As you may recall, at its July 24 meeting the RTD Board deferred its decision on rail technology for the North and Northwest corridors. The Board indicated that it would approve whichever type of train (diesel or electric) emerged as the “locally preferred alternative” in the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for those two corridors. So if you want to influence the Board’s decision, the way to do it is by taking part in the EIS process.
You can do just that tonight and tomorrow. Public meetings will take place tonight from 6 to 8 pm at Adams City High School, 4625 East 68th Avenue in Commerce City, and tomorrow night from 6 to 8 pm at the Carpenter Recreation Center, 11151 Colorado Boulevard in Thornton.
Public input may already be having an effect. Until a few days ago, it was anticipated that diesel trains would be declared the “locally preferred alternative” on the North Metro line. But the flood of e-mails and letters supporting EMUs (electric trains) has been so strong that the decision has been put off. Judy’s office forwarded more than 85 e-mails from District 9 residents who support EMUs; please add your voice to theirs. If you can’t attend either of this week’s meetings, then submit a comment via the North Corridor web site or send an e-mail to Judy’s office.
Public opinion carried the day on the Gold and East corridors, and the RTD Board chose electric trains. It’s not too late to achieve the same outcome on the two remaining lines.
