Colorado T-REX Project (TRansportation EXpansion) - Funding

Funding

T-REX was funded using no new state, county, city, or gas taxes. This was partially due to the TABOR laws enacted in 1992, and the State Leadership's stance against levying additional taxes on its constituents. Instead, metropolitan areas that would benefit from the expansion voted to approve an increase of property taxes required for the build out. In November 1999, voters in affected municipalities approved two property-tax increases which partially funded the transit portion of the project.

Among those :

• Design-build contract with Southeast Corridor Constructors worth $1.18 billion.
• Light rail costs: $879 million, with $437 million coming from RTD and local matching funds; $525 million from an FTA full-funding grant agreement.
• Highway costs: $795 million, from highway users taxes and matching federal revenue.
• 34 new light-rail vehicles: $91.8 million.
• Elati Street Light Rail Maintenance Facility: $39.5 million.