FasTracks at 10: RTD's sprawling rail-transit construction project is still rolling (Video, slideshow)

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Kathleen Lavine | Denver Business Journal

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) W line travels over the 6th Avenue bridge on its way to the Jefferson County Government Center/Golden station.

Cathy Proctor

Reporter- Denver Business Journal

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Ten years ago, Denver area voters approved by a 58-42 percent margin the Regional Transportation District's ambitious plan to build 122 miles of passenger rail line to link the metro area together — in just 12 years.

That construction project — known as FasTracks — would greatly expand on RTD's existing light-rail network, which began service 20 years ago, in October 1994.

The FasTracks plan, as envisioned in 2004, is still a work in progress. RTD officials said earlier this year that the agency has built or contracted for some $5.3 billion worth of FasTracks construction work.

There have been ups and downs along the way. The biggest upset was an unprecedented spike in the cost of construction materials shortly after voters approved adding a 0.4 percent FasTracks sales tax to be the main source of funding for the project.

And the Great Recession slowed sales and sapped the amount of money the FasTracks tax was able to raise.

RTD's sales tax revenues in 2008 dropped 3 percent compared to 2007. They would drop another 10 percent between 2008 and 2009 as the recession took hold.

And the original $4.7 billion budget estimate in 2004 by the fall of 2008 had soared to $7.9 billion.

"Without question, we've had our challenges, but by partnering with the public and private sectors, we've gotten creative and have most of FasTracks either completed or in construction," said Phil Washington, RTD general manager and CEO.

But in the last few years, an annual debate over whether FasTracks will have to seek voter approval for another tax, to raise more money to finish the project, has died down.

Cathy Proctor covers energy, the environment and transportation for the Denver Business Journal and edits the weekly "Energy Inc." newsletter. Phone: 303-803-9233. Subscribe to the Energy Inc. newsletter