The FasTracks Northwest Rail corridor could get a head start under a plan that would build its first six and a half miles, between Denver Union Station and south Westminster at 72nd and Lowell Boulevard, as part of the construction of lines to the airport and Arvada. That will give RTD the capability of initiating rail transit service to southwest Adams County and Westminster sooner rather than later.

RTD’s pay-to-park program isn’t paying. The program that charges out-of-district transit riders to use high-demand park-n-Ride lots has brought in only 33 percent of its expected revenue, while costing only 54 percent of its original expenses.

RTD’s buses may soon be able to tell riders where they are and where they’re going – all with satellite-driven technology. RTD plans to release a request for proposals this month on an extensive upgrade to its communications systems that, among other things, would bring automated stop announcements to its 1,000-bus fleet.

The Regional Transportation District has established an official presence on the popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. These sites will allow RTD to disseminate news, special events, fun facts and additional information about the RTD base system and the FasTracks program and receive input.

U.S. District Judge John Kane today declined to issue an order that would have halted work that began this week on the conversion of Denver Union Station into the rail hub for the FasTracks network. At a hearing this morning, the judge denied a motion by the Colorado Rail Passenger Association for a temporary restraining order.

While the public is reacting to proposals that could radically restructure the famous 16th Street Mall, RTD plans to test different methods of fixing recurring problems with the mall’s infamous and recurrently loose granite pavers.

A group of rail transit advocates asked a federal judge on Tuesday to stop FasTracks construction at Denver Union Station until the court can rule in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the environmental approval for the work.

The Regional Transportation District has put together a $122.6 million wish list of projects that are ready to go in the event Congress approves a second stimulus program for transportation infrastructure. Half of that total consists of four FasTracks pieces totaling $60.5 million.

Construction of the FasTracks West Corridor light rail project will reach a milestone next week with three overnight closures of Wadsworth Boulevard at 13th Avenue to set girders on what is planned to be Lakewood’s signature bridge. The Wadsworth Station on the West Corridor will be smack on top of the bridge.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving a $10 million grant to extend U.S. 36 bus-car pool lanes and adding toll-paying solo drivers – far short of the $200 million the state sought but allowing work to proceed incrementally.