East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Operating Plan The requirements for opening day operations versus year 2030 are based on ridership and operations. Opening day (2015) will have fewer parking spaces and fewer trains; however, the Preferred Alternative and the associated analysis and mitigation in this FEIS are for the overall 2030 proposed improvements and operations. The opening day operating plan for the Preferred Alternative would include four trains per hour in each direction between DUS and DIA throughout most of the day. During late-evening periods, train service would be reduced to two trains per hour in each direction. While four-car trains would be used for operations on opening day, the corridor would be planned and designed so that platforms could be expanded to ultimately accommodate eight-car trains. Components of this system (such as station platforms) will initially be constructed for four-car trains, which will accommodate 2030 ridership projections. Each car of the train would be approximately 90 feet long, so a four-car train would be approximately 360 feet long. More details on the operations of the Preferred Alternative are provided in Chapter 4, Transportation Systems. Grade Crossings When the train crosses a roadway, it can cross either at the same level as the roadway (at grade) or above or below the roadway (grade separated). The Preferred Alternative would be grade separated at 20th Street, Park Avenue West, Broadway, 38th Street, Colorado Boulevard, Quebec Street, Proposed Central Park Boulevard, I-225, UPRR mainline, Airport Boulevard, East 31st Avenue, East 32nd Place, I-70, 56th Avenue, E-470, Peña Boulevard, New Castle Street, airport exit road, airport entrance road, and the airport commercial vehicle service turnaround road. All other roadway crossings would be at grade. There are design options for the crossings at 40th Avenue and New Castle Street. Columbine Street is proposed to be closed. Roadway Modifications As part of the transit improvements, various roadway modifications were necessary. Smith Road modification/relocations at both the Colorado station and the Peoria station are described in Subsections 2.2.3.2.3 and 2.2.3.2.5, respectively. Roadway modifications would also be required for 40th Avenue between Blake Street and York Street, including the modification of the intersection of 40th Avenue, York Street, and Josephine Street. Tibet Street (private DIA access) would be relocated to continue to provide access to DIA property. The relocation takes advantage of the proposed structure over Peña Boulevard and Second Creek, rather than providing an at-grade crossing. The DIA commercial vehicle service road at the south end of the terminal would also be relocated to avoid building a structure over the proposed platform. General roadway modifications may include turn lanes and signal modifications. Intersection improvements associated with the East Corridor crossings and stations are discussed in Chapter 4, Transportation Systems. Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility The Preferred Alternative includes the CRMF at the Fox North site. The CRMF encompasses approximately 30 acres and is generally bounded by 48th Avenue on the south, 54th Avenue on the north, Fox Street on the east, and the BNSF TOFC Yard on the UPRR North Yard on the west. It would include facilities to repair, maintain, clean, fuel, and store the FasTracks commuter rail vehicles. UPRR Track Relocation September 2009 2-71
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement In some sections along the UPRR corridor mainline freight track will be relocated to accommodate both the commuter rail and freight rail in the available ROW or with minimal additional property requirements. The mainline freight track will be relocated (shifted slightly to the north) between the TOFC yard and Dahlia Street. UPRR storage tracks will be reconstructed at various locations between Colorado Boulevard and Sable Boulevard. UPRR track relocations are discussed in more detail in Chapter 4, Transportation Systems. 2.2.3.2 Preferred Alternative Stations In addition to DUS and DIA, five stations are included in the Preferred Alternative. Station sites were developed based on a series of initial assumptions that defined basic technical requirements. In addition to these requirements, initial station requirements were developed for parking, bus bays, and other infrastructure based on the technical analysis as part of alternative refinement. Details regarding base line station elements are provided in the RTD Commuter Rail Design Criteria, Section 5 Station Design (2007e). The alignment proposed for the Preferred Alternative is designed so that station platforms could be expanded to ultimately accommodate eight-car trains. Stations sites are shown in Figure 2-35 through Figure 2-46. Both opening day (2015) and horizon year (2030) site descriptions are outlined. Parking provisions for opening day and the horizon year are shown in Table 2-12. The station site for DUS is not evaluated as part of the East Corridor EIS. The DUS station is being studied as part of the DUS EIS and built as part of the DUS master development plan. The East Corridor EIS will clear the station platform at DIA. The DIA station and proposed terminal expansion are being evaluated as part of DIA s general planning efforts. Each station area was evaluated with respect to multimodal access, including pedestrian, bicycle, bus, and automobile modes. Information on access details for these modes can be found in Chapter 4, Transportation Systems. Table 2-12 Preferred Alternative Opening Day (2015) and Horizon Year (2030) Parking Station Opening Day (2015) Horizon Year (2030) Spaces Spaces 38th/Blake 200 500 Colorado 200 1,800 Central Park 1,500 1,500 Peoria 550 1,900 40th/Airport 1,079 2,200 Total 3,529 7,900 2.2.3.2.1 Architectural Style Details regarding base line station elements in the RTD Commuter Rail Design Criteria, Section 5 Station Design were used to develop the preliminary station areas. A separate document, the Draft Commuter Rail Design Templates (RTD, 2008c) was developed to provide an overall framework for station architecture for all FasTracks commuter rail stations. 