By Amber McIver-Traywick
The Surveyor
A passenger rail line that would connect Pueblo and Fort Collins is being proposed by the Colorado Department of Transportation and according to a new study released by the agency, the line could serve up to 9,200 passengers a day.
The Front Range Passenger Rail Study, commissioned by CDOT and the Southwest Chief & Front Range Passenger Rail Commission, found that the service would reach around 2.9 million passengers annually. The study was released Aug. 28 and is an initial model projection and another step toward the rail becoming a reality.
The project itself consists of a blended team led by the Rail Commission, CDOT and a consultant team that includes a range of specialized firms in the rail industry and those with experience in transportation along the Front Range.
Earlier in the year representatives of the project reached out to residents and communities along the front range. In an email Spencer G.C. Dodge the Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission Liaison said, “Representatives from across the Front Range have been providing their input for the Front Range Passenger Rail project, which would offer a sustainable and reliable travel option to connect Pueblo and Fort Collins via passenger rail.”
The 191-mile proposed line would run on BNSF rail tracks, with stops in Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Longmont, Boulder, Louisville, downtown Denver, Interstate 25/Broadway, south metro, Castle Rock, Monument, Colorado Springs, Fort Carson and Pueblo.
The study found that there is an interest in the passenger rail not only among commuters tired of congestion driving along the Front Range but also for recreation and special event purposes. There was also interest in the additional benefit of reducing emissions and vehicle miles traveled.
The study found that commuter traffic would account for 69% of traffic, followed by school at 19% and all other, including recreation, at 12%. Weekday use of the rail would be highest in the northern section of the line north of Denver which would account for 4,485 of the 9,200-weekday trips.
Plans for the rail have been in place for nearly a decade and the rail commission for the project was established in 2017.
According to frontrangepassengerrail.com, at this phase in the project, The Rail Commission will create an implementation strategy for the rail’s completion. This information will build on past studies to determine what course of action will best support making the passenger rail on the Front Range a reality. This phase will also take into consideration Pre-National Environmental Policy Act (Pre-NEPA), service development planning, stakeholder engagement, and policy and governing structure discussions.
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September 05, 2020 at 07:02AM
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Front Rage Passenger Rail study reveals 9200 daily trip potential - BerthoudSurveyor.com
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