The Regional Transportation Districtap governing board and the geographic footprint of the Front Range Passenger Rail District will both shrink under a pair of bills signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Jared Polis.
The law passed as this year reduces the size of the RTD board from 15 members to nine. Five members will be elected from separate districts, starting in the 2028 election, while the remaining four will be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. That is a change from the currently all-elected board.
The appointed members in the new configuration must collectively have expertise in finance, land use, transportation planning, and transit programs that primarily serve communities with higher environmental or health concerns. One must be a current or former member of an agency union.
That law also requires RTD to commission a study and adopt a plan to improve paratransit services by the end of 2027.
“Coloradans deserve affordable, reliable, convenient transportation to get where we want to go, and that starts with more efficiency, accountability and transparency, especially in our largest metro area,” Polis said in a statement about the SB-150 signing. “This new law will modernize RTD and deliver stronger and better transportation options that save people money and get Coloradans where we want to go.”
The bill resulted from recommendations issued by the RTD Accountability Committee earlier this year.
Another measure signed Tuesday, , narrows the boundaries to include only municipalities along Interstate 25 that will be directly served by the train system. Those municipalities include Trinidad to the south up to Fort Collins in the north, as well as Denver and south, west and northwest metro cities.
Starter service, in a $332 million project, is expected to begin by January 2029. Lawmakers created the original district in 2021 to govern the planned rail system.
“This law creates a clear path for the Front Range Passenger Rail to take shape, improving Colorado’s transportation options and infrastructure for the municipalities that have already opted into this rail system,” state Rep. Amy Paschal, a Colorado Springs Democrat and bill sponsor, said. “Soon, voters around these stations will get a say on whether or not their community will have Front Range Passenger Rail.
“This project has been a long time in the making, and I am excited for the opportunities that this will open up for my community in Colorado Springs.”
Polis also signed , which loosens the requirements local governments need to meet to qualify for affordable housing funding through Proposition 123.
“Under current Proposition 123 rules, even the most proactive local governments can’t meet production requirements to access affordable housing funds, as rising construction costs continue to put up barriers,” Sen. Matt Ball, a Denver Democrat and bill sponsor, said. “This important legislation modernizes Prop 123 requirements to allow more local governments to leverage this dedicated funding and create more affordable housing for Colorado families.”
