The Colorado Passenger Rail Association (ColoRail) held a public meeting on Sept. 12 to gain support and answer questions from Colorado Springs residents about Ballot Issue 7A regarding the expansion of a new Front Range commuter train.
The Colorado Connector (or CoCo) is a commuter train organized by Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPR District) that is slated to begin its first service in 2029, from Denver to Fort Collins with stops in Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, Louisville, Broomfield and Westminster.
If approved by the voters in November, the ballot issue would allow FRPR District to expand the train service south, through Colorado Springs and Pueblo, by adding a 0.333% sales to many items sold in the state.
According to James Flattum from Coloradans For CoCo, this train service is meant to limit congestion on I-25. Citing a 2025 Urban Mobility Report from Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Flattum said that people spend an average of 76 hours and burn 20 extra gallons of fuel in traffic each year.
“Congestion costs all of us and the costs are going up,” said Flattum. “The nature of a train allows you to get your time back.”
Flattum said that CoCo will have roomy seats, restrooms, bike storage and be a smooth, quiet ride. “It’s very dignified,” he said.
During the meeting, ColoRail Board Member Nancy McCaffrey said that this train service could act as a way to connect college students with other parts of the state. “We belong to the colleges throughout the state, all the way up to Fort Collins, to Boulder and of course, Colorado College, and UCCS,” she said. “Young people want to be able to take the train a little bit… a lot of young people cannot afford a car.”
If approved by voters, Ballot Issue 7A would allow CoCo to begin service to Colorado Springs in 2032.