[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Summary of 2/2/2012 US 36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition Meeting

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Appelbaum, Matt

Colleagues,

Just a brief add-on to Suzy's informative memo on FasTracks issues.  The day prior to the MCC meeting, the full Metro Mayors Caucus met and discussed both FasTracks - with the entire emphasis on the NW corridor - and also the CDOT regional tax proposal.  Comments on both were quite similar to those described by Suzy from the MCC.  Metro Mayors did, at our request, agree to support the corridor's request to RTD that a "true" BRT system be designed and operated (as much as possible) for the corridor, and that RTD sign an IGA with the corridor.  Regarding CDOT, when it became clear that there would almost certainly need to be two, separate ballot issues, it seemed like the general consensus was that would kill both issues (RTD and CDOT).  I again raised a number of concerns about the CDOT issue, and while I think some mayors would generally favor roads for new capacity, many shared my concerns about statewide and regional equity, choice of projects, and more "infringement" on local sales tax revenues.

For now, Boulder's position is to support the analysis of rail alternatives in the NW corridor - in particular, to push hard to have RTD/CDOT provide initial designs/concepts of how we could have "true" BRT, or at least something very close to that, and serve Longmont and Louisville.  This includes both the physical design and also the operating characteristics.  We also would require that the full $894M + $42M/year operating dollars be definitively set aside for the corridor until full costs are known and construction at least underway.  And we'd require an IGA that fully protects the corridor, particularly regarding future service levels and BRT operations.

In theory, the MCC needs to reach some consensus, if possible, by March 1.  I don't know if that will be possible, and would presumably, at best, be contingent on much final analysis, IGA legal work, etc.  There is an MCC meeting scheduled for Feb. 21 (and I've put a placeholder for an update that night at our council meeting), and a MMC FasTracks committee meeting on Feb. 22.  Obviously, this is moving quickly.

--Matt

From: Ageton, Suzy
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 9:07 PM
To: HOTLINE
Subject: Summary of 2/2/2012 US 36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition Meeting

Attached is a summary of the major issues discussed at the most recent US 36 MCC meeting.   Suzy
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