August will bring a key vote by the Front Range Passenger Rail District board on whether to send a November sales-tax measure to voters in 31 municipalities.
The proposed increase—about 1 cent per $3 spent—would fund the $1.7 billion second phase of the Colorado Connector, extending passenger rail beyond the already funded Fort Collins-to-Denver first segment.
Phase 2 plans include stops in Pueblo, two in Colorado Springs and service south to Trinidad, with one-fifth of tax revenue returning to communities for station upkeep and related needs; food and gasoline would be exempt.
Sal Pace said the tax would provide ongoing money for operations, repairs and future expansion toward New Mexico and Cheyenne, Wyoming, while federal passenger-rail funding for Colorado remains unlikely for at least a couple of years.
Current timelines put phase one completion in 2029 and phase two in 2032 if voters approve the tax, with public input on the project open through July 27.