DENVER | Transportation Thread

[TakeFive]

There are multiple benefits from creating the RTD-PD

Here's one we often overlook:

For women, jumping on the train to get from point A to point B isn’t as simple as knowing which station to hop off at. It involves doing a careful risk assessment of how to avoid a ride that will leave you traumatized. ... (For example) Where’s the best place to sit to avoid any creepers who may be on the train?

While not every transit ride is eventful, verbal harassment, 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 assault and general feelings of uneasiness due to other riders’ behaviors happen regularly enough for many women to have mixed feelings about their transit systems.

iStock photo

In Los Angeles, a 2022 report by LA Metro has revealed a drop in the number of women using its buses and trains, with almost 50% of those surveyed citing crime, 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 harassment and safety as their primary concerns.

iStock photo

"Never let a good tragedy go to waste"

The recent killing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte played right into the hands of the right.

While it may be a good thing to 'love' those who are homeless or those who are less fortunate; it's also important to understand that not all will 'love you back.'

While it's hard to measure the results from feeling secure on the bus/train they're real - especially for women.

[mhays]

Actually, over half of US transit commuters in 2024 were women per that year's ACS. It was 3.9% of women vs. 3.5% for men.

Using metro areas, Denver was tilted toward women at 2.2% vs. 2.0%. LA was even more stark at 3.8% vs. 3.2%.

Tech cities were exceptions, probably because tech is heavily male. Seattle was at 5.9% for women but 6.5% for men. San Jose (which they break off from San Francisco) was 2.5% and 3.0%. On the flip side, the main MSA of greater San Francisco was 11.3% women and 10.6% men.

I can only guess about reasons for the extra women riding transit. Maybe it's some combo of incomes, pragmatism, the centralization/decentralization of certain industries, bicycling's much larger tilt toward men, the way certain types of people tie their wheel size to their self worth, all offset by more women working at home (20.1% vs. 17.7%, meaning actual "jobs")...?

[TakeFive]

Props to Seattle?

The Bad News: 10,000 fewer Amazon employees are working in Seattle (from 2020)
The Good News: 50,000 Amazon employees are still working in Seattle

Take Your Pick

They're celebrating in Seattle. Reportedly 20% of households in Seattle do not own a car. (2023)

About 18.3% of occupied housing units in the Denver metro area had no vehicles available (2023)
Although a different source asserts in Denver ~ 9% of households do not own a car

AI Overview

In the last few years, transit use for commuting to Central Seattle has fluctuated, but the Commute Seattle's 2024 survey reported that 25% of all workers commuted using public transportation in April 2025,

Denver transit commute percentages are irrelevant for a few reasons. Nobody's working downtown; large disruptions of service for renovation work. But moving forward there are reasons to be optimistic.

Thanks for the Info - that is interesting

Originally Posted by mhays

Actually, over half of US transit commuters in 2024 were women per that year's ACS. It was 3.9% of women vs. 3.5% for men.

[mhays]

The 2024 ACS says 10.6% of occupied housing units in Denver (city of) didn't have cars. Seattle was 19.8%.

The 2023 ACS is had Denver at 11.8% and Seattle at 20.3%. This might be statistical flutter, as ACS numbers go up and down like that. Or maybe some people bought cars when they had to return to work. I'd guess a mix of factors.

It means there's an unmet market for housing without parking in Denver. It's great that the rules have changed.

PS, the Amazon reductions sound like the shift to Bellevue, which is the biggest winner in the "HQ2" competition.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mhays

This might be statistical flutter, as ACS numbers go up and down like that. Or maybe some people bought cars when they had to return to work. I'd guess a mix of factors.

It's a 'survey,' not hard data. But "it's good enough for Government work." It's a reasonable guestimate and better than nothing - but it's still a survey.

Originally Posted by mhays

PS, the Amazon reductions sound like the shift to Bellevue, which is the biggest winner in the "HQ2" competition.

Bellevue was a part of the drop.

