From: "Friends of Transit" To: Subject: High-speed rail urged for Wyoming to New Mexico Date: Friday, August 26, 2005 10:54 PM Friends, Lately, there has been quite a bit of discussion about bringing "Commuter Rail" and/or "Passenger Rail" to the Region and the State of Arizona. We found a recent and interesting article in the Arizona Republic about an effort to bring Passenger Rail from Wyoming to New Mexico. If they can do it in other Western states, maybe we should be considering a similar effort in Arizona. Fortunately, there is a coalition of volunteers looking to bring such a system to the Region. To learn more, please visit www.southwestrail.org David Schwartz Executive Director Friends of Transit _____ High-speed rail urged for Wyoming to New Mexico Front Range commuter line aimed at West's congestion Catherine Tsai Associated Press Aug. 25, 2005 12:00 AM DENVER - A group pushing to build a high-speed commuter rail line from Wyoming to New Mexico hopes to ask voters for their approval in November 2008, the group's president said Wednesday. With population in the West booming, the time is right to focus on ways to relieve congestion, supporters said. "We need to have an alternative transportation system, and rail is it," said former state Rep. Bob Briggs, president of the non-profit group Front Range Commuter Rail that is shepherding the project. Briggs also is a former board member of the Denver-area Regional Transportation District. Organizers envision the "Ranger Express" traveling about 110 mph and connecting Cheyenne, Wyo.; Denver; and Albuquerque, and cities in between. The plan will need cooperation not only from voters but also members of Congress and commercial rail firms. Front Range Commuter Rail is trying to capitalize on rail support from Denver-area voters, who in November supported the FasTracks project to expand rail in the metro area and proposals in the works to move commercial freight traffic off rail lines that could then be used for a 602-mile high-speed commuter line. Briggs said Sen. Ken Salazar and Rep. Mark Udall, both D-Colo., and Rep. Bob Beauprez, R-Colo., all have voiced support for the line. Randy Bruns, chief executive for Cheyenne's economic development arm Cheyenne LEADS, voiced Wyoming's support for the project on Wednesday. Front Range Commuter Rail is counting on the congressional delegation to help Front Range rail lines gain designation as a high-speed rail corridor eligible for federal funds. Those funds could be used to conduct a feasibility study. The goal is to finish the study in 2007. Earlier this summer, Briggs said the proposal could go to voters as early as next year, but Briggs said Wednesday that the goal was to go to voters in 2008. Any rail project would be costly. Remodeling existing rail beds for high-speed trains could cost $3 million to $4 million per mile, and state transportation officials have estimated that relocating freight lines to the plains to the east could cost $1 billion, Briggs said. The grand plan is to have a line offering one trip per hour, 18 hours a day, carrying 3.5 million to 4 million people a year, Briggs said. Ideally, the rail would debut along with FasTracks, about 11 years from now, he said.