Members of the Mountain Rail Coalition gathered virtually on Jan. 22 to celebrate key milestones, strategize on sustaining political support and advance station planning as the Colorado Department of Transportation prepares to launch Phase 1 passenger rail service this November.

Around 20 stakeholders from mountain communities across Colorado — including county officials, transportation commissioners and CDOT representatives — heard updates on governor briefings, new state legislation and local infrastructure projects. 

The Mountain Rail service is expected to begin year-round daily service between Denver and Granby by 2026, with future expansions planned to Winter Park, Steamboat Springs, Craig and Hayden.

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The meeting underscored a unified push to maintain momentum for the Front Range-to-Yampa Valley service despite looming changes in state leadership.

Routt County Commissioner Sonja Macys opened by referencing a Jan. 21 Colorado Rail Passenger Association Winter Meeting attended by Michael Ann LaMotte, director of development and strategic initiatives for Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp.

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LaMotte, who recently took over Mountain Rail efforts from former Ski Corp. Director of Social Responsibility Sarah Jones, described the gathering as “well-attended” and “inspiring.”

The event featured a “transportation state of the state” from outgoing Gov. Jared Polis, who touted his legislative legacy and expressed confidence in his team’s continued drive, she said. 

While she noted that the discussion centered heavily on Front Range rail, LaMotte drew key takeaways for the Mountain Rail project, including sustained local and legislative advocacy ahead of the governor’s race and an emphasis on quality-of-life benefits of multimodal transportation projects.

Macys echoed the need to keep momentum bipartisan, noting Democratic governor candidates like U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet — whose affordability platform explicitly mentions Mountain Rail — and Attorney General Phil Weiser, who supports robust Front Range-to-mountain rail links. 

She urged outreach to Republican contenders but received no specific responses from attendees. 

“Obviously, this is not a partisan issue, so whether we get a Democrat or Republican, we have to advocate equally,” Macys said, crediting Polis’ backing for accelerating progress and calling for sustained governor’s office support.

Updates from CDOT

Maux Sullivan, CDOT’s assistant director of passenger rail, delivered several critical updates signaling Phase 1’s proximity. 

The passenger rail team briefed Polis last week on the near-term service development plan, she said, and is incorporating his feedback ahead of stakeholder meetings and the next coalition gathering. 

“To date, we haven’t been in a place to brief the governor on the service development plan,” said Branden Shafer, special adviser for passenger transit in Colorado. “So that, in and of itself, is an internal milestone for the team.”

A new West Metro station study has launched internally, with public meetings slated for spring and summer. Sullivan also noted the recent onboarding of CDOT Rail and Transit Planner Joan Lyons, who will be dedicated to station technical support.

Field progress included a recent site visit with Union Pacific near Granby to scope a critical layover siding track for daytime train storage — essential for the daily Denver-to-Granby round trip. 

“That site visit is another big milestone so we can advance the engineering and design work for that construction to be ready once construction season is here in a few months,” explained Sullivan, who added that operator conversations are ongoing. 

CDOT District 2 Commissioner Shelley Cook, representing Jefferson County and a portion of Broomfield County, noted Mountain Rail’s inclusion in the department’s forthcoming 10-year plan, set for adoption in March. 

Macys praised the transportation commissioners as a “through line” amid state leadership transitions, bolstering community confidence that commitment to Mountain Rail remains steadfast.

Legislative boost: Transit hub financing

In a highlight, Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, joined with Gov. Polis’ policy director Jon Moore to unveil House Bill 1065, a new tax increment financing tool for transit-oriented development. 

The bill, sponsored by McCluskie and Colorado Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, enables local governments to fund projects around transit hubs via state sales tax increments within a 1.5-mile radius, without touching local revenues.

Modeled after the 2009 Regional Tourism Act that built projects like Aurora’s Gaylord hotel and the National Western Stock Show complex, HB 1065 prioritizes four to six projects over three years. 

It pairs tax increment financing with flexible credits akin to low-income housing tax credits but tailored for high-country incomes. McCluskey acknowledged mountain geography’s “long rectangles” over even circles but emphasized the tool’s potential for Mountain Rail stations.

“We’ve tried to create a little more flexibility and certainly make the tax credits available so that we’ve got additional support for that development around transit hubs,” explained McCluskie, who added that proposals would target specific community hubs, not the entire line. 

“A fundamental goal here is to support infrastructure and financing for different communities,” said Moore. “One of the things that we’ve heard a lot … is there is a ton of investment happening to create the station itself and to create that area, but sometimes there can be lacking sidewalks, lacking bike paths, lacking signage, and there’s barriers that make it harder for people to be able to access the station, even with all the investments that have gone into it.

“The bill is really meant to support that, so that for people in the area, it’s much easier to access the transit station and encourage people to take the line and ride the rail through the mountains,” he added.  

Macys called the bill an “amazing concept” and encouraged fellow attendees to provide testimony in support of the bill if and when the need arises. 

Station planning gains traction across corridor

Station updates revealed patchwork but steady progress, with several communities leveraging grants and partnerships.

In Craig, Public Works Director Daniel Paul reported a Multi-Modal Options Program award for a rail station study. Award funding will unlock July 1 pending an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT, which will be followed by a request for proposals targeting 18 months of stakeholder engagement.

Paul eyes collaboration with Hayden, as well as Steamboat Springs, whose station planning is slightly ahead.

Hayden Project Manager Kevin Corona confirmed that the town also received a Multi-Modal Options Program award and is pursuing a CDOT BUILD Grant, with Town Manager Mathew Mendisco tracking details. 

The town of Oak Creek, under relatively new Town Administrator Louis Fineberg, has had a slower start to the process but remains “engaged and eager,” said Macys.

Gilpin County Director of Community Development Jamie Boyle and Commissioner Sandy Hollingsworth detailed Rollinsville efforts: community meetings generated excitement and ideas, including a budgeted fire cistern. 

After a station location “speed bump” and bridge review — now resolved — they’re finalizing a survey, drafting an area-specific plan integrating 2020 comprehensive plan elements. This enables “village zones” for transit-supportive development, historic preservation and infrastructure, with planning commission buy-in.

Winter Park Mayor Nick Kutrubmos emphasized HB 1065’s multimodal fit for expanding its existing station ahead of November’s daily service. While Winter Park Express ridership holds strong on weekends, he said, the unseasonably minimal snow this season has had ridership impacts midweek. 

Fraser Mayor Brian Cerkvenik shared the town’s recent purchase of a former vet clinic for a redesigned, multimodal station by this summer, tying into the free Lift bus system and nearby St. Louis Landing affordable housing.

Recent visits by Sen. Bennet — dining in Winter Park, touring Fraser housing and meeting with CDOT — has amplified on-the-ground advocacy, Macys noted.

At the close of the meeting, Macys highlighted the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority’s recent passage across municipalities, embedding Mountain Rail liaison work among eight priorities without distracting from buses or multimodal near-term fixes.

Future meetings include April 23 in Adams County, July 23 at The Granary in Hayden, and an Oct. 22 meeting in Steamboat Springs hosted by Ski Corp.