Colorado on Wednesday took its most significant step yet toward building a Front Range passenger train system as Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a bill creating a special taxation district for the proposed rail line. Senate Bill 238 also forms a board tasked with getting the new train on track. The 17-member panel, six […]
Sal Pace
Officials predict Front Range passenger rail in Colorado would have 3 million riders annually
A passenger rail line in Colorado would accommodate 9,200 people every weekday and nearly 3 million per year, according to new modeling by state officials. The proposed line would stretch from Fort Collins south to Pueblo in the south, cutting through Denver. The model envisions that the railway would reduce vehicle travel in the state […]
Want to understand the state of U.S. politics? Look no further than Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District primaries
Who is more progressive? Who is more supportive of President Donald Trump? Who is more electable? Who can get things done in Washington? Those are the questions playing out in the Democratic and Republican primaries in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, which spans across the Western Slope into Pueblo. On the Republican side is five-term incumbent […]
“I’m absolutely not supportive of that”: Front Range passenger train service appears derailed on arrival at Capitol
The 2020 legislative session hasn’t yet begun, but a goal of Gov. Jared Polis already appears to be derailed. House Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder, told reporters on Friday that she is “absolutely not supportive” of legislation to create a Front Range passenger train system. Proponents were eyeing the 2020 legislative session to offer a bill […]
Polling shows support for a tax hike to pay for a Front Range passenger train. But the devil is in the details.
Polling released last week by the state shows that Colorado voters along the Front Range generally favor raising sales taxes to pay for a passenger train running from Fort Collins to Pueblo. But that’s just part of the story. What the survey didn’t test was by exactly how much voters would be willing to raise […]
5 things to watch in the first Democratic presidential debates, Colorado edition
The first Democratic presidential debates this week represent a pivotal moment for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and former Gov. John Hickenlooper, the two Colorado candidates obscured in a dense primary field. How to watch the debates The large field is split between two nights. The lineup for Wednesday’s debate (in alphabetical order): Cory Booker, Bill […]
“It’s just, like, unbelievable”: Amtrak’s Southwest Chief train could be suspended through Colorado
Amtrak is considering whether to suspend Southwest Chief train service through a section of Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico around the new year and replace the link in the historic line with an 11-hour bus ride. The proposal comes as the rail carrier grapples with what it says are necessary safety upgrades, unsustainable upkeep costs and […]