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On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced it will provide more than $303 million for upgrades to Denver Union Station — the centerpiece of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver’s FasTracks program.
 
The USDOT approved a $151.6 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan and a $152.1 million Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program loan for the project, which calls for transforming the station into a multi-modal hub for light- and commuter-rail trains, and buses. The loans will cover about 64 percent of the project’s $479.4 million cost. RTD already has received $28.4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.
 
The project includes a light- and commuter-rail station, underground bus terminal with 22 bays, and public plazas to integrate transit service.  Construction is projected to take four years to complete.
 
The project will be implemented by the Denver Union Station Project Authority, a non-profit entity formed in July 2008 through a partnership between RTD, the city and county of Denver, Colorado Department of Transportation and DUS Metropolitan District.

In addition to redeveloping Denver Union Station, the FasTracks program calls for building 122 miles of commuter- and light-rail lines, and 18 miles of bus rapid-transit lines.