2-72 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered RTD s Commuter Rail Station Design Templates report assists in developing the architectural style for commuter rail stations in the FasTracks program. The report guidelines do the following: Provide a methodology to blend elements that are standard for all rail corridors, unique to individual corridors, and in some cases unique to individual stations. Establish parameters for customization at appropriate stations. Establish a baseline for costing station improvements. Provide a basis for determining the amount of additional funding required when a local jurisdiction requests improvements whose costs exceed the base cost. Identify elements of the station design. The Commuter Rail Station Design Templates report identified four station styles: Neighborhood Craftsman Town Center Contemporary Main Street Historic Industrial Loft Modern The station design process for the East Corridor included a series of meetings with the local jurisdictions and the Transit Working Group to discuss the proposed access recommendations and aesthetics of the stations. These meetings assisted the development of the architectural style for the East Corridor commuter rail stations. A technical report, titled East Corridor Stations and Aesthetics (2009), was prepared that summarizes the findings of the station design process. CCD gave additional input on architectural style during the station design process. CCD expressed a desire to have a station canopy that aesthetically relates to the DIA terminal by using similar materials as used on the terminal s roof. After some evaluation by RTD staff, it was determined that this type of material is a cost-effective option. Aurora also expressed support of using this type of material at stations within Aurora. The two station types recommended for the East Corridor are variations on the Industrial Loft Modern and Town Center Contemporary styles from the Commuter Rail Design Templates report with use of roofing materials similar to the DIA terminal. The architectural styles for individual stations are identified in Table 2-13 and visual images of the station canopies for the architectural styles are shown in Figure 2-33 and Figure 2-34. Table 2-13 Architectural Styles for Stations Station 38th/Blake Colorado Central Park Boulevard Peoria 40th/Airport Architectural Style Industrial Loft Airport Industrial Loft Airport Industrial Loft Airport Town Center Contemporary Airport Town Center Contemporary Airport September 2009 2-73
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Figure 2-33 Industrial Loft Airport Style Shelter Figure 2-34 Town Center Contemporary Airport Style Shelter 2.2.3.2.2 38th/Blake Station As shown in Figure 2-35, the 38th/Blake station would be located both northwest and southeast of the UPRR corridor and 38th Street and would provide an opportunity for a connection to the Central Corridor Extension. Figure 2-36 shows cross section views of the 38th/Blake station area. 2-74 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered The station platform would be located southwest of 38th Street. The station would have two locations for parking. One would be bordered by 38th Street on the southwest, Wynkoop Street on the northwest, and the UPRR corridor on the southeast. The remaining parking would be northeast of the platform. The platform would be located between the UPRR corridor and Blake Street just southwest of 38th Street. A pedestrian crossing between the parking areas and the platform south of 38th Street would provide access between the two parking locations and the station. This pedestrian crossing will be bicycle accessible. This site would provide 200 parking spaces opening day (2015) and 500 spaces by 2030. The parking distribution on opening day is 100 spaces on the northwest site and 100 spaces on the northeast site. Vehicular access to the northwest parking site would be provided at 39th Street and Wynkoop Street, and access to the northeast site would be provided along Blake Street. September 2009 2-75
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Figure 2-35 38th/Blake Station 2-76 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Administrative Draft Version 2 Alternatives Considered Figure 2-36 38th/Blake Station Cross Sections September 2009 2-77
