Denver FasTracks Gets $120 Million In Federal Funding

Denver's Regional Transportation District will receive a funding boost to the tune of $120 million, courtesy of the Federal Transit Administration. The West, Gold and East lines will each receive $40 million.

Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet secured the grants from a pool of $1.6 billion approved by Congress earlier this year. Peter Rogoff, the Federal Transit Administrator, acknowledged the need to move forward with major transit projects despite budget uncertainty.

"This investment will help expand job opportunities, ease commutes and improve travel to and from the airport for visitors and residents in the Denver metro region," Bennet said. Both Senators stressed the federal government's promise to help share in the cost to finance FasTracks.

Taxpayers approved funding 40 percent of the FasTracks initiative in 2004 with a 4/10 of 1 percent local sales tax increase. The project includes 122 miles of rail, 18 miles of Bus Rapid Transit, and Park-n-Ride expansions.

The West, Gold, and East lines are scheduled for completion in 2013, 2016, and 2016, respectively.