Project overview

• Central Platte Valley (CPV) light rail extension connects with the Central Corridor near Colfax Avenue and runs from that point to Union Station in Lower Downtown.
• Rail stations are in service at the Auraria West Campus; near Sports Authority Field at Mile High; at the Pepsi Center/Elitch Gardens; and at the CPV terminus at Union Station in LoDo.
• The CPV extension serves all the major professional sports venues (football, hockey, basketball, and baseball) in the region.
• In March 2000, the Federal Transit Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact, thereby approving the CPV’s Environmental Assessment.
• The CPV extension necessitated an expansion of the 16th Street Mall Shuttle service from Market Street Station to Union Station to allow transfers between the light rail line and the shuttle. A partial extension to Wynkoop Street opened in September 2001, with the full extension to Union Station becoming operational when the light rail system opened.
• The CPV extension, newly designated as the “C” line, opened to the public on April 5, 2002, with revenue service beginning April 7. In 2006, service on the CPV extension was supplemented with the addition of the “E” line from the Southeast Corridor.
• The CPV extension was the third consecutive light rail project RTD has completed on time and within budget.
• The Central Platte Valley extension is a good example of a private-public partnership.


• The cost for completing the CPV extension was covered by the following contributions:

Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)	$19.60 million
City and County of Denver	$ 5.00 million
RTD	$19.25 million
Donated transit easements	$ 1.40 million
Private stakeholders (Broncos, Rockies, Six Flags/Elitch Gardens, Lower Downtown, Auraria, Pepsi Center, and Trillium)	$ 2.55 million
Total project cost	$ 47.80 million

System characteristics

• 1.8 mile length
• 4 stations
• Double-tracked
• Train frequency:15-minute weekday peak/off-peak and weekend service; more frequent service is provided for special events, such as Broncos, Nuggets, Rockies and Avalanche games.
• Ridership
  • Providing 4.6% of the system total boardings.
  • Ridership for Rockies games averaged over 2,692 per game in 2012.
  • Ridership for Broncos games has averaged 13,493 per game in 2012.
  • The C&E Lines, which use the CPV, carried 12,486 riders on an average weekday in 2012.

Central Platte Valley map

Updated January 2013