1. Planning Department Update
RTD Board of Directors
Planning & Development Committee
October 4, 2016

2. Completed 2016 Projects

3. Southeast Rail Extension Small Starts Construction Grant
First project nationwide accepted into MAP-21 New Starts Project Development (2013).
Moved into New Starts Engineering in 2015.
Included in President’s FY2016 budget.
Reauthorization under FAST Act provided eligibility in Small Starts category, expediting approvals and resulting in single-year $92 million grant.

4. Slide 3

5. Parking Pricing Technical Assessment
Study concluded that daily parking charges can be feasibly implemented at RTD facilities, and multiple pricing scenarios would be revenue positive.
Identified pros and cons associated with 3rd party management.
Based on Board input, staff will report back later this fall with RTD Parking Guiding Principals for Board consideration and adoption.

6. 2016 FasTracks Corridor Review
None of the four remaining FasTracks projects is a candidate to enter New Starts or Small Starts Project Development in the foreseeable future without significant external resources and commitments.
While not eligible for Federal Capital Investment Grant funds, other strategies will continue to be explored.
Any successful funding strategy likely to include significant non-RTD funds.

7. TOD Assessment Completed in February 2016
Identified work plan for improving and expanding TOD at RTD that included:
Refinement of TOD Policy regarding joint development process, parking and TOD Mission.
Implementation of a refined decision making process.
System-wide assessment of TOD opportunities.
The TOD Pilot Program Lessons Learned Report.
Further evaluation of revenue generating opportunities. 7

8. Northeast Area Transit Study (NATE)
NATE completed with consensus from local jurisdictions.
Final recommendation for BRT from Brighton to University of Colorado A Line, generally along SH 2.
Final recommendation left open for future consideration connection point: Central Park Station or Colorado Boulevard Station.
Determine which south alignment to pursue at next level of study.
Completion of study will allow local jurisdictions to reserve right-of-way
NATE II alignment shown in blue.

9. Efforts currently underway

10. FTA After Study (W Line) and Before Study (Univ. of Colorado A Line)
FTA purpose: mandated by Congress; document actual outcomes and monitor accuracy of predicted outcomes.
Currently completing final review of onboard survey data; report to Board later this year.
Initial drafts of After Study chapters have been submitted to FTA for review.
Will explain actual ridership differences compared to FFGA forecasts.

11. Colfax 15L Improvements Project
Continue to provide guidance to, and coordinate with, Denver’s Colfax Corridor Connections BRT project.
Developed conceptual design for 15L canopies and shelters – lighting, benches, security cameras will be included.
Site survey will be underway soon.
Transit Signal Priority designs underway.

12. SH 119 BRT
Stakeholders identified SH 119 between Boulder and Longmont as top priority BRT corridor in Northwest Area through Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS).
DRCOG awarded $1 million in TIP funds to RTD to advance planning and engineering work in the corridor.
RTD to issue Request for Proposals (RFP) later this year for consultant services to assist with this effort.
Study projected to take approximately 2.5 years.

13. TOD Project and Planning Efforts
I-25/Broadway planning and developer coordination
29th/Welton TOD Pilot
Longmont TOD planning and city coordination
Bus barn site coordination
Participation in multiple station area plans including:
Littleton Mineral
Colorado and University
40th/Colorado 13

14. Grants Multiple discretionary grants pursued in 2016
FTA Bus & Bus Facilities Low No Bus program
FTA Mobility on Demand Sandbox
TIGER Central Rail State of Good Repair
Smart Cities Application (partnered with City and County of Denver)
2016 FASTER grants (working with CDOT)

15. Pass Program Study
Objective: Improve RTD pass programs to better serve customers of the district.
Commitments
Revisit and refine individual pass program goals.
Refine pricing and administration of each pass program.
Recommend Pass Program policy revisions to the Board of Directors.
Process Milestones
Develop Pass Program Objectives
(W/ Board Input)
Assemble and Engage Pass Program Working Group
(w/Board Input)
Develop Policy Recommendations
(w/ Board Input)

16. Coordination with other major planning efforts:
Denveright process (Pedestrian, Transit, Land Use Plans by Denver)
Colfax Connections (Denver)
State Highway 7 BRT (Boulder County, Local Jurisdictions & CDOT)
Speer/Leetsdale Plan (Denver)
National Organization of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) South Broadway Transit Accelerator Demonstration Project (Denver)
Rail~Volution 2017 Planning (RTD Host Agency)
Interregional Connectivity Study (CDOT)

17. Continuous Improvement Implementation
Strategic plan commitment to attract and retain a dynamic workforce piloted process improvement tools to productively improve communication and collaboration.
Investing in Ourselves gives employees the tools to identify and eliminate waste and tools to innovate.
Piloted in Platte Bus Maintenance Division, Customer Care & Light Rail.
Rapid Improvement Event on Hiring Process identified 11 innovations.
GMR Workshop identified 9 “Just Do It” changes and 3 innovations (in development) to improve constituent support.
To Date: over 300 employees have been trained in process improvement with facilitated brainstorming and coaching identifying over 60 innovations
Weekly highlighting of “Bright Spot” innovators

18. 2017 and beyond

19. Regional Arterial BRT Feasibility Study
Funding provided in the Strategic Budget Plan; work will begin in second quarter of 2017.
$1 million of DRCOG TIP funding plus $250,000 RTD match.
NAMS demonstrated effectiveness of arterial BRT improvements at relatively modest cost; this study will prioritize future BRT capital investment District-wide.

20. First and Final Mile Strategic Plan
Part of Strategic Budget Plan (SBP) for (includes $200K grant from CDOT).
Goal is to develop strategic direction for RTD on First and Final mile issues (i.e., role, policy, priorities).
Strong emphasis will be on partnerships with others – local jurisdictions, developers, non- profits and shared mobility providers.
Expected start date will be Spring 2017.