Longmont, Colo., city council to meet on legal options regarding Northwest Rail project
The Longmont, Colo., city council is planning a closed-door meeting Tuesday to consider the city’s legal options to push Denver’s Regional Transportation District to commit to building a long-planned, much-delayed commuter rail line to the community. The Longmont Times-Call reports the executive session will discuss the Northwest Rail project, a Denver-Boulder-Longmont line that was part of the FasTracks plan approved and funded by voters in 2004. RTD CEO Debra Johnson recently told the agency’s board she would present a plan within 60 days to advance work on the line, after Gov. Jared Polis pressured the agency to move from plans that wouldn’t built the route until the 2040s [see “Digest: RTD CEO promises plan to revive work …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 11, 2021].
Buffalo developer seeks input on plans for former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western station
A Buffalo developer is seeking opinions from government, businesses, and other interested parties on how to use vacant space in the city’s 103-year-old Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Terminal, which at track level is the yard and shops for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s light rail system. The Buffalo News reports developer Samuel J. Savarino has paid a $36,000 fee for a “pre-development agreement” with the transit agency and is seeking input on how to redevelop 60,000 square feet of indoor space, all currently vacant, on the building’s second floor, as well as 40,000 square feet of outdoor platform area. Savarino mentions possibilities like a public market, museum space, or restaurants, but says the project is at a key moment: he estimates the building needs $10 million in plumbing and electric work, roof stabilization, and other modifications.
Shooting by BNSF Railway officer justified, Denver DA rules
A BNSF Railway police officer was justified in shooting a suspect who stabbed the officer during an effort to avoid arrest, the Denver District Attorney’s Office has determined. KUSA-TV reports offer Derek Goodyear shot and killed the suspect, 54-year-old William Wallace, who was camping on land along the BNSF tracks and had an outstanding arrest warrant. According to the DA’s office letter on its decision, Wallace attempted to grab the officer’s gun during an altercation and succeeded in taking a punch dagger, stabbing Goodyear multiple times before the officer fired his weapon, killing the suspect. Goodyear recovered after being hospitalized in critical condition following the Aug. 15, 2020 incident [see “Digest: Two CN workers injured …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 17, 2020].
