EPA report on air quality, RTD service update, and Governor's rail efforts

At the monthly Commuting Solutions members' meeting on Oct. 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and the Governor's Office of Colorado gave presentations.

EPA Report

KC Becker, the Regional Administrator for the EPA's Region 8, provided graphics showing air quality trends comparing Denver to Salt Lake City (see Air Quality Trends graphic). For what is referred to as "Criteria Pollutants" which are focused on ozone and particulates that are PM 2.5 (particulates in ambient air that are 2.5 micrometers or less), Salt Lake City air quality continues to be better than Denver's.

Becker said, "Denver could fall out of attainment in a couple years." When that happens, monitoring and planning will be required to address the problem. It is an on-going process that requires constant review, especially as requirements change.

Air quality is directly related to topography (basinal areas such as Los Angeles with limited air circulation have much bigger challenges), transit emissions such as diesel and gasoline, and emissions from oil and gas production.

Additional pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound contributions are growing with the more frequent occurrence of wildfires in Colorado.

The EPA's response to these challenges includes several different programs that are being funded from the bi-partisan infrastructure bill and other sources. These programs include:

The Clean School Bus Program, which is replacing existing diesel school buses with low and zero emission school buses. Becker pointed out that it is not true that E buses are not fit for cold climates, using Steamboat Springs as an example of a success story;

Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), which uses grants and rebates to help reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines;

Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG), which provides funding to local entities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution;

Clean Ports Program, which funds zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure. These ports are not limited to water transit but can include inland ports that are hubs for transportation; and

Vehicle and Rail Emission Reduction, which includes not only promotion of E cars but buses, trucks and trains, as well as hybrid rail technology that includes hydrogen trains, such as those soon to begin use in California.

RTD Report

Lynn Guissinger, RTD Board Second Vice-Chair and Director for District O, spoke about RTD's actions and plans to reduce emissions for their vehicles, and spoke of proposed service increases on various routes that include Boulder to the Denver Airport.

Erik Davidson, RTD Board Chair and Director for District I, showed that these service increases are made possible by increased hiring as RTD has been seeking to fill open positions that have sometimes caused reduced service and less on-time performance. He also described the increased efforts RTD has made for paratransit for the Denver to Longmont area.

Davidson spoke about the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project in Denver, Phase 1, which was fully completed in August of this year. This included work at Stout and 15th Street, California and 15th Street, Stout and 17th Street, California and 17th Street, and Broadway and Welton.

Finally, RTD is rolling out a Performance Dashboard that includes information for on-time performance metrics, community outreach metrics, boardings and finance information. The Performance Dashboard can be found at rtd-denver.com/performance-dashboard.

Governor's Rail Report

Lisa Kaufmann, Senior Advisor to Governor Polis, provided an update on the implementation of Senate Bill 24-184 for Passenger Rail Service. This is the bill that has implemented a rental car fee to help fund passenger rail service to enable delivery of the plan for rail service from Denver to Fort Collins by 2025.

The difference between what the governor's office is currently investigating versus what has been delivered in the recent Peak Service Feasibility Study is the inclusion of service all the way to Fort Collins instead of just between Denver and Longmont. With the inclusion of service to Fort Collins, the rail program will qualify for federal as well as state funding that could lead to a faster delivery of service to the public. (See attached graphic on the difference between Joint Service and Peak Service).