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.

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board of Directors swore in Angie Rivera-Malpiede as the newest Board member at a special Board meeting held on Tuesday, March 9. Ms. Rivera-Malpiede succeeds Juanita Chacon as RTD Director for District C, which includes northwest Denver and surrounding areas.

The Denver Post reports that Mayor John Hickenlooper has selected longtime transportation advocate Angie Rivera-Malpiede to succeed Juanita Chacon as RTD director for District C, which includes northwest Denver and surrounding areas.

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.

RTD’s first light rail exterior ad is for the Healthy Marriage Project. RTD rendering.
RTD Media Release
RTD’s first light rail exterior advertisements rolling out, available in extra large size
New revenue source helps during tough economic times
The Regional Transportation District has a new option for those who want to advertise on RTD vehicles. RTD’s first light rail train exterior advertisement will be running on the tracks beginning Wednesday, March 3.
RTD will join many transit agencies in the United States and internationally that utilize the exteriors of their light rail train …

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 Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Senate was tied in knots Monday as it tried to get around a single lawmaker’s objection to a spending bill. Sen. Jim Bunning (R., Ky.) again blocked a $10 billion bill that would have extended unemployment benefits and other programs after halting its progress last week. And on Monday, the impact of his blockade started biting, with the expiration of benefits to 100,000 people and the suspension of 41 transportation projects across the country.

Following an emergency meeting today to discuss the impact of the current shutdown of federal highway and transit programs, state transportation officials called the action a bad situation that will only get worse. “If you do the math, we’re talking about more than $153 million a day in lost reimbursement payments for highway projects to the states,” said Larry L. “Butch” Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation and president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “Congress has to move quickly to correct this by passing legislation and getting it signed into law.”

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.