Colorado T-REX Project (TRansportation EXpansion) - History

History

T-REX's initial footsteps can be traced back to a 1992 traffic congestion study commissioned by the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). The study found that traffic volume along the corridor had exceeded its maximum capacity of 180,000 vehicles per day and, within a few years, the freeway would be near gridlock most of the day. Adding to the gloomy forecast of gridlock, planners projected that 150,000 new jobs would be added in the downtown area and at the huge Denver Tech Center, which is 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the south, over the next 20 years. The study not only recommended widening the freeway by several lanes, but it also suggested incorporating some type of mass transit into any future improvements.

In April 1995, The Colorado Department of Transportation and RTD took the first step toward developing the partnership that ultimately became T-REX. The two agencies and DRCOG commissioned the Southeast Corridor Major Investment Study (MIS), which sought the best solutions to the I-25/I-225 congestion problem. Arapahoe and Douglas counties along with the cities of Denver, Aurora, and Greenwood Village participated in the initial MIS. Two other Denver-area corridor studies were also undertaken.

The initial MIS was primarily transit-oriented in scope. The recommendations included light rail, highway improvements, pedestrian/bicycle facility improvements, enhanced Transportation Demand Management (TDM), Intelligent transportation system (ITS) measures. It also recommended safety improvements such as acceleration and deceleration lanes, wider shoulders. The initial MIS did not call for additional highway lanes. The Federal Highway Administration and CDOT were troubled by this omission, and leaders of all four agencies agreed that the MIS placed too much emphasis on transit.

"We weren't going to spend over a billion dollars on this project without involving more highway capacity. It couldn't be a predominantly transit project," Said Bill Jones, the Federal Highway Administration's Colorado Division administrator. "This was the turning point when we realized together that the transit part of the project couldn't be built without the highway part."

"We looked at ways to break down the highway vs. transit rivalry and started looking at mobility," RTD Director, Cal Marsella said. "Let's look at highway and transit as coordinated pieces of a comprehensive strategy to maximize mobility in a project with limited available right of way. We set our sights on a project that was a win-win (proposition) for both transit and highway. What emerged was the T-REX project."

A second, more comprehensive MIS was completed two years later. Unlike the initial study, the scope included Core Infrastructure (Highway) improvements as well as Transit solutions. It recommended expanding highway lanes up to 7 wide in each direction as well as added light rail support throughout the corridor. Additionally, the cities of Lone Tree, Parker and Centennial were also included for input and feedback. DRCOG adopted the recommendations of the 1997 Study which included the 19 miles (31 km) of double-track light rail and 13 stations with the track running next to or in the median of I-25 and I-225.

In November 1998, DRCOG adopted a 20-year regional transportation plan called Metro Vision 2020. T-REX was a top priority in the plan.

Planning for the project began in June 1999, with the passage of a law allowing the state Department of Transportation (CDOT) to use Transportation Revenue Anticipation Notes to borrow money based on federal funds the state had not yet approved. Shortly thereafter, The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Regional Transportation District (RTD), Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration signed a "Partnering Agreement" to work on the project, and voters approved the plan to run light rail through the corridor. Southeast Corridor Constructors, a joint venture between Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit Construction and New York-based Parsons Transportation Group won the design-build contract in May 2001. Construction began only a few months later- in June 2001.

The "Partnering Agreement" was a key to the success of the project. Signed by all stakeholders, and it established four primary goals:

• Minimize inconvenience to the community, motorists, and public.
• Meet or beat the total program budget of $1.67 billion.
• Provide a quality project.
• Meet or beat the project's operational deadline of June 30, 2008.

Another vitally important element of the MIS process and success to the project was the early formation of two committees—A Policy Committee provided input on policy-related issues and monitored project progress relative to the overall public agency decision-making process, and a Technical Committee focused on all planning, engineering and environmental issues and assisted in the development and refinement of alternatives. Members of this committee were individuals from the various cities and jurisdictions within the study area who had a technical background.

These two committees, (Policy Committee and Technical Committee) used goals from the "Partnering Agreement" to refine and evaluate each alternative. Public meetings and numerous workshops were held during NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) scoping and at key milestones during the study to present the definition of alternatives and to guide the Colorado Department of Transportation and RTD in the development and evaluation of any Preferred Alternatives. Committee members primarily consisted of elected and/or appointed policy/decision-making officials from the affected areas. After the adoption of the MIS, all four agencies in June 1998 signed a "partnering charter" that created a leadership team to identify and pursue the best multi modal solutions.

CDOT and RTD next assembled the teams into one location. Top management from all four agencies began meeting every two weeks. The purpose of the senior-level meetings was "not just to get briefings," said Chick Dolby, Federal Transit Administration deputy regional administrator, "but to do the planning and make decisions."

A project newsletter was published at key project milestones to keep the public informed. The committees remained intact during the NEPA and preliminary engineering process, and monthly meetings were held to keep them involved. This also helped with maintaining a constant public process and ongoing relations with the public through the release of project newsletters, which discussed the project, listed milestone dates and invited the public to attend open houses and provide comments. Press releases and a media tour were utilized to keep the project in the media, and project displays were placed in public buildings to keep the public informed. A project website was continuously updated with the latest documents and information. Project team members met over 215 times with community groups.

By the end of 2002, working with a $100 million budget, the T-REX Project acquired six single-family homes, two duplexes and two apartment buildings. It negotiated 30 total acquisitions and 172 partial acquisitions. Businesses were also eligible for replacement property costs and moving costs. As with residential properties, the T-REX Project purchased business properties, and relocation experts helped businesses move. No one had to move until they found comparable replacement housing.

T-REX's five-year design-build project added 19 miles (31 km) of light rail and improved 17 miles (27 km) of highway through southeast Denver, Aurora, Greenwood Village, Centennial and Lone Tree. The unprecedented project is the result of a unique collaboration between the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Regional Transportation District, which is responsible for transit service in the metro Denver area, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. Construction began in Fall 2001 and construction ended in December 2006, 22 months ahead of the original schedule. Additionally, light rail service along the Southeast Corridor began in late 2006.