RTD Board snubs 2010 election for FasTracks tax increase

DENVER – Taxpayers won’t be asked for a sales tax increase to fund the FasTracks expansion, at least not this year.

Regional Transportation District directors decided late Tuesday to forego asking the public to approve a 0.4 percent sales tax increase to cover a $2.4 billion budget shortfall in RTD’s light rail expansion plan. The decision, reached during a special meeting of the Board, is expected to push back FasTracks’ originally forecast 2017 completion date.

The unanimous decision from the 14-member Board comes after months of discussion about rising cost estimates, polling data and public sentiment. But in the end, it hinged largely on a still sputtering national economic engine.

“What it really comes down to is the state of the economy,” said Lee Kemp, RTD Board Chair. “While we’re seeing some recovery, this is still a tough time for a lot of folks, and we just don’t feel it’s prudent to go to the ballot while so many people are still facing personal challenges.”

Kemp’s view mirrors the concerns of Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy, who reminded the RTD Board that many folks are struggling in the wake of the economic downturn and said the time is not right to ask for a tax increase.

And a letter from Arvada deputy City Manager Bill Ray also urged the Board to avoid sending the quarter-cent per dollar tax increase matter to voters this year.

The vote also came on the heels of a poll indicating that voters are evenly split on the tax increase issue.

The poll, commissioned by done by the Coalition for Smart Transit – a coalition of business, civic, labor and environmental groups – suggests that 50 percent of voters would support a tax increase and 48 percent would vote against it.

Although the RTD Board shied away from a 2010 ballot question, it “has determined that a sales tax increase is needed to complete the program sooner rather than later,” and will “consider a sales tax increase every year until FasTracks is fully funded,” according to an RTD statement announcing Tuesday’s vote.

“If RTD does not secure additional revenues, current estimates indicate that the entire FasTracks system will not be completed until 2042,” according to the statement.

“While RTD will not seek a tax election in 2010, the agency is committed to implementing the whole FasTracks program, and will have 47 miles of new rail lines under construction or under contract by the end of this year,” the Board statement said.

The 12.1-mile West Corridor light rail line, which bisects Lakewood, will not be affected by the Board’s decision. The line eventually will link the Jefferson County Government Center, Lakewood, the Federal Center and Golden with downtown Denver and will offer connections to other FasTracks rail lines.

FasTracks is a 12-year program to expand rail and bus service throughout the RTD service area. The FasTracks program is expected to provide six new rail corridors, extend three existing corridors, build 18 miles of bus rapid transit service, add 21,000 new parking spaces, redevelop Denver Union Station and expand bus service across the eight-county Regional Transportation District.

The entire transit program’s cost is estimated at $6.5 billion, but current revenue projections fall short of that mark by about $2.45 billion