OFFICIAL I70 BITCH THREAD....

[Foggy_Goggles]

OK all you "I hate driving I-70" WP passholders and vacationers.

http://www.skyhinews.com/news/winter...s-now-on-sale/

Discount train tickets how available

[Danno]

But but but, it's the other people who are supposed to ride the train, I want my car.

[The SnowShow]

$60 round trip...then how much extra for downtown parking? $15?
Fun for the novelty but still too $$$ IMO.

[hatchgreenchile]

When comparing the total cost of ownership to the ticket price, I bet it's reasonable.
Of course, nobody wants to look at it that way. It's fuel vs. ticket cost.

[summit]

Thought it would be fun to ski Berthoud, take the train to Denver go to a show, party, come back the next morning, ski Berthoud. It would be a good splurge for the wifey.

[Kevo]

If the train had a stop in Golden and some kind of season ticket I'd be all about it.

Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app

[Name Redacted]

I'm holding out for hyperloop at $5 RT and 15 minutes to Denver. Edit to add: did I mention bar car? Don't spill my martini!

[The SnowShow]

If the train had a stop in Golden and some kind of season ticket I'd be all about it.

Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app

Yep

[doebedoe]

When comparing the total cost of ownership to the ticket price, I bet it's reasonable.
Of course, nobody wants to look at it that way. It's fuel vs. ticket cost.

Just like taking a car to the mountains, then are many "hidden" costs beyond the ticket to taking the train up to the mountains.

[Danno]

If the train had a stop in Golden and some kind of season ticket I'd be all about it.

Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app

yep, seems like they could figure out something where it crosses 93.

[zartagen]

yep, seems like they could figure out something where it crosses 93.

For many people, that would likely be a more practical stop than Union station anyway.

[Name Redacted]

Can't you take light rail to Union station?

[Danno]

Can't you take light rail to Union station?

Some people can (not me, I could take a bus). But none of the light rail is fast, so you're adding a whole other big public transport leg with ski gear, and 30-60 more minutes to the trip.

[bean]

Can't you take light rail to Union station?

Start adding in lightrail trips and you're approaching 4 hours each way. I-70 traffic is bad but not that bad. Usually.

[Kevo]

I live a mile from the end of the W line. It takes 45 minutes each way to get downtown. Driving to downtown takes 20 minutes. The W should have had options for an Express service with less stops, but it doesn't have the tracks to support that.

It has so few riders that RTD is planning to cut 1/2 the trains running on it. RTD is fucked.

Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app

[Danno]

I live a mile from the end of the W line. It takes 45 minutes each way to get downtown. Driving to downtown takes 20 minutes. The W should have had options for an Express service with less stops, but it doesn't have the tracks to support that.

It has so few riders that RTD is planning to cut 1/2 the trains running on it. RTD is fucked.

Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app

Yeah, the fact they built all of these rail lines without a track to support express trains was really fucking stupid.

RTD gets some things right, but has had too many monumental mistakes to count.

[summit]

Basic basic basic BASIC behavioral economics: Public transportation must be either almost as fast and notably cheaper than driving, or notably faster and almost as cheap as driving. If not, only those who cannot drive will ride.

[Name Redacted]

I know, I was being a smart ass. Just the thought of one of you guys standing around on the light rail in full arcteryx kit, carrying your DPS's, and wearing Cat-Tracks on your ski boots was enough to make me chuckle.

I think what you are realizing is that the "Ski Train" to WP is more of a novelty, and you do it for the experience. Not exactly public transportation for the sake of efficiency, cost savings, or even convenience (unless you live right downtown). It's the kind of thing you do once a year with the family so the kids remember the experience, and it is probably a pretty scenic ride off I70.

[hatchgreenchile]

They are not struggling to fill ski train seats, so it's clearly working

[summit]

Basic basic basic BASIC behavioral economics: Public transportation must be either almost as fast and notably cheaper than driving, or notably faster and almost as cheap as driving. If not, only those who cannot drive will ride.

This is a commentary on light rail, not the ski train.

[bean]

I live a mile from the end of the W line. It takes 45 minutes each way to get downtown. Driving to downtown takes 20 minutes. The W should have had options for an Express service with less stops, but it doesn't have the tracks to support that.

It has so few riders that RTD is planning to cut 1/2 the trains running on it. RTD is fucked.

I wonder how many more riders it'd have if they ripped out half the stops. With all the neighborhood stops, two(?!) stops at Mile High, etc. it's a complete joke.

[WTF is dat]

I live a mile from the end of the W line. It takes 45 minutes each way to get downtown. Driving to downtown takes 20 minutes. The W should have had options for an Express service with less stops, but it doesn't have the tracks to support that.

It has so few riders that RTD is planning to cut 1/2 the trains running on it. RTD is fucked.

This is only somewhat correct.

RTD is considering (key word considering) reducing service on the West Line to every 30 minutes between the Federal Center station and the Golden station. This cut in service would only impact the last 2 stops on the line and would not cut service during peak times (rush hour) and service on the other 90% of the line would be completely unaffected.

The West Line sucks in between Golden and Lakewood. Once it starts running parallel to Colfax in Lakewood it is actually quite efficient and has decently high ridership. The problem section is the far west end of the line, where the train rides like a slow moving roller coaster with multiple curves and single tracked sections. That part is a disaster.


So what you are saying is somewhat correct, but not really.

[Kevo]

In an ideal world, the W line would have had a stop at the JeffCo taj and then continued on to Red Rocks.

Golden could then use a street car or trolley to go the rest of the way to downtown Golden from the taj and the W would get plenty of use for people going to Red Rocks.

[WTF is dat]

Yeah, the fact they built all of these rail lines without a track to support express trains was really fucking stupid.

RTD gets some things right, but has had too many monumental mistakes to count.

Yeah, express trains would be great but would have cost a shit load more to build. Considering that RTD could barely obtain the necessary ROW for 2 tracks in many areas and also had to settle for single tracking on portions of the W & A lines, express trains would have never happened.

[WTF is dat]

In an ideal world, the W line would have had a stop at the JeffCo taj and then continued on to Red Rocks.

Golden could then use a street car or trolley to go the rest of the way to downtown Golden from the taj and the W would get plenty of use for people going to Red Rocks.

RTD's original plan was to have the G line go all the way into downtown golden (hence the G name).

However, given the fact that RTD is expected to have a 50 million dollar budget shortfall this year, along with the delayed opening of the G and North Line, the fiasco with the A line traffic gates, the fact that the line to Boulder will probably never get built, and the fact that bus ridership was down 5% last year, I highly doubt that the G line will ever make it to Golden.



What a disaster.