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75-790: RFTA is the second largest transit provider in Colorado (after Denver ) and the largest rural transit provider in the United States . In September 2013, RFTA became the first rural transit provider to construct and operate bus rapid transit in the United States. Transportation in the Roaring Fork Valley dates back to the late-1880s, when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad ran their first train to Glenwood Springs on October 5, 1887. The railroad continued extending their line upvalley to Aspen, completing

150-486: A $ 675.5 million operating budget for the year of 2018. Google has RTD schedules attached to its trip planner , and 3rd party mobile applications are now available for the iPhone and other platforms. RTD is constructing the voter-approved FasTracks transit expansion that will add 122 miles (196 km) of new commuter rail and light rail, 18 miles (29 km) of rapid transit bus service, 21,000 new parking spaces at rail and bus stations, and enhance bus service across

225-448: A baggage compartment. A minibus is designed to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) and is typically built on a small truck chassis." Generally, a transit bus will be 35 to 40 feet (11 to 12 m) long, with seats and standing room. Usually there are 30 to 45 seats, depending on length and interior configuration. If more passenger capacity is needed on a route, an articulated bus, 54 to 60 feet (16 to 18 m) long, or

300-456: A branch along I-225 to Parker Road. The West Rail Line opened on April 26, 2013. As of April 2013, the system had 170 light rail vehicles, serving 47 miles (76 km) of track. The light rail R Line to Aurora and Lone Tree opened on February 24, 2017. RTD made significant service changes and suspended service on multiple bus and light rail lines due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The F line

375-412: A bus in public transit service. "Bus means a rubber-tired automotive vehicle used for the provision of public transportation service by or for a recipient of FTA financial assistance." FTA also adds that automotive means that the bus does not rely on external power sources for its motion; its motor and fuel or battery are contained in the bus. It defines public transportation service as "the operation of

450-431: A double articulated bus, can hold more seats; the connecting portion(s) can bend to aid making turns. Features of transit buses include: Modern transit buses are also increasingly being equipped with passenger information systems , multimedia, WiFi , USB charging points, entertainment/advertising, and passenger comforts such as heating and air-conditioning (in the early 20th century, no bus had cooling beyond opening

525-784: A free downtown circulator in Glenwood Springs, frequency increases, and the introduction of paid parking in Aspen. Also during this time period, the Environmental Protection Agency designated Aspen as a PM 10 non-attainment area , resulting in RFTA increasing services to reduce air pollution and vehicle miles traveled , particularly along the SH 82 corridor. In 1994 the Roaring Fork Railroad Holding Authority (RFRHA)

600-726: A grid system, numbered based on the hundred blocks of the street grid. For instance, the new Colorado Blvd (4000 east block) route was number 40, and the new 10th Avenue (1000 north block) route was number 10. RTD reached a record number of weekday passengers in 1980, the same year it expanded the Park-n-Ride system and acquired 216 new buses, 89 of which were articulated . RTD also made its service more accessible to elderly and handicapped people. State law required privatization of 20% of bus lines in 1989, with this quota increased to 35% in 2002. In September 1994 Downtown Express/High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes were opened to buses, and to carpools

675-415: A private car, recognising the chief competitor to the transit bus in many markets. As they are used in a public transport role, transit buses can be operated by publicly run transit authorities or municipal bus companies , as well as private transport companies on a public contract or fully independent basis. Due to the local authority use, transit buses are often built to a third-party specification put to

750-727: A project, known as the T-REX , which involved reconstruction of I-25 between Broadway and Lincoln Avenue in Lone Tree , and I-225 between I-25 and Parker Road in Aurora , with widening of the road to five lanes and light rail being built. The highway project was completed on August 22, 2006. The light rail line, known as the Southeast Corridor, opened shortly after 11 a.m. on November 17, 2006. The line covers 19.1 miles (30.7 km) and includes thirteen new stations, with parking available at all but

825-550: A railroad right-of-way from Colfax Avenue down to the intersection of I-25 and Broadway. This line was built without the aid of tax increases or federal funds; however, extensions have been funded by the Federal Transit Administration and new tax measures. This line was built from 30th/Downing as the northern terminus to I-25/Broadway as the southern terminus. After the success of the Central Corridor,