HQ2 ended up being a misnomer but Arlington, Nashville and NYC are all seeing a growing Amazon office presence.

[TakeFive]

All the way from Seattle to Aurora

Aurora's Nine Mile Bridge moves forward after years of delays: "I am so ready for this to be constructed"
September 8, 2025 By Tori Mason -- CBS Colorado

After years of delays, redesigns and funding challenges, Aurora's long-awaited Nine Mile Bridge is moving forward. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge, first envisioned more
than a decade ago, will span Parker Road just west of I-225, creating a safer and more direct link between the RTD Nine Mile Station and surrounding areas.

Photo shows light rail station and adjacent 1,225 space parking garage often at capacity pre-pandemic.


Courtesy CBS

The Nine Mile Station is among RTD's busiest, with pre-pandemic ridership topping 5,000 passengers a day. The surrounding area is also one of the most heavily trafficked in the Denver metro region.

All the bids in 2022 came in too high so they had to redesign the bridge from one with arches to more of a 'plain Jane' but it will do the job.




Images per Engage Aurora

Integrated Design Enhancements

Seattle-based designer/infrastructure specialist Vicki Scuri was selected through the city’s community-based selection process, managed by AIPP, to create integrated design enhancements for the bridge.

The entire bridge project was paused, and when it was reactivated, Scuri honored that original contextual design process by integrating the original concepts into the context of the new bridge structure.

What's totally cool is that if you take your bike across this bridge to where the light rail station is, there's also an underpass that goes under I-225 and you end up at the Cherry Creek Reservoir

Cherry Creek State Park


Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel

Almost any day, the park's 35 miles of multiuse trails, including 15 miles of paved trails, are abuzz with walkers, hikers, bikers, and families on outings. In winter, there might be snowshoers or cross-country skiers. The cool waters of Cherry Creek Reservoir attract water skiers, anglers and boaters of all kinds.

Cherry Creek Reservoir provided my exercise for a number of years. Also, there was nothing wrong with the beach bodies that would enjoy the reservoir.

[TakeFive]

Cirrus should be a Happy Camper



Metro's budget outlook improves...
September 26, 2025 by Tom Roussey -- ABC7 News

WASHINGTON (7News) — Metro’s budget outlook for next year looks better than it has in years, but the transit agency warns that it still needs big help to keep the system running well long-term.

At a board of directors meeting... board members heard a lot of good news about Metro’s budget for next year:

• Ridership is growing faster than expected, and therefore, revenue from riders is higher than expected.
• Metro has found a number of ways to save money: one example is the return to automation on all lines, which Metro leaders say is very efficient.
• Changes in bus schedules have saved money.

Metro says the money savings are enough that the transit agency believes it can add some rail and bus service next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2026.

They talk about the importance of 'capital' spending. Some additional investments can make the system even more efficient while ongoing maintenance helps to maintain their efficiency.

“From my point of view, we have to make sure we distinguish between the operating budget and the capital budget,” said Metro General Manager Randy Clarke... “On the operating side, we are cautiously optimistic that we have some pretty good runway to manage that budget correctly, but that is very much contingent on running the capital budget well.”

“We are way behind on things like a new signaling system,” Clarke said to 7News. “You’ve covered it before where we have signaling delays, and that’s probably the most frustrating thing for Metro train riders."

They're starting to think ahead, more long term.

Despite the budget looking good in the short term, Metro leaders say long-term... (that) without increased and more reliable funding, they will lack enough money to keep the system in good working order in the future.

I like this part:

A group called DMVMoves began meeting last year to try to come up with higher and more reliable funding for Metro’s capital needs in the future.

Historically they have generally had friendly bipartisan ears in Congress because simply it's about D.C. transportation. Looking ahead it's harder to predict how reliable that may be such that some form of dedicated funding would be quite wise.

[TakeFive]

The Governor had a hissy fit; the RTD Board acquiesced

A few years later and a few hundred thousand $'s poorer the results are in.

