Alternative 7A: EMU/Streetcar

Description: Electric commuter rail on the BN-UP Rail Corridor to a transfer station at Sheridan Boulevard, streetcar west of Sheridan to Ward Road

Reason Dismissed: Low ridership and the requirement of two technologies with a station transfer.

Proposed Technology: EMU and streetcar

Proposed Route: Operating EMU on the BN-UP corridor between Denver Union Station (DUS) and Sheridan, transfer to streetcar operating in-street north on Sheridan to Ralston Road, west on Ralston Road to Olde Wadsworth, south on Olde Wadsworth to Grandview Avenue, west on Grandview to Zephyr Street, south on Zephyr to Ridge Road, west on Ridge to Balsam Street, north on Balsam to Grandview, west on Grandview to Carr Street, south on Carr Street to Ridge, west on Ridge to Garrison Street, north on Garrison to Ridge, west on Ridge to Independence Street, south on Independence to Ridge, west on Ridge to Ward.

7 Proposed Stations: 38th Avenue, Pecos, Federal, Sheridan, Olde Town, Arvada Ridge and Ward
 

EVALUATION CRITERIA	RESULTS/COMMENTS
Fulfills Project's Purpose & Need	YES
Affordability/ Cost-Effectiveness	YES: $389 Million (Gold Line Budget $462 Million +/- 10%)
Environmental Impacts	Impacts between DUS and Sheridan are mostly in the BNSF/ Union Pacific Right of Way and about equal to the Locally Preferred Alternative identified in the 2000 Major Investment Study Streetcar reduces impacts to Olde Town
Community Impacts/Benefits	Fewer than 10 properties that need to be purchased   18,652 population w/in ½ mile of stations
Consistency with local plans	Neutral to Inconsistent
Mobility Improvements	Travel time from Ward Rd. to DUS approximately 29 minutes   Travel time by auto from Ward Rd. to DUS projected to be 50 minutes in 2030   Preliminary Ridership Projection: 10,000 to 13,000
Community and Agency Support	TBD

For a complete matrix of data comparing Level 2 Analysis of Alternative 7A to other Gold Line Alternatives, click here.