RTD FreeRide to resume full service Oct. 5 on 16th Street from Union Station to Civic Center
DENVER (Sept. 11, 2025) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD) has announced plans to return its no-cost bus shuttle service to the full length of 16th Street on Sunday, Oct. 5. At the start of service that day, the 16th Street FreeRide will resume normal operations between Denver Union Station and Civic Center Station. The return of the shuttle to the full length of 16th Street will follow a grand opening celebration hosted by the Downtown Denver Partnership on Saturday, Oct. 4, to officially reopen the 1.25-mile corridor.
The 16th Street FreeRide, formerly known as the Free MallRide, was rebranded earlier this year to reflect the corridor’s new name, and it has operated on detour since 2022. That’s when Denver’s multi-year reconstruction of the iconic 16th Street pedestrian mall and transitway began between Market Street and Broadway. The project focused on addressing safety and maintenance issues related to 16th Street’s aging infrastructure.
Constructed more than 40 years ago, the 16th Street pedestrian and transit mall is a major link through downtown Denver. RTD’s bus shuttles, which run approximately every five minutes, are one of the most visible parts of the corridor, attracting thousands of boardings every day. In 2024, the shuttles had approximately 1.5 million boardings. As blocks have been completed and reopened, overall ridership on the 16th Street FreeRide has increased. Between January and July of this year, the 16th Street FreeRide had more than 1.2 million total boardings and is on track to surpass total boardings in 2024. July 2025 saw more than 200,000 boardings alone, which was the highest number of monthly boardings since 2022. The shuttle has averaged more than 170,000 monthly boardings in 2025, as compared to 125,000 monthly boardings in 2024.
“The 16th Street FreeRide is a prime example of how RTD is making lives better through the connections it provides,” said Debra A. Johnson, RTD’s General Manager and CEO. “The agency is proud to have partnered with the City and County of Denver on this major transit infrastructure improvement project that provides convenient connections for thousands of people each and every day.”
The newly completed 16th Street features a reconfigured layout with wider sidewalks, mature trees, new amenities and transit running through the center of each block. The extensive reconstruction project involved the installation of a new granite paver system with improved surface friction and drainage to sustain RTD’s 16th Street FreeRide shuttle service.
“The newly renovated 16th Street brings opportunities to make connections across downtown and nearby neighborhoods even stronger, creating a more accessible, inclusive center city,” said Kourtny Garrett, President and CEO, Downtown Denver Partnership. “The 16th Street FreeRide is a vital link to those opportunities, connecting people across downtown and moving the city forward.”
The FreeRide is available seven days a week and shuttles run every traffic light cycle during peak periods.
The popular shuttle service stops at every intersection along the 1.25-mile-long transitway between Denver Union Station to Civic Center Station, with a total end-to-end travel time of approximately 15 minutes. Connections to bus service can be made at Civic Center Station and customers can connect to both bus and rail services at Union Station, including regional bus routes and the A Line to Denver International Airport.