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900-488: A regional as well as operational basis; however, with the advent of global manufacturing, all of these types can be seen in the same location or country. Depending on local policies, transit buses will also usually have two, three or (for articulated) four doors to facilitate rapid boarding and alighting. In cases of low-demand routes, or to navigate small local streets, some models of minibus and small midibuses have also been used as transit type buses. The development of

975-571: A selection of 'dual-purpose' fitted buses, that is standard transit buses fitted with coach-type seating, for longer-distance routes. Sometimes transit buses may also be used as express buses on a limited-stopping or non-stop service at peak times, but over the same distance as the regular route. Fare payment is done via: and is done upon: Depending on payment systems in different municipalities, there are widely different rules with regard to which door, front or rear, one must use when boarding/exiting. For rear doors, most buses have doors opened by

1050-457: A series of issues related to having to adjust the length of unpowered gaps between different overhead power sections, direct lightning strikes, snagging wires, and crossing signals behaving unexpectedly. In response, Denver Transit Partners, the contractor building and operating the A Line, stationed crossing guards at each place where the A line crosses local streets at grade while it continued to explore software revisions and other fixes to address

1125-447: A service area of 2,342 square miles (6,070 km ). It currently runs 86 local, 23 regional, 14 limited, and 3 skyRide bus routes plus some special services. It also includes 6 light rail lines and an additional 4 commuter rail lines with 77 stations and 113.1 miles (182.0 km) of track. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 65,021,500, or about 238,500 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. It employed 2,888 people. It had

1200-417: A vehicle that provides general or special service to the public on a regular and continuing basis consistent with 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53." Another US agency further distinguishes a transit bus from those used in intercity travel, and called motorcoaches. "A bus is a motor vehicle designed, constructed and/or used to transport passengers. A motorcoach is a bus designed with an elevated passenger deck located over

1275-406: A year later. In 1979 federal approval was granted for the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver, originally known as Transitway. The project allowed express bus productivity to double and was eventually intersected by RTD's first light rail line, the D Line , at Stout and California streets. Construction began in 1980. RTD's Market Street Station closed on May 11 and 12, 2014 and was replaced by

1350-405: Is a type of bus used in public transport bus services . Several configurations are used, including low-floor buses , high-floor buses , double-decker buses , articulated buses and midibuses . These are distinct from all-seated coaches used for intercity travel and smaller minibuses , for more flexible services. The US Federal Transit Administration offers some definitions of terms for

1425-482: Is free within and between Aspen, Snowmass Village, and Woody Creek. No-fare service is also offered on the Carbondale Circulator and Ride Glenwood. RFTA has received numerous awards for its service: Regional Transportation District The Regional Transportation District , more commonly referred to as RTD , is the regional agency operating public transit services in eight out of the twelve counties in

1500-458: Is limited to three such children per adult passenger. RTD also offers daily passes: Local ($ 5.50) and Regional/Airport ($ 10) which allow unlimited travel at the chosen fare level until 2:59 a.m. the day following the purchase. The fare system was last updated in January 2024, after conducting a fare study from April 2022 to July 2023. Users mentioned that fares were expensive to begin with, and

1575-493: Is responsible for enforcing fares and security. The light rail lines (D, E, L, R, and W) do not require such a member, and fares are enforced through random inspection. In 2006/2007, RTD worked with the city of Boulder, the University of Colorado, and real-time bus-tracking outfit NextBus on a GPS-based system to help riders with bus arrival information at selected high-traffic stops, but the experiment proved to be unreliable and

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1650-481: Is the area where tickets are purchased and passenger services can be found. Additionally, all stations include works of public art as part of RTD's art-n-Transit program. These works include independent works or as pieces incorporated into the canopies, columns, pavers, windscreens, fencing and landscaping present at all stations. A number of rail stations in the RTD system, as well as a number of bus stops located away from

1725-488: The B Line , officially opened on July 25, 2016. As one of the first new commuter rail systems in the country planned after enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 , positive train control (PTC) and vehicle monitoring system technologies are implemented along the system's commuter train lines. After the A Line opened between Denver Union Station and Denver International Airport , it experienced

