State officials say a starter Front Range passenger rail could run by 2029 using existing fees; RTD funding gap remains

State and regional advisers told the City and County of Broomfield on March 18 that a “joint service” starter passenger rail running on the RTD B line corridor could be launched far sooner and more cheaply than earlier single‑agency plans, if various state fees and RTD resources are committed.

The advisers said the March 1 joint study modeled a starter service with as few as three daily round trips and eight initial stations, and estimated first‑year operating and debt costs at about $83 million. “By using one operator, one access agreement with BNSF and one route, we reduce inefficiencies and can deliver a reliable starter service,” said Brandon Schafer, Special Adviser for Passenger Rail and Transit.

Barrick Abramson, who helped prepare the joint study, said the capital and operating model the team used assumes available revenue from new fee streams the legislature authorized in 2024 — commonly referred to in the presentation as the SB 184 rental‑car fee set‑aside and the SB 230 oil‑and‑gas production fee — plus RTD contributions and farebox revenue. He told council the joint study’s financial model shows about $42 million annually…