The Rocky Mountain Rail Authority (RMRA) has come back to CDOT with it's High Speed Rail study, which began in July 2008. The Big figure that makes the headlines is the $22 Billion. That would be for a high speed rail network with dedicated rights-of-way to pass 100 MPH trains through Colorado along the I-70 and I-25 axises. The critical segment running from DIA to Summit County would figure to be around $9 Billion, according to one source on the RMRA.
The concept of using dedicated rail works when you consider that freight and passenger rail mix poorly and freight rail goes where communities were at the turn of last century, such as industrial centers and mining operations, not where the communities are today, such as the Denver Tech Center and the Summit County ski complex. Further, today's communities grew around the Interstate system, but rubber on concrete transportation is so inefficient compared to rail, it's pointless to keep pouring concrete on the problems caused by growth. A dedicated, efficient system of rail designed to move passengers is much safer and responsive to demand. Will Colorado see the wisdom, or see red over the price tag?
Update:
March 31 - 9News.com article
Update:
March 31 - 9News.com article
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