A Denver Case Study Maria Garcia Berry May 17, 2018 Regionalism is - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transit as a Catalyst for a Winning Region: A Denver Case Study

Maria Garcia Berry

May 17, 2018

Regionalism is Born

1960s 100-year Flood 1970s School Desegregation and Busing Annexation Wars 1980s Retail Wars Denver International Airport Convention Center 16th Street Mall

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Regionalism Grows Up

1990s: Formation of Metro Mayors Caucus Sports Facilities T-REX Project - Rail and Roads TABOR – Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights 2000s: Water Wars FasTracks - Expansion of Transit Growth and Development The Great Recession 2010s: Statewide Transportation Challenges Marijuana – The New Mile High City

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The Early Years of Transit

1960s: Denver Tramway Company files for bankruptcy and transfers assets to city-

• wned Denver Metro Transit

1969: RTD was created by the Colorado General Assembly 1973: Voters approved .05% sales tax for RTD 1974: Denver Metro Transit becomes part of RTD 1994: Central Connector Light Rail Line opens 2000: Southwest Light Rail Line opens 2002: Central Platte Valley Spur opens

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Laying the Groundwork for FasTracks

• Proposed “Guide the Ride” expansion failed in

1997 (57% to 43%)

– Dysfunctional board – Conceptual Plan – “trust us with your money” – The “yes” campaign spent $650,000; “no” $50,000

• In 1999, CDOT and RTD collaborated on two ballot

measures approved by the voters

– Granted CDOT authority to pledge federal revenues to

retire debt

– Allowed RTD to seek additional bonding authority for

rail construction

– TREX expanded I-25 and built 19 miles of light rail

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Laying the Groundwork for FasTracks

• By 2001, RTD Board and local communities

began collaborating on a comprehensive, region-wide transit plan called FasTracks

• Legislature granted RTD authority to go to

ballot, by petition, in May 2002

• Formal review and unanimous approval of plan

by DRCOG (Regional MPO)

• Two light rail corridors opened in 2000 and 2002
• Southeast Line under construction

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FasTracks Plan

• 122 miles of new light rail

and commuter rail

• 18 miles of bus rapid transit

(BRT)

• 57 new transit stations
• 31 new Park-n-Rides with
• ver 21,000 new spaces
• Enhanced suburb-to-

suburb bus service

• Development of Denver

Union Station

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Keys to an Effective Campaign

• Research, Research, Research!

– Between June 2002 and March 2004, privately funded entities

conducted 3 baseline polls and 24 focus groups

• Throw out all preconceived notions and myths as to

who supports transit and who doesn’t

• Start Early

– Research started shortly after legislature granted RTD the

authority to go to an election

• Utilize data gathered to assist public policy makers
• Be Inclusive and Proactive

– Use the issue to bring divergent views but common interests

together

• Pick the “right” election cycle

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Things We “Expected” to Learn

• Transit riders most likely to support
• Higher income households less likely to support
• Republicans will never vote to increase taxes for

transit

• It won’t make a difference in “my lifetime”

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Key Findings of Research

• Voters wanted something done now to address

traffic – 12 years was too long

• Usage does not equal support
• Highways alone would not solve congestion
• General awareness of the success of light rail
• Voters did NOT know about the FasTracks Plan –

needed major education

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Understanding the Voters

• Understand your voting “world”

– Develop a “voting model” on how to win in each county – Not all counties are equal – each have different

populations and voting patterns

• In Denver metro area:

– Voters wanted a specific plan/map – Voters wanted choices and options in transportation – Roads alone were not the answer; but roads weren’t

the enemy either – one size doesn’t fit all

– Voters wanted something done NOW!

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Challenges Faced by the Campaign

• Very competitive election year

– Open Senate seat – Presidential election – Campaign budget increased by 15 – 20% – Ballot clutter – Colorado has a very long ballot

• Governor and Executive Director of CDOT opposed

the campaign

• Rocky Mountain News editorialized against the

campaign 13 times

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Key Messages

• The Map was key
• Translated the cost - 4 pennies on a $10 purchase
• The time is now (“Population Explosion”)
• Can’t stop growth - must plan for it (“Highways Not the Answer”)
• FasTracks provides choices (“New Door to the City”)
• Unanimous support of all 32 Mayors in the region

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Election Results

• Final results:

YES – 57% NO – 43%

• All Republican

majority counties voted for FasTracks

• One out of three

Democratic counties voted against FasTracks

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The Elements of Success

• Created a disciplined, focused, flexible campaign plan

– Anticipate changing world of electoral politics – Plan for surprise events

• On-time/On-budget delivery

– RTD and the region had undertaken large infrastructure projects

and delivered them on time and on budget

• What it takes

– Strength, passion, commitment, courage and unbridled

determination to deliver

• Great city and region

– Need desire and political will to be a great city and region

• Vision

– Should be lofty, but attainable – Should capture the region’s imagination

• A plan

– Must have a specific plan

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What it Takes to Win

• Start early
• Political will
• Business/community/environmental support
• Public buy in – research is key
• Plan for implementing
• Strong public education campaign
• Gauge the economy and the impact on voter
• Choosing the best election cycle possible

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RTD Today

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• Service Area Statistics

– Population: 3.03 million – Cities and Towns Serviced: 42 municipalities, 8 counties – Square miles in service area: 2,342

• Ridership

– Average weekday boardings: 336,576 – Annual boardings: 100,942,818

• Total Operating Budget

– 2017: 626.1 million

• Fixed Routes

– Commuter Rail: 2 – Light Rail: 8 – Bus: 132

FasTracks Progress

2013: W Line opened 2014: Denver Union Station opened MetroRide opened 2016: University of Colorado A Line opened B Line opened Flatiron Flyer opened 2017: R Line opened 2019: G Line and N Line scheduled to open

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Leveraging Federal Funds

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Project Total Cost Federal % Federal Flatiron Flyer $190 M $0 0% Central Platte Valley $48 M $0 0% West Rail Line $678 M $309 M 44% Central $117 M $0 0% Southwest Corridor $178 M $120 M 80% North Metro $837 M $0 0% Eagle P3 Project $2.3 B $1 B 52% R Line $677 M $0 0% Southeast Corridor $879 M $525 M 60% Southeast Extension $232 M $92 M 43%

• $5.6 billion spent since

2004 election

• $1.767 billion in federal

funding

• Federal funds equal

33.8% of overall budget

Private Investment Follows Transit

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• Nearly $3B in private investment around Union Station

since 2009

• 77% of office space

build in last decade in the Denver Tech Center along I-25

• 40% of multifamily

units proposed or under construction are within ½ miles of rail transit

Questions?

Maria Garcia Berry

CRL Associates, Inc. 1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 1800 Denver, CO 80264 303-592-5466 mgarciaberry@crlassociates.com

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