Description

The AC-REP Civic and Business Alliance convenes business and community leaders to discuss major policy issues facing our Greater Adams County region. The Alliance helps to inform AC-REP positions and actions to champion.

To kick-off 2026, AC-REP Gold level members and Community leaders are invited to a special briefing from Sal Pace, General Manager of the Front Range Passenger Rail District, who will share the current vision and plans to provide new transportation options for Colorado.

This discussion comes at a critical moment, as Colorado voters may soon decide on a tax to support Front Range passenger rail. We encourage attendees to read this Sentinel Colorado article to learn more about the proposal and its potential impact.

Salvatore “Sal” Pace is the General Manager of the Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPRD) and a seasoned public servant with more than two decades of experience advancing major infrastructure, transit, and legislative initiatives across Colorado. A former State Representative—where he served as Minority Leader—and Pueblo County Commissioner, Pace has been one of Colorado’s most persistent advocates for passenger rail for more than fifteen years. He co-authored the 2009 FASTER amendment, which created the original funding stream for CDOT’s Transit & Rail Division.

Pace chaired both the Southwest Chief and Front Range Rail Commissions, leading the successful effort to secure nearly $100 million in federal and local funding to preserve the Southwest Chief line. He negotiated an additional $100 million in long-term maintenance commitments from BNSF Railway and was honored with Amtrak’s President’s Service & Safety Award in 2016—the company’s highest national recognition—for his leadership in saving the route that connects Chicago to Los Angeles.

He also served as co-chair of Governor Jared Polis’s Transition Committee, helping ensure that transit and rail priorities were central to early CDOT leadership appointments. At the local level, Pace was the architect of Pueblo’s 1A Ballot Measure, which redirected expiring tax incentives into Riverwalk improvements, Amtrak station planning, youth sports facilities, and park investments—all without raising taxes.

With a proven ability to unite diverse constituencies behind long-term infrastructure goals, Pace is now focused on guiding the Front Range Passenger Rail District through its next phase of planning, funding strategy, and public engagement, including a focus of delivering a successful ballot question to voters across the Front Range.

Sal's contact info:

Front Range Passenger Rail District General Manager

sal.pace@frprdistrict.com