RTD launches mobile history tour aboard 16th Street FreeRide

RTD invites customers to discover 16th Street’s story through a free on-vehicle link

DENVER (June 24, 2025) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD)has launched a one-year pilot of a mobile-first, 16th Street FreeRide history tour, offering customers an enhanced travel experience along 16th Street between Denver Union and Civic Center stations.

The mobile history tour, a collaborative effort among RTD, Historic Denver, Denver Public Library, and the Downtown Denver Partnership, highlights the essential role 16th Street has played as a key connector since the late 1800s, tracing how the street’s development has evolved largely as a result of transit innovations.

With simplicity of customer experience as a key objective, the tour features a QR code that customers can scan from an interior card advertisement while on board a 16th Street FreeRide vehicle, at one of the Public Information Displays at Union and Civic Center station, or at an Interactive Kiosk Experience (IKE) bus stop while waiting for a shuttle. The QR code will direct customers to a platform hosted by RTD that offers multiple options at no cost to them that include:

• An option to access a free, three-minute audio tour of the corridor narrated by noted Colorado historian Tom Noel, about the evolution of transit along the corridor and the pivotal role transit has played in development of 16th Street and downtown Denver; or customers can choose individual segments of the audio tour
• A map of historic sites along the corridor, including Union Station, the Tabor Block, the Daniels and Fisher Tower, the Denver Dry Goods Building, and others.
• Customers can customize their adventure by clicking on photos of individual sites along the route to take a deeper dive into the location’s history through the Historic Denver website
• A link to expanded local history content through Historic Denver and Denver Public Library websites
• A link to RTD services and connections and ability to Plan a Trip through RTD’sNextRideapp
• A link to information about the historic anniversaries (250/150) celebrated in 2026 The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—our nation’s semiquincentennial, is happening concurrently with the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s entrance into the Union—our state’s sesquicentennial.

“RTD is proud to have partnered with History Denver, Denver Public Library and Downtown Denver Partnership to capture key milestones in the history of 16th Street and bring this experience to FreeRide customers,” said Debra A. Johnson, RTD’s General Manager and CEO. “It is remarkable to see the transformational role transit has played in providing vital connections along 16th Street that have driven Denver’s growth from the start.”

The Denver Public Library is pleased to share from its extensive collection of historic photos to help bring the history of Denver’s 16th Street to life for residents and visitors alike,” said City Librarian & Executive Director Nicolle Davies.

The mobile history tour of 16th Street offers a unique chance to learn about Denver’s illustrious history. “Historic Denver is delighted to have collaborated on the content of the FreeRide History Tour, bringing history to life and making it accessible to Denverites and visitors alike,” said Historic Denver President and CEO John Deffenbaugh. “16th Street has been at the heart of our city for decades and this tour will allow riders insight into the previously unknown stories which have shaped the appearance of downtown.”

“The 16th Street FreeRide History Tour beautifully encapsulates how 16th Street has historically brought opportunities to strengthen connections across downtown and to nearby neighborhoods, creating a more accessible, inclusive center city,” said Kourtny Garrett, President & CEO, Downtown Denver Partnership.”

The history tour will continue through April 2027, at which time results of the pilot will be re-evaluated.