1800-554: The Colorado Convention Center . In April 2006 transit workers of the Amalgamated Transit Union went on strike for the first time in 24 years, citing increased health care costs, mandatory overtime, and disproportionate wage increases relative to upper management. Workers walked off on April 3, shutting down the light rail system and decreasing bus service to about 45% of its normal capacity. A revised contract

1875-542: The Colorado General Assembly created the RTD to provide public transportation to five additional counties in the metropolitan area. In October 1970, RTD established a Northern Operations Group (NOG) to provide service to Boulder and Longmont . Denver Tramway Company continued its service under sponsorship of the City and County of Denver until 1971, when it was taken over by Denver Metro Transit, an entity created by

1950-483: The Denver–Aurora combined statistical area in the U.S. state of Colorado . It operates over a 2,342-square-mile (6,070 km ) area, serving 3.08 million people. RTD was organized in 1969 and is governed by a 15-member, publicly elected Board of Directors. Directors are elected to a four-year term and represent a specific district of about 180,000 constituents. RTD currently operates a bus and rail system that has

2025-755: The Louisiana/Pearl station. The West Rail Line opened on April 26, 2013. It was the first completed rail line of the RTD FasTracks Project. The 12.1 miles (19.5 km) of light rail run between Denver Union Station and Jefferson County Government/Golden Station, adding 11 new stations, 6 park-n-rides, and 3 new call-n-rides. FasTracks is a major project underway to expand the Denver metro area's light rail and bus service and to add commuter rail service. A 2004 referendum approved tax increases to support FasTracks. As of December 2020, completed sections include

2100-580: The SH 82 corridor to El Jebel. In 1983 the Roaring Fork Transit Agency (RFTA) was formed by merging the two systems, funded by a 1¢ sales tax. Service was extended to Carbondale in 1989. From 1984 to 1989, yearly ridership increased 36% from 1.4 million to 1.8 million. Between 1990 and 1995, RFTA experienced incredible growth of 85% from 1.9 million to 3.5 million annual rides. Ridership increases were contributed to service extension to Glenwood Springs,

2175-732: The University of Colorado A Line to Denver International Airport (formerly East Line, commuter rail, 2016), the R Line from Peoria Station in Aurora to Lone Tree Station (formerly I-225 Line, light rail, 2017), the G Line to Arvada (formerly Gold Line, commuter rail, 2019), the N Line to Thornton (formerly North Metro Line, commuter rail, 2020) and the E Line , F Line , and R Line extensions (Southeast Extension, light rail, 2019). Transit bus A transit bus (also big bus , commuter bus , city bus , town bus , urban bus , stage bus , public bus , public transit bus , or simply bus )

2250-459: The W Line to Golden (formerly West Line, light rail, opened 2013), the US 36 Bus Rapid Transit lanes and service to Boulder (Flatiron Flyer, 2016), the redevelopment of Union Station and surrounding area as a transportation hub and transit-oriented development (2014), the free MetroRide downtown circulator (bus, 2014), a segment of the B Line to Westminster (formerly Northwest Line, commuter rail, 2016),

2325-473: The Wright StreetCar , often as part of bus rapid transit schemes. Fare collection is also seeing a shift to off-bus payment, with either the driver or an inspector verifying fare payments. A commuter or express bus service is a fixed-route bus characterized by service predominantly in one direction during peak periods, limited stops, use of multi-ride tickets and routes of extended length, usually between

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2400-663: The midibus has also given many operators a low-cost way of operating a transit bus service, with some midibuses such as the Plaxton SPD Super Pointer Dart resembling full size transit type vehicles. Due to their public transport role, transit buses were the first type of bus to benefit from low-floor technology, in response to a demand for equal access public service provision. Transit buses are also now subject to various disability discrimination acts in several jurisdictions which dictate various design features also applied to other vehicles in some cases. Due to

2475-410: The A Line crossing issues. On April 26, 2019, the G Line opened to the public. On January 28, 2019, an R Line light rail train derailed the junction of East Exposition Avenue and South Sable Boulevard (between Aurora Metro Center and Florida stations) due to excessive speed. The curve has a speed limit of 10 mph (16 km/h) but the train approached at 38 mph (61 km/h). One woman's foot

