The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) has selected Urban to provide an independent assessment of the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) 2011 & 2012 FasTracks Financial Plans for its $6.7 billion transit program.

Colorado Senate Bill 90-208 requires that a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approve the financing and technology for all fixed guideway projects. DRCOG acts as the designated MPO for the FasTracks Project and is responsible for operation and maintenance of a continuing, comprehensive transportation planning process, including preparation and adoption of transportation plans and programs.

The RTD has developed the FasTracks Plan, which provides a comprehensive, region-wide plan for transit development in the greater metropolitan Denver area and has assumed the ownership role for this highly complex program. As part of its responsibility to continually assess and evaluate the FasTracks Project, DRCOG contracted with Urban to provide an independent and objective assessment of RTD’s 2011 & 2012 Financial Plans.

Urban’s work encompasses meeting with representatives from DRCOG and RTD and reviewing many documents provided by RTD in support of the assumptions and projections that form the basis for the financial plan. Urban will review the RTD’s core financial assumptions that formed the basis for the financial plan, and analyze and comment on a host of questions within five subsections:

1. Capital Cost Estimates

2. Operating Cost Estimates

3. Revenue Estimates

4. Financing

5. Summary Assessment of Overall Financial Plan