There really is a train coming to Longmont (Times-Call)

There have been quite a few skeptical comments in the Times-Call questioning whether a train will ever come to Longmont.

To the non-believers, I have some good news: Yes, Virginia, there really is a train coming to Longmont. And it is coming in January 2029, as required by state legislation.

The initial service will be modest — three round trips a day between Denver, Longmont and on to Fort Collins. And this new train service will occur without a tax increase. True — it is minimal starting service but there is more to come.

Twenty-two years is a long time to wait.

And yes, a small group of people has spent all those years refusing to let the dream disappear. We have been persistent and tenacious.

Something important has changed

We are no longer fighting this battle alone.

New partners have joined the effort to make Front Range passenger rail a reality. The governor and the Colorado Legislature have made passenger rail a statewide priority, that will connect Fort Collins to Pueblo. A Joint Service effort involving the Governor’s Office, CDOT, and RTD is working with the newly created Front Range Passenger Rail District that is currently negotiating with BNSF Railway.

Longmont is right in the middle.

For years, Longmont was viewed as the northern end of RTD’s Northwest Rail line. That has changed. With Fort Collins now envisioned as the northern terminus of the Front Range Passenger Rail system, Longmont becomes a station in the middle of a much larger regional rail network.

RTD has built the first six miles from Denver to Westminster at a cost of almost $300 million. RTD will also contribute $150 million more, with additional funding from the state, to build the rail up to Fort Collins. Our Longmont RTD taxes that we have been paying for many years are now coming back to the community.

There is still plenty of work to do. There are negotiations to complete, engineering and construction challenges to overcome, and a railroad to build and operate.

Compare this rail line with Interstate 25. Every year, I-25 is under construction. More lanes are added, more cars travel the interstate, and travel times keep growing longer. You cannot build enough highway lanes to keep up with population growth of northern Colorado. And the cost of highway construction runs in the billions of dollars. Its expensive.

There is a measure on this November ballot — Initiative 7A. This measure is asking voters to pass a modest sales tax increase of 1/3 of a penny for every dollar spent. If this passes, this will increase train trips from 3 round trips each day to 10 round trips each day. The funding will pay for construction of more rail passing tracks since trains must run in both directions and freight will still be carried on the track. Funds will also be used to build rail stations.

All of this fits with the city of Longmont breaking ground for our new transit center at First and Main. RTD has contributed $16 million to the construction of this transformative project. There will be 10 bus bays on the first floor and 700 parking spaces in the new structure. The rail station will be just a few feet away from the bus terminal. This is also RTD FasTracks money coming back to Longmont.

It is easy to become cynical after waiting two decades.

There is a difference between hoping a train will come to Longmont and having a legislatively established deadline, state and regional partners working together, an established passenger rail district, and RTD involvement and negotiations underway with BNSF. And don’t forget the new transit center is now under construction.

So, “Is the train really coming?”

Yes.

The first trains are scheduled to arrive in Longmont in January 2029.

If you vote yes on Issue 7A, we will receive the full rail service with regular trips across the entire Front Range of Colorado. This new rail service will help relieve the overflowing traffic on I-25. So, what is your travel preference? Take your chance on I-25 or sit back and relax on the Colorado Connector?

Karen Benker is a member of the RTD Board of Directors.