DENVER – It’s a line that many have been waiting for for years: RTD’s B line, or Northwest Rail, ends in Westminster and it’s not known if that will change anytime soon.
“RTD needs to take the next steps for our entire corridor because that was the promise that was made,” said Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver.
Weaver said people have been getting taxes for over 15 years and when it comes to the Northwest Rail, there is hardly any movement.
“We’ve seen some benefits, so our fast bus service from Denver to Boulder has improved a little bit, but that’s definitely not the train we were promised,” said Weaver.
That train would continue to Boulder and then on to Longmont, but RTD has said the Northwest Rail won’t be built until 2042 or later because the price tag is now about $ 1.5 billion.
“No one would want to finish this one more than RTD, but it’s all about the money,” said RTD spokesperson Pauletta Tonilas.
RTD has an internal FasTrack savings account with about $ 124 million, but not all of that money goes to the Northwest Rail.
“There are three other FasTrack projects: the central corridor extension, the southwest extension and the rest of the 164th northern metro line,” said Tonilas.
About 75% of FasTrack projects are completed, but it is the unfinished projects that prompted Governor Jared Polis to lean in.
In a letter to RTD he says in part, “I am writing to remind you that RTD is responsible for fulfilling their obligations to the district taxpayers and urge you to begin the planning necessary to build the complete the corridor by 2025. “
During an RTD study session Tuesday evening, it will be discussed how to proceed with the Northwest Rail and whether design study is the next step.
“We absolutely understand the frustrations of people who voted for FasTracks in 2004 and said, ‘Hey, I thought I was going to get a railroad, where’s my railroad?’ We get that and we’re here to say this is our reality now, ‘Tonilas said.