2550-531: The Aspen Branch on October 27, 1887. Denver and Rio Grande's competitor, Colorado Midland Railway , reached Aspen the same year, and completed their connection downvalley to Glenwood Springs on December 9, 1887. The Colorado Midland Railway's route was later converted to Colorado State Highway 82 (SH 82). In 1890, Aspen's economy boomed after the passing of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act , becoming

2625-595: The Aspen City Railway never converted to electric streetcars as was common during that time. RFTA's origins dates back to the mid-1970s when the City of Aspen and Piktin County implemented separate free transit services for the area, Aspen Free Shuttle and Pitkin County Bus , respectively. Aspen Free Shuttle operated fixed routes within the city and to Aspen Skiing Company mountains, while Pitkin County bus operated on

2700-524: The Central Platte Valley (CPV) spur opened. It is a 1.8-mile (2.9 km) branch with four stations that provides light rail access to numerous venues, including the Auraria Campus , Broncos Stadium at Mile High , Ball Arena , Elitch Gardens , Union Station and Coors Field . This project built light rail lines from 10th/Osage to Union Station. In November 1999, Denver area voters approved

2775-446: The City and County of Denver. Suburban services only continued for those suburbs willing to contribute a subsidy. It acquired privately owned companies, improved service frequency, and expanded to routes that commercial carriers previously operated such as airport buses. By 1972, RTD had created a plan for a personal rapid transit (PRT) system in the area, which included 98 miles (158 km) of PRT and extensive bus service throughout

2850-565: The EcoPass, through colleges as the CollegePass, and to the general public as the MyRide Stored Value card. MyRide users receive a discount on fares. RTD enforces transit code and fares with its own transit police, as well as via contracts with local police departments and Allied Universal Security Service. The A, B, G, and N commuter lines require a crew member on each run. This member

2925-637: The Grand Hogback route. Service was temporarily extended to Parachute during a 95-day replacement of the Grand Avenue bridge in Glenwood Springs from August 14 to November 22, 2017. It's estimated that the free service resulted in an additional 300,000 annual rides during 2017. The Town of Parachute began negotiations with RFTA to extend service there, but was shelved for being too expensive. In September 2020, Parachute Area Transit System (PATS) began service to Battlement Mesa and Rifle, connecting with RFTA at

3000-606: The HOV lanes into high-occupancy toll lanes . This allows single-occupancy vehicles to pay a toll to use them. It was built to increase the overall usage and efficiency of the highway's HOV lanes. The project was completed on June 2, 2006. The Central Corridor, a 5.3-mile (8.5 km) light rail line, opened in October 1994. It was built along Welton Street, through the Five Points district along Stout Street and California Street, and following

3075-680: The RTD light rail fleet had 172 light rail vehicles, serving 58.5 miles (94.1 km) of track and 54 stations. For RTD's new commuter rail system, it uses Silverliner Vs . RTD's Current Rail Fleet for Light Rail & Commuter Rail: The RTD fare structure is based on a zone system for rail and a service level system for bus. Since the start of 2024, local/limited bus routes or a trip on rail costs $ 2.75, and travel on bus or rail to Denver International Airport costs $ 10. Seniors, students, people with disabilities, and Medicare recipients are eligible for reduced fares. Children below age 6 ride free when accompanied by an adult with proper fare; this offer

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3150-683: The Roaring Fork Valley from Glenwood Springs to Aspen since September 3, 2013. VelociRFTA is thought to be the first ever rural Bus Rapid Transit system in the U.S. Ridership immediately rose 27.6% year over year with the new system. These buses operate on CNG from the Glenwood Springs facility. The name is a pun on Velociraptor and the logo is a green Velociraptor . To promote the new service, RFTA placed giant concrete and foam eggs at selected bus stops, and cast dinosaur footprints in nearby sidewalks. Hwy 82 and I-70 Regional Services: City of Aspen, Snowmass Village, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs Routes: RFTA uses fare zones to determine fares based on

3225-576: The Roaring Fork Valley, creating the state's first Rural Transportation Agency and taking over the responsibilities of the Roaring Fork Transit Agency. As a result of the vote, RFRHA merged with the RFTA in 2001. In 2004 the Town of New Castle voted to become the newest member of RFTA. Rifle and Silt , west of New Castle along the I-70 / US 6 corridor, are not members but still receive RFTA service on