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement 2.2.3.2.3 Colorado Station The Colorado station site is shown in Figure 2-38 and Figure 2-37. The site would be bordered by Monroe Street on the west, 41st Avenue on the south, Jackson Street on the east, and the UPRR corridor on the north. Figure 2-39 shows cross section views of the Colorado station area. The site would provide 200 parking spaces on opening day (2015) and 1,800 parking spaces (in a parking structure) in 2030. Vehicular access to the site would be provided at the intersection of 42nd Avenue and Jackson Street in 2015 and then also at Garfield Street and 41st Avenue in 2030. Smith Road would be relocated to begin at the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and 40th Avenue, from its current starting location near 41st Avenue and Jackson Street. This relocation is necessary since the available span under the Colorado Boulevard bridge will not accommodate both the commuter rail alignment and the roadway cross section. To maintain the connectivity of Smith Road, improvements would be completed to provide a connection from the 40th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard intersection to Smith Road between Colorado Boulevard and Dahlia Street. The Preferred Alternative includes using existing Albion Street for the Smith Road realignment, as shown in Figure 2-37. Design Option 1 includes building a new road along the edge of Park Hill Golf Course as shown in Figure 2-38. Design Option 2 uses the existing Albion Street for the Smith Road realignment, as shown in Figure 2-37. Both options include additional modifications to the surrounding roadway network. In both options, Jackson Street would be improved to provide direct access to the station and bus bay areas, with 42nd Avenue providing access to the properties east of Jackson Street. Additional information regarding traffic analysis can be found in Chapter 4, Transportation Systems. 2-78 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Figure 2-37 Colorado Station with Smith Road Realignment Design Option 1 September 2009 2-79
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Figure 2-38 Colorado Station Preferred Alternative (Smith Road Realignment Design Option 2) 2-80 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Figure 2-39 Colorado Station Cross Section September 2009 2-81
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement 2.2.3.2.4 Central Park Station The Central Park station site is shown in Figure 2-40 and would be located southwest of the proposed Central Park Boulevard and Smith Road. The site would be bordered by Tamarac Street on the west, 37th Avenue on the south, the proposed Central Park Boulevard (to be constructed by others) on the east, and Smith Road on the north. Figure 2-41 shows cross section views of the Central Park station area where Elevation A-A illustrates a cross-section view of Smith Road at the platform. The rest of Smith Road will include the standard landscape strip and detached walk. This site would provide 1,500 parking spaces on both opening day (2015) and in 2030. Access to the park-n-ride site would be provided off Ulster Street or Uinta Street, via either Smith Road or 37th Avenue. Pedestrian access from the park-n-ride to the platform would be accommodated by a pedestrian signal and two traffic signal crossings on Smith Road. CCD station area planning efforts identified the possibility of constructing a parking structure south of the proposed bus transfer center. RTD will continue to coordinate with CCD and Forest City regarding future opportunities for structured parking and redevelopment. 2-82 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Figure 2-40 Central Park Station September 2009 2-83
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East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Figure 2-41 Central Park Station Cross Section (B-B) September 2009 2-85
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East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered 2.2.3.2.5 Peoria Station The Peoria station is shown in Figure 2-42 and would be located in the southwest quadrant of Peoria Street and Smith Road. The site would provide a connection point for the I-225 Corridor and would include the realignment of Smith Road. Realigning Smith Road would provide the opportunity for a direct transfer between the East Corridor and I-225 Corridor and would improve future operations of the Smith Road and Peoria Street intersection. Leaving Smith Road on its existing alignment does not allow for a direct transfer between the two corridors. Additional information regarding traffic analysis can be found in Chapter 4, Transportation Systems. Figure 2-43 illustrates cross section views of the Peoria station area. The station site would provide 550 parking spaces on opening day (2015) and 1,900 spaces (in a parking structure) in 2030. Smith Road would be realigned between Moline Street and Peoria Street, along Moline Street, 33rd Avenue, and Peoria Street. The existing portion of Smith Road between Moline Street and Peoria Street would be closed. September 2009 2-87
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Figure 2-42 Peoria Station 2-88 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Figure 2-43 Peoria Station Cross Section September 2009 2-89
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement 2.2.3.2.6 40th/Airport Station As shown in Figure 2-44, the 40th/Airport station would be located south of 40th Avenue, just east of Peña Boulevard and west of Salida Street, at the site of the existing RTD park-n-ride lot. This existing site provides 1,079 surface parking spaces to be used on opening day (2015). There are 2,200 parking spaces planned for the station in 2030, some of which would be in a parking structure. Spaces in 2030 would be provided by a combination of both surface parking and a parking structure. Access to the site is from Salida Street. Figure 2-45 shows cross section views of the 40th/Airport station area. There is a design option that includes crossing 40th Avenue with a grade separation if the roadway is lowered by others. Figure 2-44 40th/Airport Station 2-90 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Figure 2-45 40th/Airport Cross Section September 2009 2-91
