FasTracks’ federal funding picture came into sharper focus on Friday as the Federal Transit Administration announced it will provide the sought-after $304 million in loans toward the conversion of Denver Union Station and $120 million in grants to three rail corridors.
Memo to gubernatorial candidates: If you’re coming to talk at a convention of Colorado road builders, expect to be asked what you would do to address the crisis in funding transportation improvements.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, the Democratic candidate for governor, and former Congressman Scott McInnis, seeking the Republican nomination, appeared separately at the convention of the Colorado Contractors Association. During Q and A sessions following their talks, each one missed opportunities to lay out specifics about what they would do for transportation funding.
Nevertheless, both Hickenlooper and McInnis said the straightforward solution to providing stable, predictable and reliable funding to transportation infrastructure is simply to put together your best package of taxes, fees or other revenue measures to accomplish the mission, and then make the case to voters that it’s all necessary.
RTD Press Release
Regional Transportation District (RTD) Director Juanita Chacon announced today that she is leaving the RTD Board of Directors and vacating her seat as Director of District C. Director Chacon said that the increasing demands on her professional and personal life made this decision necessary.
Ms. Chacon is a Realtor by trade, and the on-going economic downturn has required significant demands on maintaining her business. She said, “I am not independently wealthy, so balancing my family, my non-profit work and my real estate business now requires much more of my time to do each of them properly. I have loved every minute of my service to RTD, and I will continue to advocate for access to transit service for all.” Director Chacon said that with the untimely passing of her father a year ago, she wants to be able to continue to be able to spend essential time with her mother.
Because District C is in Denver, the authority for naming a replacement falls to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. That selection will then require confirmation by the Denver City Council. Director Chacon was appointed to the Board of Directors of RTD in August 2005 by Mayor Hickenlooper, and she was elected in November 2006 to a four year term that expires the end of 2010.
RTD Chairman Lee Kemp said, “RTD and the entire community owe Juanita a big thank you for her dedication and hard work. She has been an excellent RTD Board member who has fought for improving transit services for all RTD passengers. We look forward to working with Mayor Hickenlooper’s appointee to continue the great service Juanita has performed.”
Ms. Chacon is a Broker Associate for Re/Max Alliance City Living. She has been in real estate for over 20 years during which time she has consistently been recognized as a top producer. She has been honored as Hispanic Realtor of the Year, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Businesswoman of the Year, Re/Max President’s and 100% Club and is a candidate for the Re/Max Hall of Fame.
Active in many professional and civic organizations, Ms. Chacon has been a board member/chairperson of over 25 various non-profit agencies representing women, children and educational efforts. In November 2007 Juanita was honored by the board of directors of Family Star Montessori with their “Shining Star Award.” Ms. Chacon was appointed by Mayor Pena as a commissioner for Denver Urban Renewal Authority and appointed by Governor Romer to the State Housing Board serving two terms.
As a co-founder of the Latina Chamber, Director Chacon continues to be involved with issues affecting the Hispanic Community and she said she is “dedicated to the life-long journey of becoming bi-lingual.”
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper the state can do a much better job communicating at a more local level the need and impact of transportation projects, during a news conference on Friday, the Longmont Times-Call reports.
During a discussion of the FASTER vehicle-registration fee increases that Republicans have cited in their criticisms of Ritter and the Democratic-controlled Legislature, Hickenlooper suggested state officials hadn’t done a good enough job explaining the local implications of the state being “many billions of dollars behind” in paying for needed transportation projects.
Hickenlooper said it’s government’s job to communicate a need “before we start telling how much money we need.”
Hickenlooper said the state should fashion its transportation-needs message, telling people “here’s a bridge you need” or explaining how extra turn lanes on a specific state highway serving a community would result in safer traffic flows.
Rendering shows a corner of South Broadway, currently under construction and funded in part by the Hickenlooper’s 2007 Better Denver Bond Program.
When John Hickenlooper hits the road to campaign for the governor’s office, the Denver mayor will get an up-close look at the maintenance and improvement needs of the state’s transportation network – and is likely to get an earful about what the state should do about its transportation funding crisis.
But Hickenlooper’s drive straight into the Colorado governor’s race will also have advocates of sustainable transportation infrastructure investments looking over his record for signs of how he might approach the crisis.
While the Denver mayor was famously known for his all-out support of the metro-wide rapid transit expansion FasTracks by the Regional Transportation District, his administration is moving more bricks and mortar in Denver at the moment through the 2007 Better Denver Bond Program.
RSS