Press Room

Senator Hudak welcomes major funding for FasTracks at groundbreaking in Olde Town Arvada

Wednesday, August 31 2011

Senator Hudak joins local, state and national leaders to break ground for Arvada light rail station

Senator Evie Hudak with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood at the groundbreaking today

OLDE TOWN ARVADA— Today, elected officials and community leaders came together in Olde Town Arvada to announce a $1.03 billion federal grant for the Regional Transportation District’s East Rail Line to Denver International Airport and the Gold Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge. Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster) took part in the festivities and welcomed U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Federal Transit Administration Administrator Peter Rogoff and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to her district. Municipal leaders from Metro Area cities and counties also took part.

Senator Hudak offered the following comment on today’s events:

“The people in my district have eagerly awaited commuter rail coming to our community. This project will bring jobs into the community, stimulate business growth in our already vibrant city center, and strengthen our connections with cities throughout the Metro Area.

I’m very happy to see this day come, and I want to thank all those who supported the FasTracks project, including, Secretary LaHood, FTA Administrator Rogoff, Governor Hickenlooper, RTD leadership and staff, the many municipal leaders, the Arvada Chamber of Commerce and most importantly, the voters who supported FasTracks.”

Arvada Chamber of Commerce and the City of Aurora organized events to celebrate the progress of the RTD FasTracks transit expansion program. They hosted an ice cream social and a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Olde Town prior to the groundbreaking ceremony. Then, Secretary LaHood, FTA Administrator Rogoff, Governor Hickenlooper, RTD leadership and others announced the award of federal funding to complete the East Reil Line and the Gold line.

The Olde Town Station of the Gold Line, named to commemorate prospectors discovering gold in Historic Olde Town Arvada in 1850, is anticipated to be open to passengers by the summer of 2016.