A federal judge in Denver has denied a request from Colorail, a rail transit advocacy group, to stop RTD’s construction work at Denver Union Station while the group appeals to have the design study redone.

Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board members and the RTD General Manager met yesterday with White House officials to discuss the FasTracks program, including a presentation on FasTracks that focused on economic benefits and sustainability improvements.

RTD Chairman Lee Kemp, 2nd Vice Chair Noel Busck and RTD General Manager Phil Washington met Wednesday at the White House with Adolfo Carrión, President Obama’s Director of Urban Affairs for the White House Office of Urban Policy. The discussion centered on the economic benefits, mobility improvements and sustainability enhancements afforded by the FasTracks program.

It’s a first in the United States for bridge construction – the FasTracks bridge over Sixth Avenue Freeway in Lakewood will be rolled into place intact during a weekend highway closure in April.

RTD’s sales tax revenue for January retreated slightly after two months of gains, even as Colorado’s statewide sales tax collections for January retail sales went up two percent.

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.

FasTracks construction of the new Sheridan Boulevard bridge is on schedule – good news for drivers through the two-lane work zone – and the structure may get its first girders next week. View a video of the work here and click on the story for an additional slide show.

Lakewood Edge reports that the public will encounter delays or detours at the Jefferson County government campus on Johnson Road in the coming weeks due to West Corridor light rail construction. Crews moved in Monday to begin operations that include excavation for retaining walls and the parking garage, underground utility relocations, station construction and roadwork. During construction, the bike path just south of the complex will be closed and pedestrians will be re-routed north on Johnson Road to Jefferson County Parkway.

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.

If anyone had to go through a year like Pauletta Tonilas did last year, they might just want a nice vacation. But the truth is that this year will likely be even more intense for Tonilas, the public information manager for RTD’s FasTracks program. She was honored this week by the Colorado Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar as its “Woman of the Year.”

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.