Fort Collins City Council backs Drake-area rail station plan in Front Range passenger rail resolution

The Fort Collins City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve Resolution 2026-090, endorsing the Front Range Passenger Rail District’s narrative for a Fort Collins station and the broader buildout of passenger rail service along the Front Range. The resolution backs the Drake and College area as the city’s preferred station location for both the already funded joint-service concept and a larger future system if a regional ballot measure passes. It also supports accepting local return funding from the rail district if voters approve that measure.

City staff told council the resolution is primarily a statement of support for the district as planning continues. Karen Champine, presenting the item with project manager Seth Lawson, said the funded joint-service concept would include three round trips a day and eight stations, with Fort Collins served at Drake and College. If a future ballot initiative passes, she said, that initial service would be expanded into a longer Fort Collins-to-Pueblo corridor with more stations and more frequent trips.

Public comment was broadly supportive of rail service, though several speakers pressed the city to keep broader station planning in mind. Liam Myers, a District 1 resident, called passenger rail necessary and said the Drake station should be treated as “a necessary step” toward higher-frequency service, lower fares and eventually a downtown station. He urged council to approve the resolution while also exploring acquisition of the historic Union Pacific station and nearby parcels for a long-term downtown option.

Jared Ross, a District 6 resident and recent urban planning graduate, spoke in favor of the Midtown location, saying a successful station will need strong bike, bus and parking connections. He said downtown may be preferable in theory, but raised financial and timeline concerns, adding that Midtown “seems like a good option.”

Other speakers focused on what the station could mean for redevelopment and access. Ezra Steyer of District 3 said the city should not assume transit investment alone will transform Midtown, noting the area’s existing plan is more than a decade old and should be updated if the station moves forward there. Another speaker, Kyle, backed the Drake station as a central site with existing infrastructure and nearby trail connections, while also calling accessibility a priority.

Councilmember Melanie Potyondy said she would “enthusiastically” support the resolution, calling the Midtown location ideal because it is more central for Fort Collins residents and could become a catalyst for a more vibrant district. During council discussion, Champine said the city’s station planning work would include universal accessibility beyond the platform itself and involve the city’s Disability Advisory Board and other stakeholders.