By Marcia Johnson, Denver District 5 City Councilwoman
I recently attended the final task force meeting for the Colfax Streetcar Feasibility Study, and I’m happy to report the study found that a streetcar on Colfax is once again possible! The final report will recommend that the next step – an Alternatives Analysis – looks at how to build a streetcar line from the Auraria campus, through the Mayfair neighborhood, to the Denver-Aurora border. If the City continues to pursue, study, and find funding for this project, we could see an actual streetcar on Colfax in six to 12 years.
Public Reaction Favorable
At the last Streetcar Feasibility Study public meeting, residents and business owners had a chance to let the project team know what route they would prefer for the streetcar. An overwhelming majority of the 125 residents in attendance signified that they wanted the line to extend beyond Colorado Boulevard to Yosemite Street. The FAX Partnership and other neighborhood organizations in District 5 have also vocally supported this alternative, and the project team has heard you all, loud and clear!
Also at the meeting, attendees were polled on their willingness to pay and a majority expressed some willingness, whether through sales taxes, special districts, property taxes and/or parking meters. State Senator Chris Romer has even proposed diverting some DMV registration fees to help pay for a streetcar.
It has been estimated that it will cost about $17.5 million per track mile to build a streetcar line in Denver. We’ll need multiple funding sources such as the City, RTD, the State, the federal government, and private enterprise to make this happen.
Is There a Need?
So, why bother with a streetcar anyway? Don’t the 15 and 15L bus lines already serve the 38,000 riders who uses transit on East Colfax every day? Yes, but on Colfax east of Monaco, the 15 is already full when it’s heading west at rush hour, and estimates have shown that Denver can expect 30% growth in person-trips on East Colfax by 2035. Existing transit operations will not be able to meet this increased demand. We could just clog Colfax with buses, but a streetcar is actually a much more environmentally and financially-efficient means of moving people.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
It won’t be easy but we could very well see a streetcar come back to Colfax in our lifetimes... if there is enough public support! I want to hear from you about the streetcar. Do you think it’s a good idea? Would you ride it, and where to and from? Would you be willing to contribute to the cost of building the streetcar, and how would you be willing to pay?
Please feel free to contact my office with your thoughts, questions or concerns any time at 303.355.4615 or marcia.johnson@denvergov.org.
By Doug Linkhart, City Councilman At-Large
“Why does everything have to cost money?” one of my kids complained recently. Money may not buy happiness, but for a lot of people they’re closely connected.
Look up “money and Denver” on the Internet and you’ll get a list of payday lenders. While that’s certainly not the best place to go for money, thousands of Denver residents do so anyway, spending $26 million in interest for payday loans and check cashing just last year.
We have a better place in mind for dollars and sense, the new King Trimble Economic Prosperity Center. The city has worked with several nonprofit organizations to start the center, which celebrated its grand opening on March 24 and is located at the corner of 30th Street and Curtis, just northeast of downtown.
The Economic Prosperity Center is a one-stop location for information about career advancement, financial resources, starting a business, taxes (including free tax help for lower-income residents) and public assistance. The center offers counseling, classes, written materials and computer access to services to all Denver residents.
The Prosperity Center is one of the outgrowths of the Economic Prosperity Task Force, a group that I helped form and chair to discuss ways of helping Denver residents improve their financial situation. The Task Force started well before the current recession, as did the struggles of many people who are trying to make ends meet despite being gainfully employed.
Two of the five recommendations of the Economic Prosperity Task Force relate to improving the financial awareness and knowledge of Denver residents. Another focuses on providing comprehensive sources of information on economic opportunities. The Prosperity Center will assist in both of these goals. Thanks to Mile High United Way, Denver Asset-Building Coalition and Denver Housing Authority for helping us make it happen.
To complement the services of the Economic Prosperity Center, we are also working to provide better sources of information on economic opportunities via the Internet, schools, libraries and other locations. In the end we are hoping that people will have ready access to the information they need to find a job, improve their work situation, start a business, save money and improve their financial position (as well as their happiness).
