TransitFriday, November 6
Voters approve a permanent sales tax to fund the CoCo train from Fort Collins to Pueblo
The AM Denver team
If you shop inside the Front Range Passenger Rail District, a new sales tax is coming. Voters approved Ballot Issue 7A, a permanent 0.333% sales and use tax plus up to $580 million in debt for the CoCo train. Yes had roughly 55% as of Thursday afternoon.
The CoCo measure is projected to raise about $295 million in its first full year
- $295 million
- projected in the first full year, per the district
- $580 million
- in debt the measure authorizes, at most
- 0.333%
- permanent sales and use tax rate
- 29
- municipalities in the tax district, plus seven metro districts
Sources: Denver Gazette, CBS Colorado
CBS Colorado lists a Trinidad station and up to 10 daily round trips on the northern route among the additions. Westword says Amtrak would operate the train. Starter service between Denver and Fort Collins starts in 2029 regardless of the vote.
CoCo's starter service is planned for 2029, with Pueblo by 2032
- Spring '27Design for the Denver-to-Fort Collins starter service is planned to be done.
- 2028Construction on the starter service is planned to start.
- 2029Three daily round trips between Denver and Fort Collins are planned to begin.
- 2032Phase 2 is planned to establish a corridor between Fort Collins and Pueblo.
Source: Denver7
- Rate: 33 cents for every $100 spent
- Exempt: food, gas, utilities, prescription drugs, medical supplies
- Ballot error: some voters outside the district got 7A ballots
Sources: Denver Gazette, Denver7, CBS Colorado, Westword, KDVR