Those pissy pinheads always want to block traffic on narrow roads with no shoulders. Colo PUC recognized that they tend to be too stupid to understand obvious things like the big flashing red lights, bells, and gates of a grade crossing.

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[westminsterwindow.com]?

Big lawsuit against RTD over train crossing software

It was inevitable; Some thought it would happen some time ago.

The legal battle between DTP, the Denver Transit Partners consortium, and the Regional Transportation District has begun.

DTP has filed a lawsuit against the district seeking reimbursement for the cost of flaggers at train crossings on the A Line, B Line and G Line as well as penalties that RTD has imposed over the two-plus year struggle on train crossing software.

DTP contends that new design requirements at train crossing were imposed by RTD after the contract was awarded. Fundamentally, the DTP consortium is saying that the new requirement centers on bicyclist’s safety.

Supposedly, a Public Utilities Commission staffer expressed concern that cyclists could find the safety-equipped crossings to be “confusing” to traverse them. Subsequently, RTD supposedly then imposed “exit gate delay” technology at all crossings that would have the ability to detect bicycles. No such technology existed at the time or had been required by federal railroad regulators according to the lawsuit.

One partnership goes sour

While the lawsuit does not quote a dollar amount the DTP consortium is seeking, it has to be in the millions of dollars when calculating the cost of all the flaggers hired for more than two years of work.

If DTP were to win this lawsuit, it would have a significant financial impact on RTD’s budget and reserves. It is unfortunate for all parties and certainly including the public that this situation took place. This public/private partnership was the first of its kind in America and I hate to see it go sour over the disputed requirement.