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RTD board votes to go ahead with annexation election
The Regional Transportation District agreed at a board of directors meeting May 20 to go ahead with an annexation election in Lone Tree in November - if enough signatures are collected by petition.
By By: Sonia Narang
The Regional Transportation District agreed at a board of directors meeting May 20 to go ahead with an annexation election in Lone Tree in November - if enough signatures are collected by petition.
The Lone Tree City Council also approved a revised intergovernmental agreement with the transit district.
If Lone Tree votes to be a part of RTD, the transit district plans to have bus service in the city as of January 2004.
Bus services will include local call-n-ride and some fixed routes. One will run from the southwest corridor light rail Mineral Station to Lone Tree; another, from Sky Ridge Medical Center and the Ulster/Tufts transfer station, and a third route will run from the medical center and the Interstate 25 and Broadway area.
RTD estimates it will collect about $3.5 million from Lone Tree in 2004, engineer John Cotten said.
If RTD voters pass FasTracks, a multi-billion dollar program designed to enhance rapid transit in metro Denver, sales tax will increase from .6 percent to 1 percent. That increase would boost sales tax revenue from Lone Tree up to $6.5 million in 2005.
RTD has agreed on a two-mile light rail extension from the future southeast corridor Lincoln station into Lone Tree's RidgeGate development.
While the RTD board of directors voted in support of the Lone Tree annexation - 14 in favor vs. 1 abstention - some said the city will get enhanced services before many other parts of the transit district.
Some areas, which have long paid taxes to RTD, have not yet received adequate service. Lone Tree says it can pay its way, and at least $1.5 million in annually collected revenue will go toward the future light rail extension.
By the year 2025, RTD estimates it will have collected a total of $53 million from Lone Tree for light rail construction.
If Park Meadows Town Center annexes into RTD, that amount could increase to $147 million.
While RTD plans on bus service early next year, Lone Tree might not see construction of the extended light rail line until 2010.
That start date is contingent on the mall's inclusion into RTD. If the mall is not part of RTD in the future, the transit district may wait to extend the light rail into RidgeGate until 2020.
"This agreement with RTD is one that was been worked on diligently over the past few weeks. There is a common interest between the city and RTD," Lone Tree Mayor Jack O'Boyle said. "We now go forward with bringing this plan to our constituents."
The Lone Tree City Council also approved a revised intergovernmental agreement with the transit district.
If Lone Tree votes to be a part of RTD, the transit district plans to have bus service in the city as of January 2004.
Bus services will include local call-n-ride and some fixed routes. One will run from the southwest corridor light rail Mineral Station to Lone Tree; another, from Sky Ridge Medical Center and the Ulster/Tufts transfer station, and a third route will run from the medical center and the Interstate 25 and Broadway area.
RTD estimates it will collect about $3.5 million from Lone Tree in 2004, engineer John Cotten said.
If RTD voters pass FasTracks, a multi-billion dollar program designed to enhance rapid transit in metro Denver, sales tax will increase from .6 percent to 1 percent. That increase would boost sales tax revenue from Lone Tree up to $6.5 million in 2005.
RTD has agreed on a two-mile light rail extension from the future southeast corridor Lincoln station into Lone Tree's RidgeGate development.
While the RTD board of directors voted in support of the Lone Tree annexation - 14 in favor vs. 1 abstention - some said the city will get enhanced services before many other parts of the transit district.
Some areas, which have long paid taxes to RTD, have not yet received adequate service. Lone Tree says it can pay its way, and at least $1.5 million in annually collected revenue will go toward the future light rail extension.
By the year 2025, RTD estimates it will have collected a total of $53 million from Lone Tree for light rail construction.
If Park Meadows Town Center annexes into RTD, that amount could increase to $147 million.
While RTD plans on bus service early next year, Lone Tree might not see construction of the extended light rail line until 2010.
That start date is contingent on the mall's inclusion into RTD. If the mall is not part of RTD in the future, the transit district may wait to extend the light rail into RidgeGate until 2020.
"This agreement with RTD is one that was been worked on diligently over the past few weeks. There is a common interest between the city and RTD," Lone Tree Mayor Jack O'Boyle said. "We now go forward with bringing this plan to our constituents."
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