Proposed passenger train would service the Front Range from Fort Collins to Pueblo

Everyone in Boulder County knows of the FasTracks transit plan from the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), and in particular, the ghost of a plan for extensions to Boulder and Longmont, which has haunted the region since the beginning of the project in 2004.

The light-rail trains implemented by RTD as well as increased bus lines have introduced more much needed public transportation options to primarily the Denver metro area, as well as surrounding cities. The project is not without problems though.

The FasTracks plan, introduced in 2004 and initially projected to finish by 2017, has taken far longer than expected, with goalposts moving most recently to 2050. Due to the project costs exceeding the established budget by over 1 billion dollars, and tax collections failing to meet revenue goals, the project has remained largely stagnant.

Particularly discontented with the progress of the railways are the citizens of Boulder County, who were promised access to the light-rail system by 2017. While the plans indicate an extension of the B line north to Boulder and ending at Longmont, it instead only reaches Westminster before ending, with no movement towards the end goal.

There are so many critics of the static FasTracks plan that many are calling for officials to pull the plug. The Denver Post published an editorial imploring lawmakers to put a pause on funneling taxes into development of the light-rails and to instead focus on strengthening the established structure before it begins to cost more than what the budget allows.

While the extension of the B line further north has faded into a pipe dream, a new proposition for public transport has emerged. In 2021, the Colorado Legislature established the Front Range Passenger Rail District. According to the FRPR website, "The FRPR District is a new local government with the mission to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain a passenger rail system along the Front Range. The FRPR District boundary extends from Wyoming to the New Mexico border, spanning portions or the entirety of the 13 counties near I-25. The FRPR District is overseen by a board of directors comprised of 24 individuals and is supported by a team of full-time staff."

The FRPR District has the authority to levy taxes through ballot measures, to fund and support rail programs, including establishing station area improvement districts to construct and maintain train stations. Once ongoing funding is secured and the new train system is up and running, the FRPR District will manage the passenger rail service.The Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) District has introduced plans to use established freight tracks to create a passenger rail system which runs north and south through Colorado.

The District board of directors recently approved a route starting in Fort Collins, through to Longmont, Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs, and ending in Pueblo. Later extensions north to Cheyenne and south to Albuquerque and El Paso have also been proposed.

If the revenue plan passes, the FRPR District anticipates the first trains running in 10-15 years. This passenger track would cushion projected population increases of 3 million people along the Front Range in the next 30 years.

Some concerns have been raised by communities such as Niwot and Berthoud that the planned stops ignore smaller towns along the route. Representatives of these areas have protested that too much decision-making is being left to the Denver area, despite the fact that the proposed railway services all of the Colorado Front Range. Berthoud mayor William Karspeck, who is a member of the board of directors, was the only dissenting vote when the route was approved, not because he did not favor the route, but because Berthoud was not included on the route map even though the tracks run through Berthoud.

The FRPR District expects to have a final report by the end of 2024. If the plan is followed through on, it would improve commutes and inter-city accessibility for people all along the Front Range. For more information, visit https://www.ridethefrontrange.com/. Sign up for the FRPR newsletter for updates and submit comments at https://pima.coloradooutreach.com/public/subscribe/search?project_id=3