No ballot measure to fund Front Range passenger rail this year

Colorado’s Front Range Passenger Rail board on Friday decided to delay their pursuit of billions in funding from voters for two years, acknowledging they haven’t completed plans for train service linking cities from Fort Collins to Pueblo.

Board members voted 13-0 to continue planning instead of bringing a ballot measure this year.

Train frequency, speed, and whether to add “secondary stations” hasn’t been determined.

“We’re going to be taking a breather,” Front Range Passenger Rail District manager Andy Karsian said ahead of the vote. The delay will give “a nice opportunity for the board to step back” and develop a detailed plan and public persuasion strategy.

“It was always going to be a scramble to be ready to go in 2024,” board member Claire Levy said. “We wouldn’t (have been) able to demonstrate to the public that we’d made every effort to obtain federal funding” and RTD’s “lack of progress” establishing long-promised rail service linking Denver and Boulder would have “handicapped” the campaign, Levy said.

“I’m disappointed but also hopeful that now the system can be properly and fully planned out,” ColoRail president-elect Jack Wheeler said. “ColoRail wants Front Range Rail delivered as soon as possible but we also want it to be the best possible system with speed, service, and frequency. Today’s vote means that the proposal voters will consider in 2026 will offer the most impactful and highest quality rail system that it can be.”

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.