On March 7, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado Senate President Steve Fenberg (D-18-Boulder), state legislators and community leaders rode an inspection train from Denver to Longmont, Colo., part of the planned Front Range Passenger Rail project from Pueblo to Fort Collins. The route was selected for the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification (ID) program. The funding from the FRA provides the state of Colorado with the opportunity to deliver new train service, giving Coloradans more reliable and convenient transit options and protecting Colorado’s air by minimizing traffic.
“I’m excited to take the first demo train for Front Range Passenger Rail, which we are building out to improve our quality of life and reduce traffic. Historic federal funding for passenger rail is giving our state the opportunity of a lifetime to provide Coloradans with easy, convenient and safe travel by train. Expanding passenger rail opens the door for more housing opportunities that Coloradans can afford, including transit-planned communities, saving Coloradans money, reducing traffic and pollution, and protecting Colorado’s quality of life for future generations,” said Gov. Polis.
Delivering quick and convenient passenger rail builds on Gov. Polis’ goal to ensure Colorado has housing residents can afford near their job and transit options. After arriving in Longmont, Gov. Polis and other attendees disembarked from the train and walked through a transit-oriented community. Highlighted in the governor’s State of the State address and his Roadmap to a Future Colorado 2026, transit-oriented communities are a tool for Colorado to build more inherently affordable housing types near transit centers.
“For years, Coloradans have been waiting for the promise of a fast, efficient passenger rail system that makes it easy, safe and affordable to travel all across our great state,” said Sen. Fenberg. “Now, with the availability of critical federal funds through President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver on that promise and secure more efficient transit options while cutting emissions, reducing traffic and connecting communities across Colorado.”
The Colorado General Assembly is working to ensure Colorado takes the appropriate planning and coordination steps to secure the state’s fair share of the Corridor ID funding.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to see and experience what travel choices can offer us and how we can connect our communities and support vibrant cities and towns. I want to thank the CDOT rail team that has been providing technical support to the front range passenger rail team. As they continue to work through every detail, it’s exciting to have the chance today to touch and see what the future can bring for us,” said Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Executive Director Shoshana Lew.
“Previous generations have dreamed of inter-city passenger rail uniting Colorado’s Front Range. Thanks to Gov. Polis’s leadership, the support of the State Assembly, unprecedented federal investments in rail, the collaboration of CDOT, Amtrak and the unified determination of all the diverse communities joined together in the Front Range Passenger Rail District, we will deliver it but seeing is believing and today’s train trip is an exciting early down payment on that vision,” said Chris Nevitt, chair of the Front Range Passenger Rail District.
