Feds allow for B-Line crossing attendants to be dismissed

Crossing attendants on RTD’s B-Line can be dismissed, according to a notice from the Federal Railroad Administration.

The Regional Transportation District and its contractor, Denver Transit Partners, will begin an attendant “removal plan as soon as practical” for the line, the district said Wednesday.

The B-Line, also known as the northwest rail line, is a 6-mile commuter rail line connecting Union Station in downtown Denver to Westminster, near West 70th Avenue and Irving Street.

“We are pleased to reach this milestone on the B-Line,” said CEO Dave Genova. “We have demonstrated our continued commitment to our regulatory agencies by addressing their concerns with at-grade crossings throughout our commuter rail system. We are continuing to provide safe, reliable service throughout our entire system.”

The FRA’s approval to relieve B-Line attendants comes after a “safety and outreach” plan was submitted late last month, RTD said.

Attendants still staff crossings along the University of Colorado A-Line, which runs between Union Station and Denver International Airport. RTD has struggled to gain regulatory approval, from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, of automated crossing gates on that line.

“The FRA has jurisdiction over the single crossing on the B-Line,” RTD said. “There is no regulation from the Colorado Public Utilities Commissions over that crossing because it is privately owned.”

RTD will host a series of open houses this month to update the public on its commuter rail lines: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Central Park Recreation Center, 9651 MLK Jr. Blvd., Denver; 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd.; 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center, 4005 Kipling St.; 10 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center, 4890 Argonne Way, Denver.