RTD requests $1.6 billion in additional funding for rail expansion project
Sep 29, 2025 By Jared Dean -- KDVR

DENVER (KDVR) — Over 20 years ago, voters approved RTD’s expansion program... “We have a lot of challenges in terms of completing the program in a shorter period of time. And I know everybody’s anxious about it, but we really do need other sources of revenue in order for us to kind of be able to complete it in a reasonable amount of time,” senior manager for transit-oriented communities for RTD Bill Sirois said.

Earlier this year, Colorado lawmakers passed the Transit Reform Law. A law aimed at holding RTD accountable and it requires RTD to report necessary funding increases.

FOX31 reached out to the governor’s office, which provided a statement.

“This is exactly why we are working with RTD on joint operating authority to substantially complete the promise of northwest rail 30 years earlier at a lower cost. We are working hard to find a mutually beneficial path forward, we hope that we make good on the commitment to voters when presented with that path.”

[TakeFive]

RTD announces weeklong closure of southbound Kalamath between Speer, Colfax
Oct 14, 2025 By Heather Willard -- KDVR

DENVER (KDVR) — The Regional Transportation District’s far-reaching light rail track reconstruction project is hitting downtown Denver once more this week for planned work. The closure is slated to last through Sunday, Oct. 26.

So this specific project should be done but there's a more important point.

Kalamath work part of $152M reconstruction project

The work being done on Kalamath Street is part of a full-depth reconstruction that includes the removal of all the current track infrastructure, concrete, rail, ties and ballast. The 86-day period of work began on Sept. 15 and is scheduled to be completed on Nov. 27.

The Kalamath Street crossing is part of phase 3 in the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, which aims to upgrade RTD’s oldest light rail infrastructure in a $152 million project. The initial phase of the project took place in 2024, with crews reconstructing five intersections in downtown Denver.

And that's still not the end of the story.

In 2026, RTD plans to work on the Colfax Avenue alignment reconstruction, Downtown Loop midblock sections, and Welton Street corridor improvements.

One more point:

This is totally separate from all of the work done last year primarily in the SE Corridor for maintenance and/or replacement as needed.

[TakeFive]

The decision is in

Originally Posted by wong21fr

TLDR: RTD discovered just how much refitting it's maintenance facilities to support EV buses would cost and had to punt doing so down the line. Also, given the increased load on the distribution system, Xcel needs to do a transmission substation addition which will takes several years.

Colorado's RTD wants to borrow $539M for diesel buses, delay electric transition
October 9, 2025 By Alan Gionet -- CBS Colorado

Management for the Regional Transportation District is looking for the board to sign off on $539 million in loans to replace the transit agency's aging fleet, CBS Colorado has learned. The information came out in internal documents looking to the future of the transit agency.

What are we looking to purchase?

RTD is looking at purchasing "clean diesel" buses to replace most of the agency's 995 buses. Thirty-six are currently electric, in use on 16th Street.

Got people talking, scratching their heads.

The move has transportation advocates asking about both funding and goals. James Flattum, co-founder of Greater Denver Transit, an advocacy organization, notes that traditionally, debt is used for things like new facilities or new tracks.

"So it's really unusual for us. We are not aware in RTD's history of massive amounts of debt at this level being used just to be used for the very regular, predictable expense of replacing buses," said Flattum.

He wonders why Denver appears not to be pursuing federal grants.

The questions & concern are reasonable but they keep saying grant money for 2025 has been available. Just a guess that it's too late to order for 2025.

I'll assume this is about a worst case scenario so that RTD knows they have the capacity to borrow and buy. Of course they'll apply for any available federal grant money.

RTD also references not having the capacity/ability to accommodate all-electric.

RTD's three large bus facilities are not currently set up to charge. Storage of electric buses could be an issue. "Current facilities need significant upgrades to safely store battery-electric vehicles," said RTD. Greater Denver Transit points out that garage facilities need upgrades even to deal with diesel or hybrid buses

Buses ordered so far for the Colfax BRT project are "clean diesel." RTD said, "Federal support for the East Colfax BRT project was not predicated on buying electric buses."

