DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday signed into law the bill that imposes a fee on rental cars to help fund rail passenger service in the state.
SB24-184 imposes a “congestion impact fee” of up to $3 per day on rental cars, with money raised as a result to go into a fund to be used to meet matching-fund requirements for federal funding for rail — including the Front Range Passenger Rail and Mountain Corridor projects — and other forms of public transportation. It also directs the Denver-area Regional Transportation District, the state Department of Transportation, and Front Range Rail Passenger District to work together to develop the route between Denver and Fort Collins, Colo., as the first part of the Front Range system. It also requires the state Transportation Investment Office to develop a multimodal capital plan that aligns with the state’s 10-year transportation plans and pollution reduction goals.
The bill passed the state’s Senate by a 23-12 vote in April and the House by a 41-16 margin earlier this month.
“Front Range Passenger Rail is a critical way to make Colorado more sustainable, affordable, and liveable,” Polis said in a statement after signing the bill at Denver Union Station. “High-quality service will allow Coloradans from every corner of our state to travel with ease to enjoy everything our communities have to offer. Today we are closer to this reality than ever.”
House Speaker Julie McCluskie (D-Dillon), one of the bill’s sponsors. said in a press release, “Once-in-a-generation federal infrastructure funding is giving us the opportunity to build an expanded passenger rail system that will create the transportation options Coloradans have been asking for. In addition to creating transit that reduces traffic and air pollution, passenger rail projects, including Mountain Rail, will create Colorado jobs and boost economies throughout the state. This law is a long time in the making, and I am excited to make significant progress towards passenger rail infrastructure.”
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