In a series of town halls, local officials are gauging public opinion on a proposed ballot measure to fund the Front Range Passenger Rail.
of town halls for the Front Range Passenger Rail. The commuter rail is expected to launch by 2029 with three daily round trips between Denver and Fort Collins, using funding fromthis November to raise sales taxes, which would fund the extension of rail service to Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and increase the number of daily trips to ten by 2045.
“One of the key pieces is restoring trust in the voters that we can follow through on commitments and get good things done,” said John Putnam, chair of the Front Range Passenger Rail District Board. “Getting a successful passenger rail program up and fulfilling some of the promises of FasTracks is instrumental.”Inside the Swanky New Private Train Cars Coming to Union Station“Is 2026 the year when we might make that happen?” Putnam asked on Wednesday. “A lot of that is coordinating with you.” The crowd at Wednesday’s town hall was calm and quiet, appearing largely neutral to the presentation. During the Q&A portion, questions revolved around yet-to-be-determined specifics regarding rail service, funding and the ballot measure. More details on the implementation and financial plan are expected to be finalized in the coming months, Putnam said.The current plan for the ballot measure is to increase sales taxes in areas around the rail line, but not necessarily across the entire Front Range Passenger Rail district, as the district extends beyond communities that would directly benefit from the project, Putnam explained. Some attendees questioned RTD’s long-time financial issues, as the entity is helping to fund the Front Range rail’s starter service. RTD is actively considering reducing regional bus and train services amid a “It would be a failure if people got off the Front Range Passenger Rail and had to take an Uber to get to their final destination because we don’t have good local transit,” said Jill Locantore, executive director of the. “We can only go to the voters so many times to ask them to fund transit. …If we go to voters in 2026, it may be many, many more years before we can ask again. Can we ask voters to fund not just the Front Range Passenger Rail, but also better local transit service?” The public has reportedly been more enthusiastic at other meetings. Putnam noted that more than 300 people showed up to a project town hall in Pueblo earlier this month. Many residents of Pueblo’s surrounding communities currently rely on buses to get to the capital city, said Ean Tafoya, state director of GreenLatinos. “Why do they need to come to Denver? Because we have the hubs of everything, health facilities in particular,” Tafoya said. “We have elders, veterans who have to come to Denver to get the services they need. What we want to do is make that equitable. We want to make it cleaner. We want to make it safer.” In the long term, organizers hope the Front Range Passenger Rail will one day provide service all through Colorado, from the New Mexico border to the Wyoming border., where she covered the Colorado Legislature, the Denver and Aurora city councils and breaking news. Hannah has been honored with numerous awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Colorado Press Association, Colorado Student Media Association and Denver Press Club. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a major in journalism and a minor in political science. If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ohio Attorney General opens new gun range for training, breaks ground on evidence collection facilityThe Ohio Attorney General’s Office unveiled two major projects Wednesday at their facilities outside of Columbus.
Read more »
New Chinese construction hybrid pump truck delivers 870 miles range, cuts costs by 75%Hybrid pump truck, electric mixers, and compact models headline SANY's latest push into smart construction machinery.
Read more »
Unusually warm weather brings rattlesnakes out of hibernation early along the Colorado Front RangeAdria Iraheta joined the Denver7 news team in January 2024. After spending the past decade making her way across the country, the Los Angeles native is thrilled to be back out west!
Read more »
Samsung’s new Exynos 1680 promises better AI and graphics performance for mid-range phonesTech Product Reviews, How To, Best Ofs, deals and Advice
Read more »
DJI ‘s first 360° drone offers 8K video recording and a freakishly long transmission rangeTech Product Reviews, How To, Best Ofs, deals and Advice
Read more »
Man charged after allegedly trying to push stranger in front of train at Northgate stationA 26-year-old man has been charged with attempted second-degree murder after prosecutors say he tried to push a stranger in front of an oncoming light rail trai
Read more »