A Vote On Colorado Front Range Rail Could Come In 2020 – Why Not More Rail In Montana?

The longer the state waits, he said, the more it’s going to cost to build. Denver International Airport was built in the early 1990s and has paid off in spades for the state only because leaders in the 1980s had the foresight to invest in it.

At least a handful of members of the 11-member Southwest Chief & Front Range Passenger Rail Commission say they’d like to get a funding measure on the 2020 ballot.

That would be a quick turnaround, especially considering the commission just hired a consultant team to create a service development plan to answer key questions on routing, governance and cost. It’s expected to take about 18 months to complete and will build off previous studies.

But at the commission’s meeting last week, member Sal Pace said he expects voters in 2020 — a presidential year — will be younger and more likely to pass a funding measure.

By Nathaniel Minor