3300-710: The Southwest Corridor light rail route opened in July 2000. An 8.7-mile (14.0 km) light rail line, the route runs from the terminus of the Central Corridor at I-25 & Broadway to Mineral Avenue in Littleton with five existing stations. The line has been popular, and the Park-n-Ride lots at its stations often experience parking shortages. This project built a light rail line from I-25/Broadway south to Littleton/Mineral alongside existing freight tracks used by BNSF and Union Pacific next to Santa Fe Drive. In April 2002,

3375-634: The VelociRFTA bus rapid transit line. On December 3, 2019, eight battery electric buses were placed into service on City of Aspen routes at the cost of $ 9.2 million. It is the beginning of an initiative to convert 30% of RFTA's bus fleet to electric over the next 20 years. CNG buses operate out of the Glenwood Springs Maintenance Facility and battery electric buses operate out of the Aspen Maintenance Facility. Beginning in

3450-530: The areas served by RTD. Later that year, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) selected RTD to develop PRT as a demonstration project. In 1973, residents voted for a sales tax of 0.5% over the six counties served by RTD for ten years; 20% of the funds would be used for expanded bus services and the other 80% was earmarked for PRT construction, although that project was later scrapped. The tax became effective January 1, 1974 and

3525-510: The door steps to not trip and fall. Unlocked or open doors, will trigger a brake locking mechanism on the bus to prevent it from moving while someone could possibly be entering or exiting the bus, when the door is closed, the lock will release, this is mostly implemented on rear doors, not really on front doors, since the driver will be paying attention to the front door. Transit buses can be single-decker , double-decker , rigid or articulated . Selection of type has traditionally been made on

3600-470: The driver controls or patron (with touch-to-open, motion sensor or push bars). Most doors on buses use air-assist technology, the driver controlled doors, use air pressure to force them open, patron-operated doors, can push them open, however, the doors are heavy, so the touch-to-open or push bar mechanism, sends pressurized air to open the doors. Most doors will signify that they are unlocked and open with lights, this gives guide to those who are going up or down

3675-521: The eight-county district. Bus service in Denver dates back to 1924, when Denver Tramway began the first bus between Englewood and Fort Logan . Buses had completely replaced the previously expansive streetcar system in metro Denver by 1950, and the privately owned Denver Tramway served the City and County of Denver , as well as older portions of Arvada , Aurora , Englewood , Golden , Lakewood , Westminster , and Wheat Ridge and smaller suburbs. In 1969,

3750-673: The first transit authority to integrate its public transport services into the Uber app, enabling Uber riders in Denver to select a new ‘Transit’ option within the app, powered by Moovit Transit APIs. Uber Transit users can plan their journey with real-time information and step-by-step directions. Included in this is the ability to purchase transit mobile tickets directly in the app, powered by Masabi's Justride mobile ticketing SDK. This project added HOV lanes to I-25 north of downtown Denver. It also added several dedicated slip ramps for RTD buses to access several Park-n-Ride stations directly from

3825-523: The fleet comprised only 11 Siemens SD-100 rail cars. The 8.7-mile (14.0 km) Southwest Corridor light rail extension to Mineral Avenue in Littleton opened in July 2000, followed by the 1.8-mile (2.9 km) Central Platte Valley spur to Denver Union Station in April 2002. In 2003, the downtown portion of the original line between Speer Boulevard and 14th Street was realigned as a result of construction of

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3900-456: The free MetroRide and other routes. MCI and Neoplan vehicles are used as express buses and regional buses, including service to Denver International Airport branded as SkyRide. In 2016, RTD began receiving delivery of 36 BYD K10MR all-electric buses to be used on the 16th Street Mall , replacing the older locally built TransTeq EcoMark buses in use since 2001. Siemens SD-100 and SD-160 are used as light rail vehicles. As of May 2015 ,

3975-478: The high number of high-profile urban operations, transit buses are at the forefront of bus electrification, with hybrid electric bus , all-electric bus and fuel cell bus development and testing aimed at reducing fuel usage, shift to green electricity and decreasing environmental impact . Developments of the transit bus towards higher capacity bus transport include tram-like vehicles such as guided buses , longer bi-articulated buses and tram-like buses such as

