Clean CityState-of-the-art
FREE MallRide facts

  • Produces lower emission than a typical diesel bus.
  • Operates by using alternative fuel.
  • Travels on battery power for seven to ten miles when the engine is turned off.

The FREE MallRide shuttles contribute to a more environmentally healthy community by reducing single-occupancy vehicle use and inducing repeat stops.

Enjoy your travels in an environmentally healthy vehicle.
shuttle BusWelcome aboard the shuttle bus of the future. Manufactured by Denver-based TransTeq for the Regional Transportation District (RTD), this vehicle features some of the most innovative transit technology in the world.

A total of 36 FREE MallRide shuttles operate on the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver. Passengers ride FREE across the one-mile long mall connecting Denver Union Station and RTD Civic Center Station for Express and Regional RTD services.

The Free MallRide also accesses the D Line Light Rail at 16th/Stout and 16th/California Streets and connects with the C Line Light Rail at Denver Union Station.

A powerful combination

This bus is a hybrid electric vehicle powered by a combination electric/compressed natural gas (CNG) engine. Together, these two technologies provide ultra-low emissions and vastly improved fuel efficiency, helping make the air clean.

How it works

  1. Electrical power is provided by battery packs charged by an alternator and by regenerative braking, a process in which the kinetic energy generated by braking is converted to electricity and returned to the power supply line or provided for other on-board uses, such as lights.
  2. The small CNG engine, running at a constant 2,200 rpm, recharges the bank of batteries that power
    the shuttle.
  3. CNG tanks on the roof of the shuttle fuel a 2.5-liter Ford industrial engine rather than a traditional diesel engine.Shuttle Bus


Bigger and better
Other major innovations include:

  • l More room for passengers
    This 45'-long bus holds 116 passengers instead of 70 on the older models.
    It can transport 18 seated passengers, two wheelchairs and 85 standing passengers (or 98 standing passengers without wheelchairs).
  • Easier access
    Low floors (14" above street level) make it easy for passengers to step on and off the bus.
  • Faster boarding and exiting
    With four doors instead of three, passengers can get on and off quickly.
  • Lower noise levels
    Special insulation reduces interior and exterior noise.
  • Better access for passengers with disabilities
    A wheelchair ramp enables passengers with disabilities to board and exit with greater speed and ease.