The Regional Transportation District (RTD) operates a mass transit network, serving portions of Denver, Colorado, United States, and its surrounding metropolitan area, with light rail and commuter rail services. As of December 2022[update], the 113-mile (182 km) urban rail transit system includes 77 stations on 10 lines: A, B, D, E, G, H, L, N, R, and W.[1] In first quarter of 2016, the six light rail lines served an average 79,600 passengers a day, making the RTD light rail the eighth-largest light rail system in the United States in terms of ridership.[2]
All of the stations are open-air structures featuring passenger canopies for protection from adverse weather conditions.[3] The RTD has established criteria for station design with the intention of incorporating each station effectively into its surrounding community.[4] All stations feature three elements according to the criteria: the platform, its transition plaza and the intermodal passenger transport available to and from the facility.[4] Platforms are generally designed to accommodate four-car trains and may be in either a side, island or side center style.[4][A 1] The transition plaza is the area where passenger services can be found between the platform and where intermodal access is available.[4] All stations are decorated with works of public art as part of the RTD's "Art-n-Transit" program.[5] They include independent works as well as pieces incorporated into the canopies, columns, pavers, windscreens, fencing and landscaping.[5]
Light rail service began on October 8, 1994, with the opening of the initial fourteen stations on the 5.3-mile (8.5 km) Central Corridor segment from 30th & Downing station to I-25 & Broadway station.[6][7] The first extension opened on July 14, 2000, and included the completion of an additional 8.7 miles (14.0 km) of rail and five stations through its present southern terminus at Littleton–Mineral station.[8][9] In 2002, a four station, 1.8-mile (2.9 km) spur through the Central Platte Valley opened between the 10th & Osage station and Union Station.[10][11] By November 2006, expansion to the southeast saw the completion of 19 miles (31 km) of rail and thirteen stations between I-25 & Broadway and both Nine Mile station in Aurora and Lincoln station in Lone Tree.[12][13] On April 26, 2013 the W Line was opened which added 12.1 miles (19.5 km) of rail and eleven stations between Auraria West station and the Jefferson County Government Center–Golden station in Golden.[14][15] The first commuter rail line, the A Line to Denver Airport station, opened on April 22, 2016.[16]
Rail services used a zone-based fare system until 2024, where passengers were charged based on the number of zones through which they traveled. Fare zones were noted A, B, and C, based on distance from Downtown Denver, with a separate airport zone for travel to and from Denver Airport station. Beginning January 1, 2024, all stations use a flat fare system, with the exception of Denver Airport station, which has a higher airport fare.[17][18]
- ^ "Rail System Map". Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report: First Quarter 2016" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association (APTA). May 19, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ National Research Council; Transportation Research Board (1995). Seventh National Conference on Light Rail Transit Vol. 2. National Academy Press. p. 83. ISBN 0-309-06152-0.
- ^ a b c d e "Station design criteria" (PDF). RTD Design Guidelines & Criteria, Light Rail Design Criteria. Regional Transportation District. November 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ a b "Art-n-Transit: A rider's guide to public art on RTD's transit system". Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ Roberts, Jeffrey A. (October 9, 1994). "100,000 give light rail a heavy workout". The Denver Post. p. C1.
- ^ "RTD: Central Corridor Light Rail Line" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ Medina, Jennifer (July 3, 2000). "Train lovers hop on board new light rail". The Denver Post. p. B1.
- ^ "RTD: Southwest Corridor Light Rail Line" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ Proctor, Cathy (March 22, 2002). "New light rail will provide a critical link". Denver Business Journal. Archived from the original on May 9, 2003. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
- ^ "RTD: Central Platte Valley Light Rail Line" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ Leib, Jeffrey (November 21, 2006). "A rail easy commute SE line's regular service debuts smoothly". The Denver Post. p. A1.
- ^ "RTD: Southeast Corridor" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ Seward, Jennifer (December 1, 2009). "Heading West RTD's West Corridor FasTracks construction begins in earnest". Mountain States Construction. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
- ^ "RTD: West Corridor" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ALinewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Fares". Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original on June 25, 2014. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ Cheshire, Catie (January 8, 2024). "RTD Fares Lower in 2024 for All Customers". Westword. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
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