DENVER — Colorado’s Front Range Passenger District will wait until 2026 to ask voters to approve sales-tax funding for the rail project in the district’s 13 counties, the district board decided on Friday (May 31).
The decision by the full 20-member board to pursue further planning and service modeling for the planned Fort Collins-Pueblo passenger service confirms the view expressed earlier by the board’s executive committee [see “Colorado voters unlikely to be asked to fund Front Range rail project this year,” Trains News Wire, May 22, 2024].
“Poll results show that a majority of voters in Colorado support a sales tax to fund intercity rail service connecting Front Range communities,” Andy Karsian, Front Range Passenger Rail District general manager, said in a press release. “We believe voter support will grow as we continue to demonstrate the strength and rigor of the financial plan, collaborate with local governments for the nine station locations and engage with stakeholders. Going to the ballot in 2026 allows for the necessary time needed to accomplish this.”
In the interim, the district will complete a Service Development Plan, addressing specifics of route, station locations, operating frequency, costs, and financing. Completion of that plan is required to pursue some forms of federal funding.
I have to agree with Mr. Austin, as that’s the trend for the past few decades. Front Range passenger service, as conceived, will make a boatload of money – for consultants and lawyers. It will be a railroad that will probably never be built and, if it does get built, will be an underutilized money pit. Our current governor and legislature have no idea how to do a project like this in an economical and timely fashion. It seems the idea of negotiating with BNSF and UP to use existing trackage and infrastructure has not occurred to them.
“Poll results show that a majority of voters in Colorado support a sales tax to fund intercity rail service connecting Front Range communities…”
Most Coloradens are also high, sooooo…
Poll results show that mny polls (not all polls, and maybe not this one) are “push polls”. In a “push poll”. the question is asked in such a way as to prompt the desired answer.
If we don’t pass it with a vote, they’ll just impose more fees on us and do it anyway. That’s how it works in Colorado.