[mishko27]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

The Governor had a hissy fit; the RTD Board acquiesced

A few years later and a few hundred thousand $'s poorer the results are in.

RTD requests $1.6 billion in additional funding for rail expansion project
Sep 29, 2025 By Jared Dean -- KDVR








FOX31 reached out to the governor’s office, which provided a statement.

I am so extremely okay with that. Building the R/W/G/N/B/A for $5.5B was extremely cost efficient - no other city in North American has built this much infrastructure for that cheap. Arguably, there are substantial upgrades to be made down the line (grade separation for all the commuter rail lines so they can be transformed into automated light metro, for example), but again, they laid 100+ miles of track down for CHEAP.

B Line was out of their control, BNSF hiked the price of that ROW significantly after the project was approved by the tax payers. Throwing some money at RTD so it can be completed ASAP works for me. If anything, I would triple that so they can build a downtown tunnel to take the heavy rail south, convert the C/D lines into heavy rail and make it part of the Front Range Rail corridor.

[TakeFive]

A whole lot of Hyperventilating going on

Is it real or not real?
Hard to say at this point.

Cutting Federal Transit Funding Won’t Fix Budget Shortfalls. But It Would Make Transportation Less Affordable for Americans
November 18, 2025 By Yonah Freemark -- Urban Wire

In recent days, the Trump administration has made its preferences known. The administration’s proposal to address the growing gap between HTF revenues and federal spending is to reduce spending on public transportation and shift toward a “user pays” system, in which car and truck users pay the costs of the investment. Specifically, the administration is reportedly proposing two major changes:

• Eliminate the HTF’s mass transit account, which distributes about $15 billion annually to transit agencies for operations and capital needs.
• Prevent states from “flexing” federal highway funds for transit, which some states, such as Pennsylvania, do to assist their transit agencies.

These changes, which must be approved by Congress, would slash transit agencies’ budgets, cutting funding by 15 to 20 percent overall according to my analysis, leading to reduced services, delay of urgently needed repairs and improvements....

This proposal has been 'out there' for awhile.

There's always lots of confusion around the HTF (Highway Trust Fund). All you need to know is that designated revenue for the fund has been insufficient since George W Bush was in office. Additional funding has come from other sources ie the national debt.

My guess is that the 'flexing' proposal wont happen. I'll also assume they won't axe the mass transit account. The remaining question is to what degree will it be funded.

[TakeFive]

Upon further review

Remember this:

Earlier this year, Colorado lawmakers passed the Transit Reform Law. A law aimed at holding RTD accountable and it requires RTD to report necessary funding increases.

I'm now assuming that was the reason for this:

Colorado's RTD wants to borrow $539M for diesel buses, delay electric transition

No doubt RTD was just complying with the state's mandate in the Transit Reform Law. BTW, this was passed in 2024.

Maybe the know-it-all's at the state house should just take over RTD. Then they could determined budget priorities for RTD along with all the other priorities the state has created. That would also include several UNFUNDED mandates that were passed in recent years.

[mr1138]

At least one citizen advisory board member has quit over DOTI walking back its Alameda plans

Hopefully, there will be more. Amy Ford is an embarrassment to her profession.

[TakeFive]

The next meeting of the DOTI Advisory Board will be Tuesday, December 09, 2025 | 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM.

Best of Luck

[TakeFive]

RTD News for the Holidays

RTD approves record high $1.5 billion budget but faces deficit; service cuts possible
December 2, 2025 By Bruce Finley -- The Denver Post

Sixteen months ago, RTD leaders declared metro Denver’s public transit agency financially robust with no warning signs, but the latest records show RTD has fallen into the red, which may force cuts in routes and the frequency of buses and trains.

Quite the increase in funding though...

