DENVER — Colorado’s Regional Transportation District is once again involved in a plan to build a rail line to serve communities north of Denver.
The RTD, which has never acted a plan to build a commuter rail line between Denver and Longmont, Colo., approved by voters in 2004, this week voted to join in an agreement with two other agencies to study the Denver-Fort Collins portion of the Front Range Passenger Rail project between Pueblo, Colo., and Fort Collins.
The intergovernmental agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation and Front Range Passenger Rail District involves development of a plan for the proposed service, and would allow the RTD to fulfill its commitment to the Northwest Rail (B-Line) project to Longmont that remains unbuilt because of cost considerations. The RTD is unlikely to build that route before the 2040s, but the Front Range project could be operational as soon as 2029, the Denver Post reports.
The Post reports several board members voted for the agreement with some hesitation, concerned whether it makes financial sense. According to KMGH-TV, RTD Board Chairman Julien Bouquet said the move “really allows us to take the first step into investigating, is it a feasible project or not?”
A state law signed last year by Gov. Jared Polis imposed a fee on rental cars to help pay for the Front Range and Mountain Rail projects, as well as other public transit [see “Colorado governor signs bill …,” Trains News Wire, May 17, 2024]. The Mountain Rail project to develop passenger service between Denver and Craig, Colo., is moving ahead thanks to a new agreement with Union Pacific; the state says service on part of that route could begin as soon as next year [see “Colorado, Union Pacific sign agreements …,” News Wire, May 6, 2025].
Polis praised the interagency agreement in a Friday statement.
“No one agency can begin train service in the near term but together we believe we can start service by January 2029,” Polis said.” I am grateful for the thoughtful leadership of CDOT, the FRPRD, and RTD in forging this new partnership and I am excited to see Colorado take another step towards delivering passenger rail service that will save us time, money, and reduce pollution.”
— Updated June 29 at 12:45 p.m. CT with governor’s statement.
“Approved by voters in 2004.” That tells you everything you need to know about this project. When a state with a GDP the Sweden and a population in the Front Range region that is larger than Denmark, it should be a no brainer to have service connecting these places every 20 mintues 12 hours a day. Instead of doubling the state’s economy in decade by just building this they have taken 21 years to put it off and see the costs sky rocket.
You do know that these are single-track freight lines in private ownership?????
How do you figure that this service would double the state’s economy?
Yep, our tax system is pretty convoluted as locals try to think of multiple ways you can get funds from the out of towners or at least politicians try to give the locals that perception that it is the other guy paying for it. Hotel taxes fund everything under the sun and make rental car fees seem like chump change from my frequent business travel experience
In meantime in my new home in Dallas TX. I wonder where the tax dollars will come from since there is no income tax and state just signed off on a pretty significant property tax relieve while a lot of expensive road building continues onward. Still the same issue, transportation has always being subsidized one way or another. Just pick your flavor
I’m planning on riding Amtrak to Denver, catching a bus to Colorado Springs and then renting a car. So am I getting my taxed rental car money back riding the tax subsidized bus?
So, taxing how many rental cars does it take to fund a train?
I find it ironic that the way to support a train is more cars on the road.
Likely the largest source of car rentals is Denver International Airport, which has a train that not all that many people ride.