DENVER—Leaders from
both the conservation and public health communities met today to highlight the
wide range of benefits that FasTracks will bring to the Denver Metro area. A
comprehensive transit system is a key component to achieving a more livable,
sustainable Denver Metro area as the region adds nearly a million more people
over the next 20 years. FasTracks will encourage development concentrated around
transit stations, promote the conservation of open space, reduce congestion
on our roads and benefit air quality by reducing the number of cars on the road.
"There is a compelling
new argument in favor of FasTracks as studies have shown time spent in traffic
may increase the risk of heart attacks among susceptible individuals and that
particulate pollution may be the trigger," said Barbara Laing, Executive
Director of the Colorado Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility.
"The average adult
takes 20,000 breaths per day. The air we breathe should matter," said Manisha
Blair, Air Quality Coordinator for the American Lung Association of Colorado.
FasTracks will play an important
role in protecting the public health from the harmful effects of air pollution
from mobile sources. Next week commences the wintertime pollution season where
particulate matter is the pollutant of concern for air quality. Particle pollution
causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory risks as it can penetrate the
body's natural defenses and also contributes to wintertime visibility problems
(i.e. brown cloud). In the summer months the Denver Metro area is most concerned
with summertime smog pollution, or ground level ozone, which is associated with
a number of respiratory problems, including asthma attacks, increased susceptibility
to respiratory infections, and decreased lung function. As recently as the summer
of 2003, the Denver area exceeded the health-based standard for ozone 50 times,
including several times in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Denver's air pollution problems
will only be magnified by the area's expected growth in population over the
next 20 years. Along with this increase in population will be an increase in
the number of cars on the road, a major source of the air pollution that threatens
our health. FasTracks will not only provide alternative transportation options
for the Denver area but will also encourage transit oriented development (TOD),
which is the creation of compact, walkable communities centered around high
quality transit allowing people to ride, walk or bike to work, entertainment
and shopping. A
recent study released by Environment Colorado and Livable Communities Support
Center projected that FasTracks combined with TOD would reduce the number of
vehicle miles driven by at least 2.5 million miles each day. This is five times
the Denver Regional Council of Governments' earlier estimate that only focused
on direct replacement of cars on the road by trips on transit.
"Not only will FasTracks
reduce the number of cars on the road as more people choose transit, but it
will also encourage development around transit stations where people will not
always have to get into their car to get to work, go out to eat or to shop,"
said Environment Colorado Clean Air Advocate Sarah Niess.
"The Fastracks plan
will help the environment in so many ways, including reducing sprawl, cleaning
the air, reducing the need for oil development and helping global warming. This
is a single program with many benefits for both our families' health and the
health of Colorado," said Susan LeFever, Chapter Director for the Sierra
Club Rocky Mountain Chapter.
Research from other cities
implementing similar transit systems indicate that rail service is a key component
to increasing ridership and decreasing the number of miles people drive in their
cars. A recent report by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute shows that
cities with rail transit systems had 400 percent higher per capita transit ridership
than cities with bus services only and had 21 percent lower per capita motor
vehicle mileage.
"Experience from around
the country proves that investments in public transportation, particularly rail
systems like FasTracks, take cars off the road and reduce smog and particulate
air pollution that harms the health of children, the elderly, and those with
respiratory disease," said Tim Sullivan, Regional Director with Environmental
Defense.
FasTracks is a 12-year comprehensive
transit plan that will build and operate 119 miles of high-speed rail lines
and expand and improve bus service throughout the Denver Metro area. FasTracks
will be Referendum 4A on the November 2 ballot.
Additional
contacts:
Tim Sullivan, Environmental
Defense, 303-440-4901
Manisha Blair, American Lung Association of Colorado, 303.388.4327
Susan LeFever, Sierra Club, 303-861-8819
Barbara Laing, Colorado Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, 303-298-8001