4050-592: The highway. At the south end of the HOV lanes, buses had direct routes into Union Station or Market Street Station. The HOV lanes extended from I-25 to US 36 , allowing regional and express routes running along US 36 to downtown Denver to bypass congestion around the Turnpike Tangle. This project was completed in September 1994. In 2006, the Downtown Express was renovated to include a toll lane, thereby converting

4125-503: The largest silver producer in the United States. In June, the Aspen City Railway opened a 1.2 mi (1.9 km) narrow gauge horsecar line that zigzagged through the city. The system was the smallest in the state, owning only two cars and five horses. The repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1983, Aspen's economy collapsed, and it is assumed operations were abandoned sometime afterwards. Due to early abandonment,

4200-579: The late 1970s, RFTA's predecessors were one of the first transit agencies in the United States to allow buses to carry bikes using custom built bike racks . All buses are equipped with bike racks from mid-spring to late-fall. Racks on most buses are capable of hauling four bikes at a time, although racks on VelociRFTA buses are only capable of carrying two bikes. During winter ski season, the bike racks are removed and replaced with ski racks. Bikes are not allowed on buses after nightfall due to driver visibility issues. RFTA's system offers express service throughout

4275-604: The latter. While RFTA does not operate the service, they assisted in developing routes, fares, and schedules. As of June 2020, RFTA operates a fleet of 106 transit buses and 10 cutaway vans , nine of which are used for paratransit service. All buses are fully accessible and use alternative fuels to enhance environmental sustainability in the Valley. All diesel buses use biodiesel and all gasoline-powered cutaway and service vehicles use ethanol. Twenty-two compressed natural gas (CNG) buses with free on-board Wi-Fi were introduced with

4350-405: The length of a trip. Ticket vending machines at all 9 bus rapid transit stations Stored value cards , seasonal and 30 day zone passes are available from ticket vending machines at all 9 VelociRFTA stations and select retail outlets and offer a 26% discount. Discount fares are also available for veterans and persons with disabilities. Children under 5 and seniors 65 and over ride for free. Service

4425-833: The manufacturer by the authority. Early examples of such specification include the Greater Manchester Leyland Atlantean , and DMS-class London Daimler Fleetline . New transit buses may be purchased each time a route/area is contracted, such as in the London Buses tendering system. The operating area of a transit bus may also be defined as a geographic metropolitan area, with the buses used outside of this area being more varied with buses purchased with other factors in mind. Some regional-size operators for capital cost reasons may use transit buses interchangeably on short urban routes as well as longer rural routes, sometimes up to 2 or 3 hours. Often transit bus operators have

4500-466: The newer Union Station. The Free MetroRide service began along 18th and 19th streets between Union Station and Civic Center Station. RTD began planning for a light rail in the mid-1980s, after the successful opening of the San Diego Trolley in 1981 and amid a surge in light rail construction in mid-sized cities nationwide ( Buffalo , Portland , Sacramento , and San Jose also built systems at

4575-522: The privately owned Denver-Boulder Bus Company, which ran airport buses. RTD expanded and improved service frequency in the mid-1970s, and its services were expanded to routes that commercial carriers previously operated, although inflation prompted RTD to implement a new fare structure in February 1978. On September 5, 1978, RTD completely replaced all bus routes, formerly mostly radials from downtown Denver following old streetcar routes, with new routes based on

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4650-455: The same time). RTD's first line, the 5.3-mile (8.5 km) Central Corridor between the 30th & Downing and the I-25 & Broadway stations (now part of the D Line and L Line ) opened on Friday, October 7, 1994. It operated with free service for that first weekend, with revenue service starting on October 10. More than 200,000 passengers rode the new system during its opening weekend, when

4725-508: The ten lines in the RTD Rail system. RTD has adopted specific design standards that are incorporated into its station design, with a specific emphasis on the platform, its transition plaza and the multi-modal access provided at the facility. Platforms are designed to accommodate three or four car Light Rail trains in addition to two-car or four-car Commuter Rail trains and may be in either a side , island or side center style. The transition plaza

4800-519: The three major bus stations in the RTD system, only one—Union Station—is also served directly by light rail trains. None of the three major bus stations is a Park 'n' Ride facility. Civic Center Station is connected to Union Station via the Free MallRide and Free MetroRide shuttle services. Many of the Light Rail and Commuter Rail stations have gates for various bus services. There are 77 stations on