For more information on the Economic Prosperity Center, please call 720.865.2430 or visit www.douglinkhart.org.
By Jeanne Robb, Denver District 10 City Councilwoman
City Finances
Recently Council’s Finance Committee got our first quarter budget update for 2010. Final numbers for 2009 showed the City’s sales tax revenue 2% below our revised 2009 projection and 10% less than 2008. Sales tax makes up well over 50% of the City’s general revenue. January and February of this year reflected 1.1% and 3.3% growth over last year. So we are headed in the right direction, although just to meet our budget goals for 2010 revenue needs to grow by 4%.
Now we are starting the budget process for 2011. Though revenues are projected to grow slowly, the use of reserves and budget savings measures that we were able to use in 2009 and 2010 will not be available in 2011. We will be looking to close an $80 million budget gap, rather than the $120 million gap we closed last year.
Enjoy Our Neighborhoods!
In the midst of these budget struggles and knowing that individuals in our communities are tightening their belts uncomfortably, City Council members resolved to foster a spirit of community through fairs and events in our neighborhoods. So I thought I would list some that you might enjoy in the coming months.
Join your neighbors on June 5 and 6 in Civic Center at the CHUN Capitol Hill People’s Fair. Admission is free and the hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. As Colorado’s premier arts and crafts festival, the uniqueness and magic of CHUN’s Capitol Hill People’s Fair is created by the careful blending of great family fun, carefully selected handmade arts & crafts, delicious culinary delights, fabulous entertainment and the commitment to raise funds for and promote the missions of non-profit organizations.
Finally, you and your family and/or your pets, are invited to join me in Cheesman Park on the Fourth of July for a great parade. Bike decorating for kids and the Colorado Freedom Band makes this a fun celebration for participants and observers alike.
By Carol Boigon, Denver City Councilwoman At-Large
Crossing into City Park from Park Hill will be safer with the addition of new signals and repaving this summer and fall on Colfax, 17th Avenue and at Montview Boulevard, by the Colorado Department of Transportation and Denver Public Works.
Safety improvements began in 2009, when Denver Public Works increased the crossing time for pedestrians walking to and from City Park, and installed “count down” signals to show time remaining on the walk light.
I advocated for all these improvements after Park Hill neighbors, led by pediatrician Dr. Sarah Pilarowski, raised serious concerns about crossing safety at Colorado and Montview. This has been an issue in our neighborhood since my children were small. I agreed it was time to address it. Nora Neureiter, of my staff and a Park Hill mom, tirelessly led the effort from my office.
We consulted with city public works officials and CDOT Executive Director Russ George, because Colorado Boulevard is a state highway. They explained that engineers already had identified this five block stretch of Colorado as dangerous and badly designed. We worked together to find design and construction money to move the project to 2010.
Park Hill, City Park visitors, and I owe special thanks to CDOT and Director George and to our own DPW and Manager Bill Vidal for their terrific cooperation to make these expensive and long needed improvements.
The biggest barrier had been the cost of new light poles and mast arms strong enough to carry the safer, heavier traffic light equipment. These can cost as much as $250,000 per intersection. Public Works and CDOT will share the $900,000 price tag to put the new signaling equipment at all three intersections. In addition, the right-turn “off-ramp” on northbound Colorado at 17th Avenue will be eliminated.
CDOT scheduled improvements at the three intersections into its project to repave Colorado Boulevard from East Alameda Avenue to Martin Luther King Boulevard. Planning for all these improvements now is complete. The contracts were opened for bid on March 11, 2010 and construction is due to begin in May 2010.
Curbs and gutters along Colorado Boulevard likely will be built first, followed by the intersections and then repaving. Most of the work will take place overnight and possibly on weekends to minimize inconvenience to commuters. CDOT currently estimates the entire project of roadway and signals to finish by late fall 2010.
