As I am sure is the case with most of you, the holiday season is both a time of reflection and a chance to look ahead. Please join me as I indulge in both lines of seasonal musing.

With respect to the FasTracks program, I was particularly pleased this year with passage of my Responsible Rail Amendment. This amendment requires RTD staff to place environmental factors among the top considerations in purchasing commuter rail vehicles and mandates a process for addressing noise concerns along the entire Northwest Rail corridor. Looking ahead, my RTD Board colleagues and I will focus on overcoming the financial and engineering hurdles we are confronting in our efforts to deliver the FasTracks plan on time and within budget.

Another positive step this year was the decision to convene a group of RTD staff and transit advocates to study unlimited access pass programs, such as the business and neighborhood Eco-Pass. The study group is developing a common mission for these pass programs while beginning to tackle difficult pricing and administrative issues. I anticipate continued progress in 2008, helping to make unlimited access pass products readily available to an even larger numbers of transit users.

Finally, 2007 has been a year of difficult fiscal pressures that are sapping RTD’s operations budget. Amidst these challenges, I was happy to support a funding partnership between RTD and the cities of Boulder, Longmont, and Boulder County that saved important commuter runs on both the J and BOLT routes. I will continue to fight in the coming months to preserve Boulder County’s bus services in the face of mounting cost pressures.

There is just a snapshot of the highlights from 2007 and my goals for 2008. With your support, we have accomplished a lot in the past year. I look forward with great optimism to 2008 and the opportunities for further enhancing transit service in Boulder County.

Happy New Year!