The Denver Post
May 21, 2009, Jeff Leib

Denver-area mayors have reversed course and now favor a year's delay and a November 2010 vote on a sales-tax increase for RTD's FasTracks transit program. On June 2, the Regional Transportation District board of directors is expected to back the mayors' recommendation. In March, the Metro Mayors Caucus, which includes about 40 area mayors, backed a proposal for a vote in November in the eight-county metro area on a proposal to double the 0.4 percent FasTracks sales tax. Such an increase would close a $2.2 billion shortfall in FasTracks funding that has developed because of shrinking sales-tax collections and higher-than-planned construction costs. FasTracks includes six new train lines and extensions of three existing light-rail lines. RTD puts the price tag for FasTracks at $6.9 billion. At a meeting of the mayors' FasTracks task force Wednesday, officials said the impending departure of RTD General Manager Cal Marsella and new research about off-year voting patterns make it disadvantageous to go to voters this year. ...

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12416308