Restoring Ski Link Could Be Big Lift
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January-February-March 2015 Issue #77 Restoring Millennials want to drive less, ski link do more! could be big lift -- if okayed by Jim Souby and R.W. Rynerson Spearheaded by Amtrak Conductor and ColoRail Member Brad Swarz- welter, Amtrak has agreed to con- sider operating a special train from Denver to the Seven Villages of Winter Park Resort in late March. This would be a full scale demon- Just off the train at the Paris Gare de la Est, millenials and others find official informa- stration run of the newly minted tion immediately. At Denver’s Union Station, they would find valet parking. “Winter Park Express” to accom- modate skiers desiring comfortable by Sylvia Brady and hassle free travel day for a day ColoRail's mission is to develop passenger rail and transit services in at the resort. Colorado. This ranges from advocacy for public transit projects, such as The demo would allow Amtrak to the light rail and commuter rail lines that are a part of RTD’s FasTracks work out any kinks in the service. program, to the national system of Amtrak passenger rail and scenic train However, the train requires ap- tourism throughout Colorado. Rail is one part of an integrated trans- proval of the host railroad, the Un- portation network in Colorado. (Continued on page 3) Today’s young adults are especially interested in travel without a car, and passenger rail can provide travel choices for those who cannot or do not wish to drive. If our organization wishes to grow and attract a more di- ColoRail general verse group of rail advocates, we must understand what the current gen- meeting eration’s travel trends and mobility needs are. Millennials, a term used to describe today’s young adults between the on February 28th ages of 16 and 34, have adopted new travel behaviors that differ from gearing up for 2016 previous generations. Millennials desire urban living in walkable, vibrant communities, and they do not want to spend their lives in their cars or “Year of the Train” stuck in traffic. Younger people are also interested in the sustainability of See Page 2. (Continued on page 6) “A Voice for Colorado’s Rail Passengers” Page 2 www.colorail.org Building blocks to better network Building rail’s future ColoRail’s Winter Meeting will give members a look into the fu- ture. With four FasTracks lines opening and proposals for Win- ColoRail Winter ter Park service and the Southwest Chief in the agenda, 2016 will be the year of the train. Prospects will be presented. General Meeting Planned activities include the latest on FasTracks rail line construction from 9 am to Noon Richard Clarke, Assistant General Manager, Capital Projects, RTD. Sylvia Brady and Jack Wheeler will show how the Millennial generation are revital- Saturday, February 28th izing our transportation system. ColoRail’s nominating committee will report. Denver Union Station example, obtaining the recent TI- Meeting Room President’s GER grant was a building block for saving the Southwest Chief. A se- 1701 Wynkoop Street cure Chief becomes a building block for expanding Amtrak service to Cab Pueblo, which becomes a building block for Front Range Passenger Rail by serving as a southern anchor ColoRail Board and for the system. Colorado NARP Council Members: ride Each building block can usually be (with telephone numbers) defined and justified as a standalone and <e-mail addresses> project, but also supports achieve- When you talk to ColoRail members ment of a larger goal. By identifying Jim Souby, President, now days you will often hear them and defining building blocks we can NARP Council Member use the term “building blocks”. The (303-355-7985). also identify costs and benefits more ColoRail Building Blocks are an in- <[email protected]> accurately and determine potential cremental approach to achieving our and doable steps toward achieving Sylvia Brady, Secretary, goals. Although they return tremen- our goals. Denver University dous economic benefits, rail projects are very expensive and can take a We can determine what not to do, as Bob Brewster, Board Member, Boulder, long time to complete. When we well, in order to prevent impeding <[email protected]> define such projects simply with total our goals. For example, in major rail Edie Bryan, Vice-President, Lakewood, estimated costs and project duration, and transportation corridors, building <[email protected]> we not only ignore the tremendous blocks could include policies that benefits that accrue to communities make sure the construction of fly- Gary Carter, Board Member, Pueblo <[email protected]> and the state which justify construc- overs and underpasses take into tion, but we also discourage public account future rail lines, or policies Jay Jones, NARP Council Member, acceptance, allowing naysayers