4875-554: The three major bus stations, are attached to dedicated RTD parking facilities. These are the Park-n-Ride locations. There are 92 RTD Park-n-Ride facilities with an aggregate total of more than 30,000 parking spaces. Gillig Low Floor buses make up most of the fleet, replacing the Orion V and Gillig Phantom buses that made up most of the fleet until the late 2000s. In 2014, RTD began to receive New Flyer Xcelsior low floor buses for

4950-793: The train approaching the turn at high speed, although as of September 29, 2022 , no cause has been officially released. The primary RTD services are scheduled bus and rail routes. Most bus routes are divided into Local and Regional service levels. Rail services are divided into two fare zones: local and airport. Local and regional service is within the local zone. The airport zone applies for bus or rail travel into and out of Denver International Airport . The current commuter rail lines are: The current light rail lines are: Special bus services are offered for various purposes. Major bus stations provide termini for express and regional routes. Many local and limited routes stop near these stations, making transfers between routes relatively easy. Of

5025-425: The underlying issues. The Federal Railroad Administration allowed RTD to open its B Line as originally scheduled on July 25, 2016, because the B Line only has one at-grade crossing along its current route that is not designated to be a quiet zone. However, FRA previously halted testing on the longer G Line to Wheat Ridge – originally scheduled to open in late 2016 – until more progress could be shown resolving

5100-470: The windows). In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires space for passengers using a wheelchair, and requires easy access of the wheelchair onto the bus. The passenger information systems inside the bus came about both because of digital technology and to meet accessibility requirements. Some industry members and commentators promote the idea of making the interior of a transit bus as inviting as

5175-399: The zone system made understanding fares complicated. The changes resulted in a simplification of the fare structure of the system, as well as lower costs. Prior to this update, the rail system was divided into local, regional, and airport zones, costing $ 3.00, $ 5.25, and $ 10.50 respectively. A fare card program, in development for over four years by Xerox , is available through employers as

5250-410: Was amputated by the train wheels after she was ejected from the car during the accident, eight other passengers were also injured. Although determined responsible for the accident, no charges were filed against the driver. On September 21, 2022, another derailment occurred at the same location. Three people were taken to hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening. Video showed

5325-516: Was approved by the union on April 7, and service resumed on April 10. The strike lasted seven days, and although thousands of commuters were stranded by the strike, only a few backups were reported as customers made makeshift arrangements for commuting or waited out the strike. The 19-mile (31 km) Southeast Corridor, a component of the Transportation Expansion Project , opened on November 17, 2006, along I-25 to Lone Tree and

5400-479: Was created as a public entity to purchase the former Denver and Rio Grande Aspen Branch between Glenwood Springs and Woody Creek. The corridor was purchased in 1996 at a cost of $ 8.5 million. The corridor was converted to a rail trail and railbanked for a future mass transit line to reduce congestion on SH 82. In 2000, the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority was created by seven members in

5475-574: Was discontinued. Several years later, RTD started making its bus location and route data available to third-party developers. Google Maps (website and mobile apps) started offering real-time bus information, as did various other mobile app developers with free or paid apps, such as the Transit app. In March 2017, RTD rolled out a new web-based tracking system, optimized for mobile devices, called Next Ride to track buses and light rail, predict arrivals, show nearby stops and routes. In February 2019, RTD became

5550-647: Was raised to 0.6% on May 1, 1983. On January 1, 2005 the tax rate increased to 1.0%. In 1974, RTD acquired and consolidated the local bus systems. Denver Metro Transit became part of RTD in July 1974. RTD acquired the bus system in Boulder from the Public Service Company of Colorado . Other RTD acquisitions included Evergreen Transit, Longmont Mini, the Englewood-Littleton-Ft. Logan service, Public Service and Northglenn Suburban Service. RTD also acquired

5625-428: Was suspended on September 20, 2020 and the C Line was suspended on January 10, 2021, with both routes being permanently discontinued in early 2023. With the voter approval of FasTracks in 2004, RTD began planning for a series of commuter rail lines. The first 23.5 miles (37.82 km) of which, the A Line servicing Denver International Airport , opened on April 22, 2016. The second, the first 6.2 mile segment of

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