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New light rail will provide a critical link
Project connects downtown with Central Platte Valley's entertainment venues
- Cathy Proctor
- Denver Business Journal
Two pieces of the grand vision of Denver Union Station as the region's transportation hub will open for business the first Friday in April.
A new $47.8 million, 1.8-mile light-rail line, connecting the entertainment venues in the Central Platte Valley, will send its first car-loads of passengers into Union Station on April 5.
Once at the station, riders will be able connect to the 16th Street Mall shuttle at a new turnaround that's already built and active west of Union Station, although passengers currently are dropped off one block short of the station at Wynkoop and 16th streets.
The Regional Transportation District is anticipating at least 1,200 riders daily on the new route, plus 1.7 million riders a year using the line to get to special events -- from Rockies games to concerts at the Pepsi Center.
"I think it's going to be a tremendous addition to the light-rail system," said Liz Rao, director of planning and development for RTD.
The first two days of operation on the new line, to be officially known as the C-Line, will be free to the public.
Its first test will come four days after the opening, when the Colorado Rockies baseball team holds its first home game of the season on April 8.
RTD has already made plans to handle the anticipated crush of traffic.
"Because of the loss of parking [around Coors Field] and sell-out crowds that are traditional at Opening Day, we're expecting a very large crowd," said RTD spokesman Scott Reed.
The regular Rockies Ride buses will be operating from their usual parking lot north of the ball park, Reed said.
And after the game an additional 40 buses will be waiting at Union Station's turnaround lots for people heading south along the light rail lines, he said.
Half the buses will go to light-rail stations between downtown and the Interstate 25 and Broadway station. The other 20 buses will head for light-rail stations south of I-25 and Broadway, Reed said.
The C-Line will run from Auraria's campus to Union Station, with stops at the campus's west side, Invesco Field at Mile High, the Pepsi Center and Six Flags Elitch Gardens.
A number of groups kicked in money for the project.
Of the $47.8 million price tag, $2.55 million came from private groups including the Broncos, Rockies, the amusement park, the Lower Downtown district, Auraria, the Pepsi Center and Trillium Corp., which used to be part owner of Denver Union Station.
The city of Denver contributed $5 million and the Denver Regional Council of Governments contributed $19.6 million toward the project.
Trains will run along the new line every 15 minutes and more often on event days. Trains heading north along the Southwest line, to be officially known as the D-Line, will alternate between passage along the C-Line and continuing north into downtown Denver.
Every third train from the Southwest line will head for Union Station, Reed said.
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