A request for proposals (RFP) has been issued by the Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commissions, together with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), seeking information on the feasibility of a passenger rail system for the Front Range.
It would link the outer regions of the Rocky Mountains, from Pueblo to Colorado Springs and Fort Collins to Denver, sprawling approximately 173 miles. That region — currently serviced mostly by I-25 — carries around 85 percent of the state’s population, and CDOT says the addition of a passenger rail there could boost both sustainability and grant alternative travel options. Given that the region is also expected to grow by 35 percent — or 1.7 million people — within 25 years.
“To meet the growing needs of our state, Colorado needs a robust, energy efficient, sustainable transportation system that incorporates different modes of travel and provides more choices for the movement of people and goods,” Shoshana Lew, CDOT Executive Director, said. “The Passenger Rail Commission and CDOT look forward to expediting our review of options through a streamlined environmental review process that accelerates delivery of results that will improve safe and efficient travel up and down the Front Range, and keep people and our economy moving.”
The study will focus on different multimodal options for transportation expansion to meet the growing population. It will also address technology alternatives, sustainable capacity, and multimodal options for modernizing I-25. There is particular haste to selecting an alternative, and the study will, therefore, streamline review processes required by both the Federal Railroad Administration and National Environmental Policy Act.