Passenger Rail Station Location Study

For more information on the Passenger Rail Station Location Study, please contact the Project Manager.

Department:

Mountain Metro Transit

Fall 2021 - Summer 2022

The Passenger Rail Station Location Study is currently advancing. Our initial research and scoping of potential station sites is ongoing. The project is anticipated to last approximately six months, with completion in summer 2022. At key milestones in the schedule we will be asking for your input to guide the project’s progress.

Planning Phase

About the Project

The final Passenger Rail Station Location Study and Executive Summary are now complete and available for review below.

Note, technical appendices available upon request.

Thank you to our Guidance Committee and stakeholders that supported the process and provided feedback to guide the ultimate recommendations.

This effort represents the first step in establishing a passenger rail station in Colorado Springs. The City has identified the location just south of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum as the preferred station site.

This study provided the opportunity for the City and stakeholders to identify the location of a future passenger rail station in Colorado Springs, should agencies such as the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) District, Amtrak, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) advance plans to provide passenger service. With this plan in place, the City is prepared if passenger rail service comes to Colorado Springs.

Future phases including design and construction would be the responsibility of the agencies implementing the passenger rail service. The time frame for this is not yet determined. However, the City is continuing to track this and will remain involved to best represent the interest of the City residents, businesses, and visitors. If you have any questions or require access to the appendixes, please contact transitinfo@coloradosprings.gov.

Guidance Committee

The project team has established a Guidance Committee to provide feedback throughout the project. Invited stakeholders of the Guidance Committee include a representative range of community leaders, local/regional governments, and other mobility/community advocacy groups.

Stakeholder Guidance Committee Meetings

1st Guidance Committee Meeting:
- City and Agency Staff
- Community, Advocacy, Business, and Social Service Representatives
2nd Guidance Committee Meeting Summary
3rd Guidance Committee Meeting Summary

Guidance Committee Roster

First Name	Last Name	Organization
Ryan	Phipps	City of Colorado Springs
Peter	Wysocki	City of Colorado Springs
Ryan	Tefertiller	City of Colorado Springs
Kate	Brady	City of Colorado Springs
Gayle	Sturdivant	City of Colorado Springs
David	Singer	CDOT
Jeff	Dawson	CDOT
Lisa	Streisfeld	CDOT
Scott	Lee	City of Colorado Springs
Todd	Frisbie	City of Colorado Springs
Spencer	Dodge	Southwest Chief and Front Passenger Rail Commission
Jill	Gaebler	Front Range Passenger Rail District
John	Graham	Front Range Passenger Rail District
Steve	Posey	City of Colorado Springs
Karen	Palus	City of Colorado Springs
Bob	Cope	City of Colorado Springs
Amy	Kelley	US Air Force Academy
Steven	Westbay	US Air Force Academy
Victoria	Chavez	El Paso County
Paul	Spotts	The Independence Center
Anne	Beer	Peak Vista Community Health Centers
Chelsea	Gondeck	Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs
Christy	Long	Visit Colorado Springs
Janet	Brugger	The Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce
Jeff	Peterson	YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region
Jen	Furda	University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Kimberly	Reeves	University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Jody	Barker	Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging (PPAAA)
John	Liosatos	Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG)
Sara	Vaas	Council of Neighbors and Organizations
Jeff	Finn	Norwood Development Group
Scott	Barnhart	Citizen Transportation Advisory Board (CTAB)
Jim	Godfrey	Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA)
Jon	Mason	US Olympic Training Center
Jariah	Walker	Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority
Kristine	Andrews	COS Airport
Cindy	Aubrey	Pikes Peak United Way
Devin	Camacho	Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

Community Engagement Opportunities

COS Passenger Rail Station Location Engagement Summary

Thank you for your continued engagement and interest in the City of Colorado Springs’ Passenger Rail Station Location Study. During the second engagement milestone, the feedback survey received about 700 responses from the public. While there is still future work to be done regarding station design and community integration, this study provided a ranking of viable station locations (see ranking below).

America the Beautiful Park
Depot East
Drake East
Drake West
Depot West
Nevada/Tejon

All six sites are feasible; however, factors like timing and availability will influence which location presents itself as the best option. Feedback collected from the survey demonstrates public support for the top ranked locations with a total of 68% in agreement or strong agreement. The public also expressed their excitement for a station location that was in proximity to existing transit options and that offered multimodal access, thus supporting their desire to use the station and future passenger rail service for both commuting and leisure travel.

As the study comes to a close, the project team is in the process of developing a final conceptual plan for the top ranked station site. Please continue to check the website for the published plan and the final report, expected in the fall of 2022 and any new information on the next steps.

Public Engagement Presentation #2

This recorded presentation is the second of the project’s major stakeholder engagement milestones. The presentation provides an overview of the project to date, the evaluation criteria, station location evaluations, and the recommended rank order of passenger rail station locations.

Survey

Public feedback is essential in helping to guide the future of the Passenger Rail Station Location Study.

This presentation and online questionnaire were live from Monday, August 8 until Friday, August 19.

This survey is now closed.

Public Engagemenent Presentation #1

This presentation is the first of the project’s two major stakeholder engagement milestones. This presentation provides an overview of the project, the historical context for passenger rail service, station considerations, and findings from the project team’s initial round of evaluation.