Yes on 7A passenger rail (Times-Call)

Vote for 7A Front Range Passenger Rail

Good news! Longmont’s FasTracks RTD tax money is finally being used for Longmont and Boulder County’s rail transportation needs! We voted for FasTracks in 2004. Now our tax money is being used on our rail projects!

With advocacy by our newly elected RTD board member, Karen Benker, and the work by Longmont’s immediate past mayor, Joan Peck, work has started on our rail service. I believe it is even better than the original FasTracks plan.

Things have changed from 2004 to 2026. Funding sources have expanded; rail plans include what we voted for; and partnerships have been found to make original FasTracks even better than contemplated.

As a result of the expanded vision of rail in Colorado, the newly formed Front Range Passenger Rail District has established the Colorado Connector rail. Quoting from a recent article from Commuting Solutions:

“The Colorado Connector would be implemented in two phases. The first, called Starter Service, would provide three daily round trips between Denver Union Station (DUS) and Fort Collins, funded by RTD FasTracks and state funding at no additional cost to taxpayers. The second phase would require passage of Ballot Measure 7A. It would fund construction of the DUS to Pueblo segment and increase service to up to 10 daily round trips along the full rail alignment by 2035.”

Last mile transportation connections with rail stations are being developed; our environment will be improved by replacing car trips with rail; planning for property uses around stations has started. Citizen input is encouraged.

The “powers that be” finally got around to us! They are using our FasTracks taxes to benefit rail in Longmont and Boulder County. With visionary votes in November for FRPR/CoCo, rail will be built along the Front Range corridor of Colorado.

The Rev. Dr. Kay Palmer-Marsh, Longmont