Sports teams endorse ballot measure 7A (Gazette)

Colorado professional sports teams have joined forces to endorse a November ballot measure that would raise sales taxes to expand a Front Range passenger train.

The Denver Broncos (NFL), Colorado Rockies (MLB), Denver Summit FC (NWSL), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Denver Nuggets (NBA) and Colorado Mammoth (NLL) issued a combined statement Tuesday in support of ballot measure 7A.

In November, Colorado residents in Front Range communities will vote on adding a .333-cent sales tax to pay for an expansion of the “Colorado Connector” or “CoCo” passenger train. Proponents say the tax would raise $295 million in annual revenue to build the southern route to Pueblo, increase train frequency, fund rail improvements and construct a new Amtrak station in Trinidad. The project comes with an estimated $4.7 billion price tag if it’s completed.

The home playing venues of all six professional sports teams are near proposed rail stops. The train would include event service to Burnham Yard, the “preferred site” of a new Broncos stadium, and South Broadway near the location of the Summit stadium planned at Santa Fe Yards.