Mass Transit
The Regional Transportation District (RTD), funded by a one percent sales tax, provides mass transit services in Metro Denver. RTD operates 1,029 busses on 148 routes and 153 light rail vehicles on 35 miles of track.
To promote the use of mass transit, Metro Denver employers can purchase EcoPasses for their employees, which allow seven-day access to RTD services. RTD's FlexPass Program also offers employers and employees payroll tax savings, pre-tax savings, and transit pass discounts.
Colorado launched a website dedicated to the state's transportation projects to be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The site contains detailed information about all ARRA projects the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) manages including a project description, amount of ARRA funds dedicated to the project, project status, and photos.
FasTracks
RTD's $6.7 billion FasTracks plan will build out Metro Denver's entire mass transit system by 2019, adding 122 miles of rail rapid transit along six new lines as well as extending existing routes and expanding the regional bus network. FasTracks is projected to create more than 10,000 jobs during the height of construction, and will pump billions of dollars into the regional economy.
Funding comes from a 0.4 cent sales tax on every 10 dollars purchase as well as U.S. Department of Transportation grants. The FasTracks buildout will greatly increase transportation options for Metro Denver workers and provide an alternative to congestion during peak travel times, and will rank the Metro Denver area as one of the top five regions in the country in terms of miles of fixed rail.
Union Station Redevelopment
A $1 billion plan is underway to transform downtown Denver Union Station into a regional transportation hub where light rail, buses, and passenger rail converge. The master plan, designed by developers Continuum Partners and East West Partners, includes mixed-use development on the 19.5-acre site, with offices, residences, and retail – a 24-hour hub of urban activity.
Existing Light Rail
The RTD Light Rail system provides fast (up to 55 mph) and reliable transportation through the central, southwest, and southeast areas of Metro Denver. The system is divided into four fare zones.
- Denver's first light rail line, the 5.3-mile Central Corridor, opened in 1994 and runs from I-25/Broadway, through downtown Denver, and along Welton Street to 30th/Downing. FasTracks plans include extending light rail north on Downing Street to the 40th Station, where it will join the East Corridor.
- The Southwest Corridor opened in 2000 as an 8.7-mile extension from I-25 and Broadway to Mineral Avenue in Littleton with five stations and nearly 2,600 parking spaces. FasTracks plans include improving existing stations, adding parking spaces at the Englewood Station, and extending the line south to Highlands Ranch with a new station at C-470/Lucent Boulevard.
- The Southeast Corridor, completed in November 2006, connects Metro Denver's two largest employment centers—the Central Business District (downtown Denver) and the Denver Tech Center. The 19.1-mile light rail line extends from I-25/Broadway to Lincoln Avenue with an additional connection from I-25 to Parker Road. Ridership is already exceeding expectations and more than 38,000 people are anticipated to use the line daily by 2020. FasTracks will extend the corridor 2.3 miles to Lone Tree, increasing total parking by 2,520 spaces and improving existing stations.