Issue 7A: Front Range Passenger Rail District

What It Would Do

Issue 7A asks voters across the Front Range Passenger Rail District — more than a dozen communities from Fort Collins to the Pueblo/Trinidad area, including Boulder — to approve a new district-wide sales and use tax and bonding authority to build, operate, and maintain a new passenger rail line along the I-25 corridor, sometimes called the "Colorado Connector." This measure specifically funds the southern extension of the line (roughly Denver to Pueblo), targeting service by 2032; the northern segment connecting Denver and Fort Collins is being funded separately and is targeting a 2029 start.

Fiscal Impact

The measure authorizes a district-wide sales and use tax of 0.333% (about 33 cents on a $100 purchase), estimated to raise approximately $295 million a year. It also authorizes up to $580 million in new bonded debt, with a maximum repayment cost of $785 million.

Why We're Voting Yes

Boulder Progressives supports Issue 7A because it would fund a modern passenger rail connection along the Front Range, cutting traffic congestion and emissions and finally giving Coloradans a real alternative to driving I-25.

Sources: Colorado Public Radio, Colorado Newsline, Complete Colorado, Boulder Weekly, and the Colorado Secretary of State's 2026 ballot certification.