HomeMy WebLinkAbout861 - REGARDING Commuter Rail. Intro & Adopted 9/5/00.I D -~''-U~
RESOLUTION NO. 861
RESOLUTION TO ENCOURAGE CITY OF BOULDER TO
DISCUSS BURLINGTON NORTHERN 5ANTE FE
REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERIM PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE
FROM BOULDER TO DENVER.
WHEREAS, the health, welfare and public safety of Boulder's major transportation corridor
to the Denver metropolitan region is at great risk due to the dependancy of citizens on a single
roadway which has shown signs of failure, especially at peak hours. Therefore, the Boulder City
Council wishes to take proactive steps to find opportunities to relieve congestion on U.S. 36, which
could be implemented prior to funding ofproposals that may emerge from the U.S. 36 MIS efforts;
and
WHEREAS, the Boulder City Council has shown strong support for investigating the
£easibility of interim (consYruotion period) passenger rail service. Other city councils and city
managers have also expressed interest in implementing rail service to mitigate highway construction
delays along U.S. 36 and beyond; and
WHEREAS, it is the inYention of this resolution to jump-start passenger rail peak Yime
services as a complementary action to the U.S. 36 MIS. With already-approved development and
at least eight years of funded construction which aggravates road congestion and regional bus dalays,
there is an imme@iate need for relief which rail service would provide. This rail mitigaYion approach
during road construction and excessive congestion has proven cost effective and very successful in
many other urban areas which faced a problem similar to the gridlock predicted for U.S. 36 in the
nextthree years.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that in conjunction with the City's full
participation in the U.S. 36 MIS process, the Boulder City Council requests that the Boulder City
Managerkeep abreast ofthe development of Burlington Northern Sante Fe railroad management (i.e.
Manager Ed Gallager, Division Engineer and others) and communities along the U.S. 36 highway
and rail corridors to discover what policies, infrastructure modiftcations, costs, station improvement,
etc. need to be in place for the Burlington Northern Sante Fe railroad to initiate peak period
passenger rail service between Boulder and Denver on the existing high quality track which parallels
most of the growth and development served by the congested U.S. 36 urban corridor.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that after the City Manager and his delegation have learned
what requirements the railroad would have to satisfy to provide paak period rail service, he report
back to City Council and the Transportation Advisory Board sixty days from the date of this
resolution as to what next steps the city employers and interested citizens can do to make rail
passenger service a reality, in keeping with the Council goals of environmental and economic
sustainability, reduction ofcongestion and the provision ofsafe, dependable altematives to the single
occupancy vehicle.
K:~PWTR\2-861.ytr
ADOPTED this 5"' day of September, 2000.
Mayor
Attest:
]3y - ~
City Clerk on behalf o the
Director of Finance and Record
K:IPWTR\R-861.yir 2