Project Background

In the 2004 election, voters approved the Gold Line corridor as part of the $4.7 billion FasTracks program.  The Gold Line Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is the next step in implementing the program.  The Gold Line EIS does not start from scratch, rather it builds upon the recommendations from previous studies, using them as a starting point for analysis.

RTD has studied the potential for the Gold Line corridor to operate as rail transit corridor for the past 15 years.  The three most recent studies RTD conducted in the Gold Line corridor were the Gold Line Commuter Rail Project (1997), the Gold Line Major Investment Study (MIS) (2000) and the Three Corridors Scoping Study (2005).

In 2000, RTD completed the Gold Line Major Investment Study (MIS), which evaluated transit alternatives on the I-70 Denver to Golden corridor.  Out of 17 transportation alternatives, the MIS selected one Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).  The LPA called for the implementation of Light Rail Transit on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad alignment from Denver Union Station to the vicinity of the RTD park-n-Ride at Ward Road in Wheat Ridge. You can download the complete Major Investment Study by clicking here (please note that this file is 5MB and make take some time to download).
 
The 2005 Three Corridors Scoping Study furthered RTD's analysis of the Gold Line LPA. The study recommended several changes, including shifting the alignment at several points and relocating the Ward Road Station to north of the current park-n-Ride.