Transit as a Catalyst for a Winning Region:A Denver Case Study

Maria Garcia BerryMay 17, 2018

Regionalism is Born

1960s 100-year Flood

1970s School Desegregation and BusingAnnexation Wars

1980s Retail WarsDenver International AirportConvention Center16th Street Mall

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Regionalism Grows Up

1990s: Formation of Metro Mayors CaucusSports FacilitiesT-REX Project - Rail and RoadsTABOR – Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights

2000s: Water WarsFasTracks - Expansion of TransitGrowth and DevelopmentThe Great Recession

2010s: Statewide Transportation ChallengesMarijuana – The New Mile High City

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The Early Years of Transit

1960s: Denver Tramway Company files for bankruptcy and transfers assets to city-owned Denver Metro Transit

1969: RTD was created by the Colorado General Assembly

1973: Voters approved .05% sales tax for RTD

1974: Denver Metro Transit becomes part of RTD

1994: Central Connector Light Rail Line opens

2000: Southwest Light Rail Line opens

2002: Central Platte Valley Spur opens

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Laying the Groundwork for FasTracks

• Proposed “Guide the Ride” expansion failed in 1997 (57% to 43%)

– Dysfunctional board

– Conceptual Plan – “trust us with your money”

– The “yes” campaign spent $650,000; “no” $50,000

• In 1999, CDOT and RTD collaborated on two ballot measures approved by the voters

– Granted CDOT authority to pledge federal revenues to retire debt

– Allowed RTD to seek additional bonding authority for rail construction

– TREX expanded I-25 and built 19 miles of light rail3

Laying the Groundwork for FasTracks

• By 2001, RTD Board and local communities began collaborating on a comprehensive, region-wide transit plan called FasTracks

• Legislature granted RTD authority to go to ballot, by petition, in May 2002

• Formal review and unanimous approval of plan by DRCOG (Regional MPO)

• Two light rail corridors opened in 2000 and 2002

• Southeast Line under construction

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FasTracks Plan

• 122 miles of new light rail

and commuter rail

• 18 miles of bus rapid transit

(BRT)

• 57 new transit stations

• 31 new Park-n-Rides with

over 21,000 new spaces

• Enhanced suburb-to-

suburb bus service

• Development of Denver Union Station

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Keys to an Effective Campaign

• Research, Research, Research!– Between June 2002 and March 2004, privately funded entities

conducted 3 baseline polls and 24 focus groups

• Throw out all preconceived notions and myths as to who supports transit and who doesn’t

• Start Early – Research started shortly after legislature granted RTD the

authority to go to an election

• Utilize data gathered to assist public policy makers

• Be Inclusive and Proactive– Use the issue to bring divergent views but common interests

together

• Pick the “right” election cycle6

Things We “Expected” to Learn

• Transit riders most likely to support

• Higher income households less likely to support

• Republicans will never vote to increase taxes for transit

• It won’t make a difference in “my lifetime”

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Key Findings of Research

• Voters wanted something done now to address traffic – 12 years was too long

• Usage does not equal support

• Highways alone would not solve congestion

• General awareness of the success of light rail

• Voters did NOT know about the FasTracks Plan –needed major education

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Understanding the Voters

• Understand your voting “world”

– Develop a “voting model” on how to win in each county

– Not all counties are equal – each have different populations and voting patterns

• In Denver metro area:

– Voters wanted a specific plan/map

– Voters wanted choices and options in transportation

– Roads alone were not the answer; but roads weren’t the enemy either – one size doesn’t fit all

– Voters wanted something done NOW!

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Challenges Faced by the Campaign

• Very competitive election year – Open Senate seat

– Presidential election

– Campaign budget increased by 15 – 20%

– Ballot clutter – Colorado has a very long ballot

• Governor and Executive Director of CDOT opposed the campaign

• Rocky Mountain News editorialized against the campaign 13 times

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Key Messages

• The Map was key

• Translated the cost - 4 pennies on a $10 purchase

• The time is now (“Population Explosion”)

• Can’t stop growth - must plan for it (“Highways Not the Answer”)

• FasTracks provides choices (“New Door to the City”)

• Unanimous support of all 32 Mayors in the region

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Election Results

• Final results:YES – 57%NO – 43%

• All Republican majority counties voted for FasTracks

• One out of three Democratic counties voted against FasTracks

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The Elements of Success• Created a disciplined, focused, flexible campaign plan

– Anticipate changing world of electoral politics

– Plan for surprise events

• On-time/On-budget delivery– RTD and the region had undertaken large infrastructure projects

and delivered them on time and on budget

• What it takes– Strength, passion, commitment, courage and unbridled

determination to deliver

• Great city and region – Need desire and political will to be a great city and region

• Vision– Should be lofty, but attainable– Should capture the region’s imagination

• A plan– Must have a specific plan13

What it Takes to Win

• Start early

• Political will

• Business/community/environmental support

• Public buy in – research is key

• Plan for implementing

• Strong public education campaign

• Gauge the economy and the impact on voter

• Choosing the best election cycle possible 14

RTD Today

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• Service Area Statistics

– Population: 3.03 million

– Cities and Towns Serviced: 42 municipalities, 8 counties

– Square miles in service area: 2,342

• Ridership

– Average weekday boardings: 336,576

– Annual boardings: 100,942,818

• Total Operating Budget

– 2017: 626.1 million

• Fixed Routes

– Commuter Rail: 2

– Light Rail: 8

– Bus: 132

FasTracks Progress2013: W Line opened

2014: Denver Union Station openedMetroRide opened

2016: University of Colorado A Line openedB Line openedFlatiron Flyer opened

2017: R Line opened

2019: G Line and N Line scheduled to open

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Leveraging Federal Funds

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Project Total Cost Federal % Federal

Flatiron Flyer $190 M $0 0%Central Platte Valley $48 M $0 0%

West Rail Line $678 M $309 M 44%

Central $117 M $0 0%Southwest Corridor $178 M $120 M 80%

North Metro $837 M $0 0%Eagle P3 Project $2.3 B $1 B 52%

R Line $677 M $0 0%

Southeast Corridor $879 M $525 M 60%Southeast Extension $232 M $92 M 43%

• $5.6 billion spent since 2004 election

• $1.767 billion in federal funding

• Federal funds equal 33.8% of overall budget

Private Investment Follows Transit

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• Nearly $3B in private investment around Union Station since 2009

• 77% of office space build in last decade in the Denver Tech Center along I-25

• 40% of multifamily units proposed or under construction are within ½ miles of rail transit

Questions?

Maria Garcia BerryCRL Associates, Inc.

1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 1800Denver, CO 80264

303-592-5466mgarciaberry@crlassociates.com

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