by Joe Tarabino
TRINIDAD — The long awaited new Trinidad multi-modal transportation center is, according to city clerk Audra Garrett, currently almost up to speed as “all parties are still committed to moving this project forward and seeing it to fruition.” Construction of the budgeted $860,135 facility has been spearheaded by the South Central Council of Governments (COG) which raised more than the required funds prior to its approval in 2011. The planned structure will be architecturally similar to the existing Colorado Welcome Center and will be located within easy walking distance from it.
Owned by the city but operated and maintained by COG, the new facility will contain a waiting area with seating, restrooms, and ticket booths, serving local, regional and intercity passenger rail and bus services.
The current “$1.2 million concrete platform with a tactile edge, fencing and lighting”, officially located at 110 West Pine Street and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, offers none of the traditional amenities usually provided at transportation stations such as an enclosed waiting area or shelter, restrooms, lounge, ticket kiosk, water fountain, phone service, elevator, or wi-fi. It does offer dedicated parking and is handicapped accessible.
COG director Priscilla “Pete” Frazier and previous city planner Louis Fineberg had worked incessantly keeping the original coalition parties involved and now that responsibility has fallen on Garrett.
Amtrak, Burlington Northern, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) have all been involved in negotiations. COG originally secured a $150,000 CDOT grant in conjunction with another $250,000 FASTER (Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery) grant and an additional $152,000 Federal Livability Program grant. Burlington Northern also committed “about $20,000” to the project. The City of Trinidad is investing $30,000 to purchase the land near Nevada Avenue rather than adjoining Commercial Street where an earlier, temporary, metal “Amshack” building had been placed in 2007. The required purchase and lease agreements and tweaking of the engineering are close to completion, which is all that needs to be done before construction documents are developed and bids can be secured.