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East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered 2.2.3.2.7 Denver International Airport The station at DIA is proposed at level one on the south side of the terminal. It would include two tracks, two side platforms, one center platform, and an arrival/departure platform. The East Corridor would clear the station platform. As shown in Figure 2-46, DIA s expansion plans include a new terminal building south of the existing terminal building, additional parking, and a hotel. The East Corridor would connect to this new terminal building. Figure 2-46 Denver International Airport Station Source: FasTracks Rail Station Feasibility Study Denver International Airport (RTD, 2005c). 2.2.3.3 Alignment Fencing Selection Process RTD s intention is to fence the entire corridor primarily from a safety and security standpoint. The presence and aesthetic effect of alignment fencing was a concern of the local agencies. For this reason, separate fencing workshops were held as a collaborative effort between the project team and staff members from Aurora, CCD, and DIA. These included the selection of proposed fencing type with the understanding that any premium for fence types more costly than the project-recommended fence would be paid for by a third party. Fencing at station areas will be handled on a case-by-case basis through an individual site planning processes. September 2009 2-93
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement The East Corridor built on fencing strategies used by other RTD corridors. This process included a framework that identified surrounding land-use types, track profile, operating speeds, and other issues that could influence the type of fencing. The corridor was then divided into sections that became the basis for the evaluation process. The evaluation process included the following steps: Step 1: Review the fencing process and preliminary recommendations for land use types Step 2: Review recommendations for fencing types including any cost premiums to be financed locally Step 3: Present recommendations to the public As a result of these meetings, the fencing materials shown in Table 2-14 were recommended and endorsed by local agencies. The approximate geographic limits of chain link and post and cable fencing are shown in Figure 2-47. As indicated in the figure, post and cable fencing will be used in the transitional area at the approaches to stations (200 feet from either side of the platforms. In stations areas different fencing or barriers may be more appropriate for aesthetic reasons. In these areas, the fencing and/or barrier design shall be determined on a case-bycase basis and the design shall be accepted by the RTD System Safety Project Manager. Table 2-14 Fencing Materials Typical use Along alignment Fence Type Chain Link Approaches to stations and bridges. Post and Cable 2-94 September 2009
East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives Considered Figure 2-47 Corridor Fencing September 2009 2-95
Alternatives Considered East Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement 2.3 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL COSTS Construction, ROW, vehicles, and professional services cost categories were used in the development of the capital cost estimate. The estimated total project capital cost is $1,642 million. The costs are shown in Table 2-15 and are identified for both opening day and 2030. Table 2-15 Preferred Alternative Capital Cost Breakdown (in Year of Expenditure Dollars) Preferred Alternative Opening Day (millions) Additional 2030 Improvements (millions) Total (millions) East Corridor $1,344 $298 $1,642 Source: Financial Plan Update (RTD, 2009b). The construction estimate used the basic engineering design to determine construction quantities. These categories include guideway and track elements, stations, support facilities, site work, and systems. Unit prices were derived using standard pricing methods and historical price comparisons. The ROW estimate also used the basic engineering design to determine the project limits. This ROW line was established based upon individual location circumstances for all proposed improvements such as fill embankments, retaining walls, drainage ditches, roadways, and station areas. For this cost analysis, a parcel was considered a full ROW acquisition if the construction impact limits encroached on a structure, removed all reasonable access, or acquired more than 20 percent of the parcel. The vehicle estimate is based on historical unit prices of similar vehicles adjusted for inflation and multiplied by the required fleet size. The fleet size was determined by using the peak hour ridership estimates, the peak hour service frequency, and run time from one end of the corridor to the other. The operating fleet was increased by 20 percent to allow for repair and maintenance. Professional services include preliminary engineering, final design, project and construction management, insurance, startup, and legal fees. Professional services estimates were based on a percentage of the estimated construction cost and partly on an estimate of staffing requirements. The capital cost estimate for the CRMF is separate from the East Corridor, as it will be shared among all proposed commuter rail corridors. The estimated total CRMF capital cost is $189,125,308 in year of expenditure dollars. 2.4 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS Operation and maintenance cost for the Preferred Alternative has been forecasted for the year 2030 based on 2008 dollars. The annual estimated cost is $17,575,188 for commuter rail operations on the East Corridor. A detailed discussion of the Preferred Alternative operations is included in Chapter 4, Transportation Systems. 2-96 September 2009