The agency’s elected directors met Tuesday and voted 13-1 to approve a record-high operating budget of $1.5 billion, a 25% increase over this year. Their hole, estimated to be $100 million to $400 million deep this year, and $228 million deep in 2026, is the result of a combination of higher-than-anticipated maintenance and repair costs and falling sales tax revenues, which fund 70% of RTD’s spending. The deficit spending, directors said, will force a rapid drawdown of RTD reserves that were earmarked for service expansion.

Speaking of the Holidays...

RTD to offer special downtown holiday service through Jan. 3 following completion of rail reconstruction work near Colfax at Auraria Station

[TakeFive]

Nonprofits urge DIA to expand public transit on Peña Blvd. instead of widening the road
Dec 04, 2025 By: Micah Smith -- Denver7 News

DENVER – As Denver International Airport searches for solutions to alleviate congestion and crashes on Peña Boulevard, the main road leading to the airport, several nonprofits including The Denver Streets Partnership, an organization that advocates for cyclist and pedestrian friendly roadways, wants the airport to consider adding more public transit options.

Feels like we're conflating issues.

• Are they thinking people should bike to the airport?
• Is there anything that is stopping the addition of more public transit options?

“And what's even worse is that that congestion is basically air pollution, and that's going to be in the neighborhoods that have been historically really underserved by the city of Denver — you know — Montbello, Green Valley Ranch. Folks who live in that area do not need more air pollution," she added.

• So are they suggesting adding door-to-door bus service for all the people in these neighborhoods that use Pena Blvd to get back and forth?
• If congestion adds air pollution then adding more lanes resulting in less congestion would make for less pollution, correct?
• Would these people know how much pollution comes from a fleet of all-electric Waymo cars and now small vans (for up to four passengers)? Maybe call Sky Harbor and learn something.

The Saddest Part

I didn't hear even a hint that indicates these folks have any clue what it important to the flying public, the passengers that pay a lot of money to airlines and need to reliably get to the airport on time. Neither do they seem to care about those that live and/or work nearby that rely on Pena Blvd.

[mhays]

You seem like a taxi lobbyist instead of knowing much about transportation.

More lanes means more cars and more pollution. Any pollution benefit from "less congestion" is momentary at best.

Electric cars have to be powered somewhere.

All of this ignores most of the environmental problems caused by cars and driving, like the manufacture, the land use, the microplastics, etc.

Transit doesn't need to go "everywhere" to help, or go "door to door." A limited number of bus routes would make a difference. On a larger scale, a park-n-ride specifically for airport workers and travelers could do wonders.

The point isn't what's "stopping" transit options, but actually choosing to spend transportation dollars that way vs. on a wider road.

[mr1138]

Originally Posted by mhays

The point isn't what's "stopping" transit options, but actually choosing to spend transportation dollars that way vs. on a wider road.

The only thing that is "stopping" transit options is that our society is full of shills for the rideshare industry who are willing to say flat out lies like "adding more lanes resulting in less congestion would make for less pollution." Statements like that one are FALSE. Less congestion often creates MORE pollution. The key is per capita emissions. A smaller road that is congested creates less pollution than a larger one that is free flowing, because the bigger road has more cars operating on it. This isn't rocket science.

And you are absolutely correct about environmental problems caused by EV and autonomous cars, like the manufacture, the land use, the microplastics, etc. Don't forget that EVs are heavier than normal cars, and thus cause more wear and tear on our roads that will require more frequent repairs. All-electric fleets will never be a silver bullet that excuses us from the need to reduce our dependency on vehicles or a reason not to invest in transit.

[mr1138]

City met with a lobbyist before scaling back Alameda road narrowing project, public records show

“Given the basic design differences, I really can't see how this new proposal could be as safe as the original plan. To be honest, I don't think the differences in safety would even be all that close, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists,” Marshall [CU Denver Professor and author of "Killed by a Traffic Engineer"] told Denverite in an email.