Front Range Leaders Launch Yes on 7A to Bring Passenger Rail to Colorado

Community and business leaders from across the Front Range gathered at Denver Union Station this morning to launch Yes on 7A, the campaign to bring daily passenger train service to Colorado. Westminster Mayor Claire Carmelia, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project Executive Director Elise Jones, and Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike Ferrufino kicked off the campaign by rallying with supporters. Together they highlighted how the Colorado Connector will cut traffic on I-25, improve air quality, and connect the region's jobs, families, and communities.

Issue 7A, on ballots this November, would fund the Colorado Connector (CoCo), a daily regional train linking 12 communities from Pueblo to Fort Collins with up to 10 round trips a day. It runs on track that’s already in the ground, which keeps costs down and gets trains rolling in 2029. 

Coloradans have talked about a Front Range train for decades. Now there’s a plan to make it happen. More than 30 public meetings were held to gain input from communities along the corridor, and more than 500,000 people have already read the delivery plan.

Community and business leaders from across the Front Range laid out why they are supporting 7A.

From mayors along the corridor

"Traffic has gotten worse every year I've been in office. For the first time, there's a plan on the table that does something about it. It runs on rails that are already in the ground, in partnership with the railroads that own them. This smart plan and partnerships is why this will cost a fraction of what other states have paid and why trains will start running in 2029 years ahead of other projects. This is why I'm proud to be voting Yes on 7A."

-- Claire Carmelia, Mayor of Westminster

"Denver has always been a city that builds what's next. More than 150 years ago, connecting to the transcontinental railroad helped turn a small mining camp into the capital of the Rocky Mountain West. Today, daily regional train service is the modern way to connect people and communities across the Front Range. By linking to existing transit and taking cars off the road, the Colorado Connector will make it easy to come in for work or catch a game or concert with family and friends. Voting Yes on 7A will bring modern transportation options to Denver and to every place you want to go."

-- Mike Johnston, Mayor of Denver

"Issue 7A is an exciting opportunity for the Pueblo community and the future of Colorado's transportation network. Traveling comfortably, safely, and reliably along the Front Range on CoCo lets residents and visitors experience Pueblo in the heart of our community instead of passing us by on I-25. CoCo can boost tourism, strengthen our economies, and support local access up and down the Front Range. I strongly support a yes vote in November."

-- Heather Graham, Mayor of Pueblo

"After years of waiting, Boulder is finally seeing accelerated progress on the Northwest Rail corridor through the Joint Service partnership, and Issue 7A will take us much further. It builds on that momentum with more frequent service connecting Boulder to Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, putting us on track for a truly connected Front Range passenger rail system."

-- Aaron Brockett, Mayor of Boulder

From business leaders

"Good transportation infrastructure doens’t just move people, it connects people to opportunity: a nurse to a hospital, a worker to a job, a business to a customer, a student to an education, and a friend to a family. That’s why we should vote Yes on 7A.” 

-- Mike Ferrufino, President and CEO, Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

"For Pueblo and Southern Colorado, this is about much more than a train. It is about connecting our businesses, workforce, visitors, and residents to opportunities throughout the Front Range. Pueblo has always been a community built on rail, and it is fitting that we have the opportunity to help shape its future. CoCo is an important investment in Pueblo, Southern Colorado, and the long-term economic competitiveness of our entire state."

-- Duane Nava, President and CEO, Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce

From environmental and transit leaders

"Let's meet our climate targets, get people where they need to go, and give Colorado the great train system it deserves. Vote yes on CoCo!"

-- Elise Jones, Executive Director, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

"For more than 30 years, Front Range rail has been a popular but unrealized vision. November's vote is an exciting opportunity to make that vision a reality. Front Range voters have a chance to say yes to more affordable, reliable, and cleaner transportation options instead of just ever more lanes of traffic."

-- Kelly Nordini, Chief Executive Officer, Conservation Colorado

"Greater Denver Transit proudly supports Issue 7A to fund Front Range passenger rail and quickly build Coloradans a fast, reliable alternative to driving along our growing Front Range. This investment in CoCo lays the groundwork for better connecting communities, expanding access to opportunity, and giving people new options for how they travel."

-- Robert Cody Bryan, Greater Denver Transit

"ColoRail enthusiastically endorses the Colorado Connector as a bold step forward for our state. We are grateful to Governor Polis and the Front Range Passenger Rail District Board for their leadership. ColoRail has advocated for Front Range passenger service for a decade. We are very excited about this ballot measure and look forward to riding CoCo soon."

-- Ed Callahan, Board member, Colorado Rail Passenger Association

"YIMBY Denver enthusiastically endorses Yes on 7A. Smart investments in transit are necessary to create world-class cities and reduce carbon emissions. Issue 7A is part of a well-considered framework to promote thoughtful urban design and help transit thrive, which in turn will reduce air pollution, household transportation costs, and traffic congestion."

-- Robert Greer, YIMBY Denver