Front Range Passenger Rail: A Boondoggle in the Making

The proposed Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) project has been touted by its supporters as a transformative initiative for Colorado's transportation system. However, a closer look reveals this is less about progress and more about wasteful spending, social engineering, and government overreach at taxpayers' expense.

The fundamental question we must ask is: Do we even need this rail? The data says no. According to the U.S. Census, only 4% of Denver commuters currently use mass transit. Despite this, the FRPR has provided no concrete data to justify the necessity of a multi-billion-dollar passenger rail system. This is a solution in search of a problem - a costly endeavor being pushed without proven demand.

A Partisan Push for Social Engineering

Let’s be clear: the FRPR is a Democrat-driven initiative. Established by Governor Polis and state Democrats in 2021, it has been championed by Colorado's Democratic U.S. Senators and Representatives. Their vision isn't just about transportation; it's about reshaping how Coloradans live and commute. The plan aims to build high-density housing along the rail line to discourage private car ownership, effectively forcing citizens into government-controlled transportation systems. This isn’t just about trains - it’s about control.

Estimates for the FRPR range from $2 billion to over $14 billion - and that’s just for construction. The federal government has already funneled at least $500,000 into the project, with plans to dip into the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for billions more. But that’s just the beginning. Maintenance and future improvements will be funded by federal, state, and local taxes, creating a perpetual financial burden on Colorado taxpayers.

Worse still, the FRPR has established taxing authority across 13 Front Range counties, including Douglas County. New taxes will inevitably follow, especially around train stops, further squeezing taxpayers to fund a project that most won't even use.

Congestion and Commercial Disruption

The FRPR isn’t just a financial black hole - it’s a threat to Colorado's existing infrastructure. The rail will utilize current freight rail systems, which are already critical for international commercial and industrial use. Introducing passenger rail into this mix will clog and congest these systems, harming businesses that rely on timely shipping and logistics. Colorado's economy cannot afford this disruption.

This isn’t Colorado’s first flirtation with costly rail projects. We’ve seen this movie before, and it doesn’t end well.

In 1971, Colorado launched a rail project that was never completed.

In 2004, the FasTracks project was introduced with great fanfare but remains incomplete and continues to drain local tax dollars.

Light rail, once heralded as a modern solution, has proven to be unreliable, dangerous, and costly. Why should Colorado taxpayers be forced to fund yet another rail line when the state has failed to manage the ones we already have?

Colorado's FRPR is just one piece of a broader federal agenda. The government plans to expand passenger rail service across the U.S., including five new long-distance routes through Colorado, at an estimated cost of tens of billions of tax dollars. This is not about serving the public interest - it's about enriching a select few at the expense of the many.

The FRPR is not about improving transportation; it’s about expanding government control, creating new taxes, and wasting billions of dollars on a project with no proven need. Coloradans deserve better. We need to invest in infrastructure that truly benefits our communities - like improving roads and bridges - not throw money at a high-cost, low-benefit project designed to serve political agendas rather than the people of Colorado.

Stopping a Government-Created Catastrophe

The Front Range Passenger Rail isn’t just a wasteful spending project - it’s a looming government catastrophe that threatens to permanently damage Colorado’s infrastructure and radically alter how we travel, for the worse. By forcing passenger rail onto our already heavily-used freight lines, this plan risks creating crippling congestion, disrupting vital commercial and industrial transport that our economy relies on. It’s a reckless gamble with no data to justify it and no clear benefit for the majority of Coloradans.

This isn’t about offering better transportation options; it’s about forcing people into government-controlled systems, limiting personal freedom, and creating a future where private car ownership is discouraged. Once implemented, the FRPR will be a financial and logistical burden that Colorado will struggle with for generations.

We cannot allow this misguided, high-cost, low-benefit rail project to move forward. It’s time to protect Colorado’s infrastructure, defend taxpayers from unnecessary financial strain, and preserve the freedom of how we choose to travel. Let’s stop this disaster before it derails the future of our state.