The Denver Post’s Bruce Finley reports that Colorado’s Front Range passenger rail boosters have moved on to the fun part before the hard part. They are asking the public to help name the train before voters have even decided whether to tax themselves to build it. That is the story here in a nutshell: branding first, bill later.
The article lays out the pitch from rail officials and Gov. Jared Polis. Supporters say this train would connect Front Range cities, reduce traffic and pollution, and create a multi-generational service people can rally around. So naturally, before the public has settled the question of cost, they are being asked to pick from a list of polished names like this is a new craft brewery or a minor league mascot.
Finley also notes the bigger backdrop. Rail leaders are still refining a possible ballot measure that could ask for a half-cent sales tax increase to help fund the multi-billion-dollar project. The naming contest runs now. The tax question comes later. That tells you plenty about the order of operations.
The Bullet Point Brief
- The state’s rail crowd wants Coloradans to vote on a train name before the train itself has cleared the money hurdle. Nothing says fiscal discipline like choosing the vanity plate before you buy the truck.
- The four finalist names are Colorado Connector, Colorado Ranger, Rangelink, and Front Range Express Destinations, or FRED. I will be honest, if the strongest thing about your transportation plan is the nickname, that is not exactly a confidence builder.
- Gov. Polis says the train will connect communities, cut traffic, reduce pollution, and save time and money. That is a mighty long list of promises for a project that is still staring at a possible new tax and a price tag that swings from expensive to holy cow.
- According to the article, rail officials could ask voters for a half-cent sales tax increase, with corridor cities getting annual shares for local train-related development over 25 years. Translation: this is not just about tracks and tickets. It is also about building a whole new spending ecosystem around the thing.
- The numbers are where the fairy dust starts to wear off. A starter service could begin in 2029 between Denver, Boulder, Longmont, and Fort Collins. Full service from Trinidad to Fort Collins is estimated at $2 billion to $14 billion, with about $76 million a year in operating and maintenance costs. That is not a rounding error. That is a lifestyle.
My Bottom Line
I have no issue with a catchy name. I do have an issue with government acting like the sales brochure is the same thing as a serious transportation plan. Families in Colorado do not get to name the appliance before they know the sticker price. They check the budget first. Government should try that sometime.
Here is what matters for Weld County and Colorado families. Roads still move the overwhelming share of people, goods, workers, and commerce in this state. When leaders act like a shiny passenger train is the answer to every transportation headache, they are selling a fantasy. You can only squeeze so many nickels before you start milking the buffalo.
The article makes clear that the tax vote is still unresolved, but the marketing machine is already humming. That is backwards. If this project is such a slam dunk, then make the case on cost, ridership, operations, and long-term maintenance first. Show the numbers. Show the tradeoffs. Then ask the public. Do not distract people with a naming contest like they are judging a county fair calf.
My view is simple. Vote no on airy promises dressed up like inevitabilities. Colorado does not need more pie-in-the-sky spending schemes that somehow always seem to end with taxpayers footing the bill while politicians hold the ribbon. Build roads. Maintain roads. Fix what people actually use. Then, maybe, we can talk about the governor’s shiny choo-choo.
Source: The Denver Post
