Project Background

In the 2004 election, voters approved a budget of $428.1 million for the North Metro Corridor as part of the $6.1 billion FasTracks program.  The North Metro Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is the next step in implementing the program.  The North Metro 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 North Metro Corridor to operate as a rail transit corridor for the past 26 years.  The most recent studies RTD conducted in the North Metro Corridor were the North Metro Transportation Study (2001) and the Three Corridors Scoping Study (2005).

In 2001, RTD completed the North Metro Major Investment Study, better known as the North Metro Transportation Study.  The study evaluated transit alternatives on the north I-25 corridor from Denver to Brighton.  The study team developed packages of combined transportation elements and selected one package for the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).  The LPA package included Bus/HOV lanes on I-25 and I-76/SH-224, widening of I-25 and I-76, Light Rail Transit/Diesel Multiple Unit along Union Pacific Railroad Boulder Branch, roadway improvements and Transportation Management elements.  The RTD FasTracks Plan extended the alignment from 124th Avenue to 162nd Avenue.

The 2005 Three Corridors Scoping Study furthered RTD's analysis of the North Metro LPA.  The study raised a number of technical concerns to be considered in the EIS including, ridership forecast re-evaluation, siting of the Commerce City and Globeville/Swansea stations and locating the rail alignment to avoid the Sand Creek Interlocker.

Based on the previous studies, RTD is proposing eight stations for the North Metro Corridor, which would be located Coliseum/Stock Show (formerly referred to as the Globeville/Swansea target area), Commerce City, 88th Avenue, 104th Avenue, 112th Avenue, 124th Avenue, 144th Avenue and 162nd Avenue.