A new train route will connect Pueblo to Fort Collins along Colorado’s Front Range, and Coloradans were asked to vote for their favorite name for the train.
The Front Range Passenger Rail is expected to begin service in 2029 from Denver to Fort Collins, with full service from Pueblo expected sometime in 2032. Some funding is coming from the Regional Transportation District, and Colorado voters will likely vote on specific funding measures in the November election.
After tallying the votes, the train will be named “CoCo,” short for “Colorado Connector,” Gov. Jared Polis and officials with the Front Range Passenger Rail District announced at a news conference at Union Station in Denver on Monday.
Front Range Passenger Rail District
Officials don’t yet know the total cost of what the system could run, but expect to have a number in the next month or two. Polis said the increased transit option will help Coloradans and visitors and the economic impact will benefit the entire state.
“This is tremendous for both commuters as well as for those who travel for fun to visit their family and to major events, so of course, there’s going to be people using it every day, whether they’re going from Loveland to Denver or Pueblo to Colorado Springs. There’s also going to be people using it to go to Denver for a night out or the arts or a Broncos game,” he said. “It’s going to contribute enormously to our economy. Even for people who don’t use it, it pulls those cars off the road, meaning there’s less traffic for the rest of us because many people will choose to use it to get where they want to go easily and affordably and quickly on the train.”
Opening transit options, according to Polis, will help make the state more affordable to live in. He said those who live within five miles of a station will benefit the most.
Voters were asked to choose one of the following names as their favorite and explain why:
- FRED: Front Range Express Destinations
- CoCo: Colorado Connector
- Colorado Ranger
- RangeLink
Over 25,000 people cast a vote, officials said.
CBS
The plan, for now, is to have 10 to 15 round-trips per day, according to Sal Pace, general manager of Front Range Passenger Rail District. The district has 18 town hall events in communities where the rail may have stops or travel through, Pace said, including one on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center and one at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Center for African American Health in Denver.
You can find the full list of Front Range Passenger Rail town hall events here.
The description for each name on the rail’s website was as follows:
- CoCo: A train that brings communities together and makes travel easier, faster, and less stressful.
- FRED: A dependable, easy train service designed to get you to the places and people that matter most.
- Colorado Ranger: A train built for the Colorado landscape and lifestyle – ready to take you farther, faster.
- RangeLink: Links communities along the Range, connecting people to jobs, schools, and destinations without the hassle of driving.
Front Range Passenger Rail District
If approved to appear on the November ballot, Polis said voters will likely be asked to approve a tax amounting to one-quarter or one-third of a penny sales tax.
More from CBS News
