The Next Cornelius Vanderbilt?
RTD's Eagle P3 Project - Wow, just like opening night on Broadway!
Do you have what it takes to become a railroad baron? Well, two consortiums vying for the Regional Transportation District‘s (RTD) FasTracks Eagle P3 project in Denver believe they do.
Mountain Air Transit Partners and Denver Transit Partners are the two groups competing to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Eagle P3 commuter rail line. This project combines the former Gold Line, East Corridor, and Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility projects. The Eagle P3 will extend commuter rail from the revamped transit hub at Denver Union Station, west to Wheat Ridge, and east to the Denver International Airport. The project also includes the first phase of the Northwest Rail project, reaching into Adams County.
Both the Gold Line and East Corridor projects are positioned to receive a portion of their funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts Program. Additional funding is provided through the FasTracks program’s 2004 voter-approved sales tax. However, this funding is not sufficient to cover the full cost of a project of this scale. The Eagle P3 was created to capitalize on private investment and financing to build the entire project.
Eagle P3 Simulation.
One May 18th, the Mountain Air Transit Partners and Denver Transit Partners teams made their public pitches through presentations at the Paramount Theater. Both teams attempted to convince to the public and the RTD Board members present why they are best qualified to deliver the project. Both teams outlined expedited schedules that would potentially have trains rolling before RTD’s deadline of 2016. Videos of both presentations are posted on RTD’s website.
<The Denver Post recent coverage of the Eagle P3 team’s public presentations>
<More information on the Eagle P3 project and FasTracks program>
