Mass Transit
The Regional Transportation District (RTD), funded by a one percent sales tax, provides mass transit services in Metro Denver. RTD operates 1,071 busses on 174 routes and 70 light rail vehicles on 35 miles of track.
RTD is involved in three concurrent Major Investment Studies. Over the next eighteen months, the RTD, along with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) will explore a variety of transportation options for three major corridors in the region.
To promote the use of mass transit, Metro Denver employers can purchase “Eco Passes” for their employees, which allow seven-day access to RTD services. RTD's Individual Rider Account (RTD-IRA) also offers employers and employees payroll tax savings, pre-tax savings, and transit pass discounts.
FasTracks
In 2004, voters passed RTD's FasTracks plan. At $6.1 billion, FasTracks will build out Metro Denver's entire mass transit system by 2016, adding 119 miles of rail rapid transit along six new lines as well as extending existing routes and expanding the regional bus network.
Funding comes from a 0.4 cent sales tax on every ten dollars purchase as well as U.S. Department of Transportation grants. The FasTracks build-out 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's 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 July 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 extending the corridor 2.3 miles to Lone Tree, increasing total parking by 2,520 spaces, and improving existing stations.
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