Colorado's Front Range Passenger Rail District is inviting the public to vote on the planned service's name, ahead of an anticipated vote in November to fund the long-awaited intercity line.
"Front Range Passenger Rail will connect communities across the Front Range, increase transportation options for Coloradans and visitors, reduce traffic and pollution, and save us time and money," Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Monday. "Coloradans have been wanting for more transportation options to get where we need to go quickly and easily, and now Coloradans have a chance to pick the name that we will see on the rails for years to come."
The rail district, made up of all or part of 13 counties along the Interstate 25 corridor, was created by the state Legislature in 2021 to oversee the planning, construction and operation of the passenger line. The district's preferred route envisions nine stops between Fort Collins and Pueblo, including Denver and Colorado Springs, with potential future extensions north to Cheyenne or south to Trinidad and New Mexico.
The four finalists for the new service's name are:
- Colorado Connector ("CoCo")
- Colorado Ranger
- Front Range Express Destinations ("FRED")
- RangeLink
Members of the public can vote on their favorite names on the district's website until March 23. The public vote will be "weighed along with public and stakeholder input gathered across the Front Range" in a final decision, the state said in a press release.
Sal Pace, the rail district's general manager, told lawmakers earlier this year that the district would "aim for a 2026 ballot measure" to fund the planned service through a sales tax increase. The district's 17-member board opted against referring a tax measure to the 2024 ballot, but polling it conducted that year showed strong support for a 0.5% sales tax increase.
Aside from several stops on two long-haul Amtrak routes, the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief, Colorado hasn't had regular intercity passenger rail service since the 1970s. The state has also partnered with Amtrak to revive the ski train to Winter Park for several months a year, and plans to support daily "Mountain Rail" service between Denver and Granby, slated to launch this November, with future expansion planned as far as Steamboat Springs.
The Front Range district has launched a series of town halls to lay out its plans and hear from residents about the proposed service, including events in Denver on March 19 and in Colorado Springs on March 26.
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