RTD photo shows Denver Union Station at 17th and Wynkoop streets. A total of $28.4 million in stimulus funding -- $9.8 million of that from RTD -- is going toward its renovation for FasTracks.

RTD has $72.1 million in stimulus-funded projects underway or in the pipeline – including more than $28.8 million to fund FasTracks projects – allowing the transit agency to move up capital construction and other work that would have gone unfunded during the ongoing budget downturn.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which President Obama signed in Denver in February, is helping to pay for project ranging from $120,000 toward a replacement bus hoist at the transit agency’s Platte Maintenance Facility to $17.1 million toward the long-awaited installation of smart-technology fare boxes on all buses and new Smart Card fare cards.

For FasTracks, ARRA is funding eight projects, including a $9.8 million contribution to renovations at Denver Union Station –a total $40 million initial job – all the way down to a $224,056 addition to the West Corridor light rail now under construction to make track improvements that will allow for a second siding west of Interstate 70, in the single-track segment of the light rail. An additional siding will help RTD add more frequent service on the single-track segment if demand warrants.

On top of the $72.1 million in direct stimulus funding, RTD is also benefitting from $18.6 million in ARRA funds allocated to Union Station work by the Denver Regional Council of Governments and a $40 million advance on its promised federal grant for the West Corridor of $308 million – both FasTracks projects. Receiving the $40 million now instead of next year helps RTD accelerate construction on the West Corridor by its contractor, Denver Transit Construction Group.

Together with a $753,399 contract for automated passenger counters on light rail cars and buses, RTD’s total stimulus act funding comes to more than $131.4 million.

You can look for yourself at the list of RTD’s ARRA projects here.

The new fare cards and boxes will make collection of both fares and rider data simpler and much more reliable. RTD has been looking into the switch for some time but the expense of replacing all the buses’ fare boxes resulted in the project being deferred for the past year or so.

RTD has accepted proposals from three different companies for the two contracts. One company, Scheidt & Bachmann, has bid on both the fare boxes and the Smart Card system. GFI Genfare submitted a proposal on the fare boxes and ACS Transport Solutions Inc. submitted a proposal on the Smart Card system. RTD staff has been evaluating both sets of proposals since July.

Rogers Petroleum was the low bidder on the bus hoist replacement, and RTD has awarded it the contract.

Between the two extremes, there are 11 other ARRA-funded projects within RTD’s base system.

They are:

• $10,253,129 for capital maintenance on the base rail and bus system;
• $5,000,000 for safety improvements on the Southwest Corridor light rail line to Littleton. This includes an electronic warning system that would automatically alert the light rail system and operator if a freight train derails into the right of way’
• $3,006,000 for purchase of six new intercity buses;
• $2,000,000 for replacement of corroded e-clips on the light rail system’s Central Corridor through downtown, which opened in 1994. E-clips are the curved steel pins that attach through the baseplates on the railroad ties and clamp down on the rail to hold it in place. Five bids were received in November and RTD is evaluating them;
• $2,000,000 for replacement of the roof at the District Shops, the heavy maintenance facility at 31st Street and Ringsby Court. RTD got seven bids on the job and awarded the contact to Douglass Colony for $1,964,000;
• $1,450,000 for enhancement of RTD’s Oracle software, hardware and services;
• $902,000 for remodeling of the driver facility at the Platte Garage in Denver;
• $550,000 for installation of heat recovery units at the East Metro Garage in Aurora;
• $330,000 for upgrading of network servers and storage devices within RTD’s Storage Area Network. A contract has been awarded for the work to Lewan and Associates;
• $302,000 for mechanical upgrades to the RTD wellness center;
• $240,000 for replacement of the sewer line at RTD’s treasury division.

FasTracks work being funded through ARRA, in addition to the Union Station work and the second West Corridor siding, includes:
• $7,593,842 for construction of queue jumps for buses along U.S. 36 at the McCaslin, Church Ranch and Flatiron park-n-Rides. Queue jumps on the highway ramps allow the buses to go directly back onto the highway in front of waiting traffic after taking on or letting off passengers;
• $4,491,140 for the lengthy storm sewer box culvert under 13th Avenue in Lakewood, from Carr to Zephyr streets, that is necessary for the West Corridor light rail project;
• $2,669,322 for the light rail bridge east of Howard Place in Denver on the West Corridor;
• $2,640,000 toward expansion of light rail platforms on the Central Platte Valley and Southwest Corridor to accommodate four-car trains. Currently sized for three-car trains, the longer platforms will allow for the larger consists to handle more passengers per trip. Krische Construction of Longmont was awarded the contract.
• $1,420,087 for relocation of Eighth Street on the Denver Federal Center to accommodate West Corridor construction.