Maybe you already heard, but . . . here is how the Camera covered last Tuesday’s vote on the vehicle technology issue for the Northwest Rail line:  http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/oct/17/diesel-trains-get-ok-by-rtd/.

You may remember that I was the only Board member to vote against the staff recommendation for diesel vehicles (diesel-multiple-units or DMU) during the initial FasTracks Monitoring Committee discussion of this issue.  This vote was an expression of my concerns regarding diesel technology which I know I share with many Boulder County residents.  At a time when we face great uncertainty regarding the reliability of fossil fuel supplies, let alone the environmental consequences of burning diesel fuel, I was reluctant to accept DMU technology for our corridor.

Yet, as I noted in my comments at last Tuesday’s meeting, I am commited to ensuring that our region gets its promised commuter rail system and we can not let the vehicle technology decision distract us from this goal.   The environmental benefits that we will enjoy as a result of moving more individuals from the automobile to transit service far outweigh any distinction between diesel and electric technology, let alone the additional travel convenience we will all enjoy from the new commuter rail service.

Further, there are many good reasons my fellow Board members were persuaded to vote in support of the staff recommendation.  First, the price tag for an electric system (electric-multiple-units or EMU)  would be upwards of about $700 million more then a DMU system.  EMU also entails its own emissions from the coal fired plants that supply, for the foreseeable future, most of our electric energy power.  Then, too, there are the overhead electric cantenary lines that you get with an EMU system which would disrupt our precious mountain views. 

It is with this perspective in mind, and certain that my fellow Board Directors would vote to approve the staff recommendation or DMU (the same Board Directors who are fond of noting that current DMU systems are “not your grandfather’s diesel engines”) , that I offered The Responsible Rail Amendment.  The full text of the amendment is attached below.  In short, the amendment is designed to address the significant environmental objections to diesel technology, emissions and fossil fuel reliance, by forcing RTD staff to place these issues amongst the top considerations in their vehicle purchasing decision.

The Responsible Rail Amendment also addresses an issue that, though independent of the vehicle technology debate, is at the heart of the most adamant objections to the Northwest Rail line . . . train whistle noise.  Working at a business that sits next to the intersection of 55th Street and the Burlington-Northern rail tracks, I am very familiar with the terribly grating sound that trains make when they blow their safety whistles.  I can only imagine what a challenge these whistles pose for individuals who live along the rail tracks.

In order to begin addressing this issue, The Responsible Rail Amendment requires RTD staff to immediately commence an evaluation of measures to reduce train whistle noise.  One possible option is to adopt “Quiet Zones” for certain train intersections, where RTD and local communities invest in the necessary safety equipment to permit trains to pass without blowing their whistles.  This could be an expensive standard to meet, so getting an early start on evaluating actual costs and identifying funding sources is critical to making this a real option.  The Responsible Rail Amendment will kick-start this analysis.  It is my hope that our efforts in this area will bring genuine relief from train whistle noise for residents and businesses along the Burlington-Northern tracks, far beyond potential additional impacts from the Northwest Rail line.

So, while I have many reservations regarding DMU technology, I am pleased that my fellow Board Directors joined me in support of measures to address the most significant concerns.  I also am excited to begin attacking the train whistle noise issue.  And, mostly . . . I am pleased that we are continuing our forward motion toward commuter rail service for Boulder County.

The Responsible Rail Amendment