COMMUNITY RELATIONS

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Stakeholders - Currently, the Central Platte Valley Stakeholders and the RTD Community Involvement team are working together on preliminary plans for the Grand Opening of the Light Rail line. Sponsorship packages with varying levels of participation are being developed for stakeholders for the Grand Opening Events. Meetings for construction progress and other issues will be scheduled with the Stakeholders on an as-needed basis.

The Central Platte Valley Light Rail extension is a good example of a private-public partnership. Stakeholders for this project include RTD, Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), City and County of Denver, and private entities such as the Broncos, the Rockies, Six Flags/Elitch Gardens, Auraria, and the Pepsi Center.

The total cost of this project is estimated at $51.62 million dollars. Currently, this project is on budget. The project is approximately 44 percent complete and scheduled to begin service on April 5, 2002.

Public Outreach - RTD's Community Involvement group is currently working with the LoDo District on the traditional Holiday Lighting of Union Station. The lights are set to turn on in a festive celebration on November 28. The Community Involvement group had an information booth at the LoDo District Loft Tour on October 13 and 14th. This event was a great success and marked the first time RTD and the LoDo District collaborated since RTD's purchase of Union Station. An informal meeting for residents and businesses in lower downtown regarding the future of Union Station took place on September 25. The Community Involvement group is currently planning informational opportunities within the lower downtown area. Please continue to check this website for new information.

Representatives from each of the four stations in conjunction with RTD are developing a plan to implement public art at their stations.

• Donna Billick has been chosen for the Auraria station and she will design and construct an historical archway leading to the station.
  
  
• Troy Corliss has been selected to design art for Invesco Field at Mile High station. He will be installing five terrazzo footballs on the plaza area.
  
  
• In conjunction with the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, David Griggs was the artist chosen for the Pepsi Center/Six Flags Elitch Gardens station. He will be installing seven sculptures along the wall between the Pepsi Center and the light rail station.
  
  
• Stephen Batura is in the process of designing and painting a mural that will hang in Union Station at the entrance to the pedestrian tunnel.

Contracts are signed and executed with two artists and the other two are in progress. Art will be installed in at least two locations, perhaps three, by opening day on April 5, 2002 with the others scheduled to follow shortly.

The mission of the arts program is to enhance the design, aesthetic quality and user-friendliness of transit projects as well as foster transit-oriented community development. Installing artwork at transit facilities creates a sense of community and helps our customers identify more closely with our stations and our service. It also deters and decreases vandalism and provides opportunities to celebrate the diverse culture, ethnic and historical richness of the communities we serve.

Public art helps provide a connection between neighborhoods and transit, adding value to the transit system and the community as a whole. RTD is continually making efforts to improve our facilities. To that end, RTD has commissioned art at several light rail stations along the Central and Southwest Corridors. RTD art-n-Transit is uniquely produced for each station and each community around the stations.

• Installed art-n-Transit by Station: Artwork has been installed at six stations along the Central Corridor and at all five stations along the Southwest Corridor.
  
  
• Civic Center Art: Doug Kornfeld is the artist currently designing and creating art for the Civic Center Bus Station.
  
  
• Central Platte Valley Art: Four artists are currently working on the artwork to be placed at the new stations that will open next spring on the Central Platte Valley extension.
  
  
• Future Projects: RTD is working with art consultants to integrate art into architecture in both the Southeast corridor as part of the T-Rex project and the West Corridor. The T-Rex project is currently in final design and a team of artist will be hired to work hand in hand with the station designers to incorporate art into existing elements such as pavers, handrails, retaining walls and canopies. The artist will work closely with the community to get a feel for the history and feeling of the neighborhood so that artistic elements that reflect the character of the neighborhood can be incorporated to give each station a personal identity. The artists will also identify locations along the transit line where freestanding art can be placed.

RTD is following the same process as part of the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) and PE (Preliminary Engineering) phase of the planned West corridor. Artists are being brought on board to work with the community and the design team. Even though this corridor is still in the planning process, it is an excellent time to get artist involved so that the greatest amount of community involvement can be included in the ultimate station design.