Voters Approve FasTracks Referendum

DENVER-FasTracks, the $4.7-billion transportation initiative, was approved by metro-area voters on Tuesday night. The measure was supported by Mayor John Hickenlooper and New Urbanism-style developers who believe that it will mean millions of square feet of new high-density, Smart Growth, transit-oriented developments along new light rail lines.

The project will take 12 years to complete. It will provide new lines linking Downtown to every direction, including one to the Denver International Airport. That line likely will be a diesel line on heavier track, not a light rail line.

Gov. Bill Owens opposed it, noting that it would not cut the overall commute times throughout the metro area. The tax is too high to justify the measure, he contends.