of us to be enthusiastic since Denver treats the roads elsewhere in the state as an afterthought
@@jasondarby2749 weird to say that when more than 90% of state DOT budget goes to roads and highways
@ianhomerpura8937 yeah in a certain corridor along I 25. Outside of that,CDOT doesn't do much .
This looks too crappy to be called a documentary. This is a vlog. An informative one, but a vlog nonetheless.
Documentaries and vlogs are two different things. Documentaries are made to provide information to viewers, while vlogs are more a long the line of just being for entertainment. Furthermore, documentaries don't need to be high quality, they just need to provide accurate information, which this was does pretty well.