to that preclude abandonment of rights Denver. claim, “we just can’t afford it” when, of way. Freight transportation may <[email protected]> in fact, we can’t afford not to do it. benefit now from projects that take Ira Schreiber, Treasurer, Aurora, future rail lines into account. This is much more than just verbal <[email protected]> mumbo jumbo. We use the term So far, the ColoRail Building Blocks Joan Shaffer, Board Member, Loveland, because it is positive: building have been a valuable way to frame <[email protected]> blocks demonstrate progress toward our broad and diverse goals into ————————————–-- our vision and goals, while concepts and projects people can Robert Rynerson, Newsletter Editor, understand. We have tried them out Denver. (720-570-0647) “increments” could be positive or <[email protected]> with various audiences ranging from negative. The term also encourages ————————————–-- us to think big enough to actually Amtrak senior management to civic ColoRail, the Colorado Rail Passenger solve our transportation problems, and political leaders. Several mem- Association, is in correspondence and but show how we can accomplish bers have contributed to the ap- coordinates with NARP, the National our goals in affordable steps. proach and we welcome feedback Association of Railroad Passengers. on these ideas from all of our mem- Membership in both organizations is Smaller building blocks stand alone encouraged. bers. -- JMS or can combine into larger ones. For www.colorail.org Page 3 UP owns Winter Park rail link try-out? infrastructure (Continued from page 1) As proposed, the Winter Park Ex- Luckin, Jody Sylva and Jim ion Pacific Railroad, which owns the press would depart from and return Souby. route. This approval has not been to Denver Union Station. The dem- As part of the business plan develop- received as of press time for the Col- onstration in March of 2015 would ment a task force of Amtrak operations oRail Passenger, which was held for herald the return of weekly ski train executives were brought to Winter this news, but ColoRail and other service to Winter Park in 2016. The Park to check out the plan. Winter civic leaders are hoping the UP will service would run from January Park did a grand job hosting the visit help resume this historic service. through March with three or four trips and selling the train’s merits. a week. Amtrak would charge a ColoRail members Bob Brewster, Ira competitive price for roundtrip tickets Schreiber and Jim Souby accompa- designed to fill the six plus Super- nied the team and ColoRail chartered liner car train and attract skiers who a return bus to demonstrate the ad- want to avoid the drive up I-70 over vantages of the train over driving. A the pass and back. return ride plagued by bad weather, This is a momentous opportunity! icy roads and I-70 congestion contrib- Restoring ski train service is one of uted to our cause! It’s the first time ColoRail’s top three goals. ColoRail ever saluted terrifying ser- vice. A team of volun- teers headed by Brad deserve a great deal of credit. The team included: Jason Hanson, Gary DeFrange, ,Bob Brewster, Ira S c h r e i b e r , Ha r r y Sa f - strom, Rich Looking back at the Rio Grande Ski Train. In a 1949 timetable, the weekend Ski Train was coexisting on the Moffat Tunnel route with five passenger trains in each direction: Winter Park - then and now California Zephyr transcontinental. Prospector overnight Denver <> Salt Lake City. Mountaineer overnight Denver <> Montrose. #9/10 daylight Denver <> Craig via Steam- boat Springs. #23/24 overnight Denver <> Craig via Steam- boat Springs. Day trip ski trains were operated in the eastern United States and Canada, but were rare in the longer distances of the West. Closest equivalent to the Winter Park “ski from the train” conven- ience was Milwaukee Road’s Snoqualmie Pass trains from Seattle. Winter Park photos at right courtesy of Steve Hurlbert show easy access. Page 4 www.colorail.org CDOT not hors- ing around Coaches connect regions ‘Bustangs’ wait in the corral for the start of service. February 2015 photos by Bob Brewster. by Bob Brewster Front Range Corridor and the I-70 muter market ended on April 30, ColoRail wishes to congratulate its Mountain Corridor. 1975. Colorado Motorway was the partners at Colorado Department of “It's a start that hopefully will enjoy operator, a sister company to the Transportation's Rail and Transit enough success to justify expansion, Denver Boulder Bus Company, this Division for their spring launch of the and who knows, it might lead to pas- writer's first employer. The buses from both companies passed into BUSTANG interregional bus ser- senger rail linkages.” adds Imhoff. vices along the I-25 and I-70 corri- the hands of RTD's Intercity Divi- Services will be operated under con- sion, based in Boulder, on May 1, dors.