Critics argue $4.7 billion Front Range rail plan will worsen traffic and cost too much

The piece challenges the Front Range Passenger Rail District’s plan to raise $4.7 billion plus $100 million annually through a sales-tax increase for a limited passenger-train service between Fort Collins and Pueblo. It argues that a single train moving about 500 people cannot meaningfully reduce the over 200,000-vehicle daily flow on I-25, and that numerous grade crossings would actually worsen traffic delays. With only twelve stations along a 190-mile route, the rail would serve a tiny fraction of commuters, be slower than driving, and operate less frequently than the state-run Bustang buses that cost far less.

The author also highlights the regressive nature of the tax, potential greenhouse-gas emissions from diesel trains, safety concerns at crossings, and the likelihood of massive cost overruns, citing past RTD projects as evidence. Benefits are portrayed as favoring wealthy contractors and rail operators rather than ordinary Coloradans.