As a reminder, parking fees are now in effect at the RidgeGate Parkway Station Park-n-Ride as of October 21, 2019. Learn more.
New Rails in New Neighborhoods
The Southeast Rail Line opened in 2006 as a 19-mile extension of rail from I-25 & Broadway, with 15 miles along I-25 to Lincoln and an additional 4 miles along I-225 to Parker Road. This extension brings light rail into Lone Tree, with three new stations and an additional 1,300 parking spaces. Project design and construction began in 2016, and the line opened for service on May 17, 2019.
Fares
How much will it cost?
Travel on the Southeast Rail Extension will require a Local fare ($3.00), Regional fare ($5.25) or Airport fare ($10.50) depending on your destination. Discount fares apply for those who are eligible. To learn more about RTD’s fares, visit our fare page.
3-Hour Passes
local
regional
airport
Buy Tickets and Day Passes
You can buy Day Passes using cash, credit or debit at the ticket vending machines located at any RTD rail station, or on the RTD Mobile Tickets app. The Local Day Pass grants unlimited travel on the Southeast Rail Extension for the remainder of the service day. Local Day Pass ticket books may be purchased at any RTD Sales Outlet.
Learn more about ticket vending machines
Learn more about Day Pass
Monthly Pass
Take unlimited rides all month on the Southeast Rail Extension and beyond with RTD's Regional/Airport Monthly Pass. Monthly Passes may be purchased at any RTD sales outlet, online, on the RTD Mobile Tickets app, or at participating King Soopers and Safeway stores.
EcoPass and CollegePass
Service on the Southeast Rail Extension is included with all EcoPass, CollegePass, and Neighborhood EcoPass cards, including service to and from the Denver Airport Station on either SkyRide or the A Line at no additional charge.
Rail Fare Zone Map
The RTD rail system is divided into four fare zones: A, B, C, and Airport. Rail fares are based on how many fare zones you travel in during your trip. Travel in one or two zones is a Local fare, travel in three zones is a Regional fare, and any trip originating or ending in the Airport zone is an Airport fare.
Stations
The RTD Board of Directors authorized a 2.3-mile extension of the existing Southeast Rail Line In July 2014. Southeast Denver business associations, companies and municipalities joined forces to support the new light rail line. The City of Lone Tree and area stakeholders contributed an unprecedented $25 million, with an additional $3 million of in-kind contributions, land and right-of-way.
The local match of approximately 12 percent of the project cost far exceeded the 2.5 percent match RTD asked of its local partners, and helped RTD successfully secure federal funding for the project. RTD received $92 million from the Federal Transit Administration Small Starts funding program, as well as $9.4 million from Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant funds. The total cost of the project is $233.1 million.
Parking
Parking your car:
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Parking at the RidgeGate Parkway Park-n-Ride will be fee-based parking effective October 21, 2019. Learn how to park at RTD facilities.
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Parking fees at RTD Park-n-Rides depends on if your car is registered within the RTD service area. Check out how to park.
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If your vehicle is registered within the RTD service area, parking at RTD Park-n-Rides is free for the first 24 hours. After 24 hours, a $2.00 daily fee applies. You must pay before getting on the train.
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If your vehicle is registered out of district, a $4.00 daily fee applies. You must pay before getting on the train.
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Safety Tip: Don't advertise your absence. Take your parking receipt with you and do not leave it on your dash.
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Vehicles may not be parked continuously for longer than 30 consecutive days. Vehicles parked greater than 30 consecutive days without being moved may be subject to ticketing and towing at the owners expense.
How To Pay For Parking
Pay onsite
Look for the blue canopy and kiosk. You can pay in cash (exact change) or credit card.
Pay By Phone
Call 1-877-727-5951 (paying by phone will incur a nominal fee).
You must pay onsite, prior to leaving your vehicle. Non-payment of applicable parking fees will result in a fine. Take your paid parking ticket with you – be safe and don’t leave it on your dash.
Timeline
- 2010
- Final Environmental Evaluation, initiated in 2008, and 30% basic engineering completed
- 2011
- Project team began an Environmental Assessment (EA) to pursue federal funding
- 2012
- Work on advanced basic engineering and coordination of the project scope with stakeholders. Small Starts application process proceeds through the grant development and engineering phases.
- 2014
- The FTA signed the Finding of No Significant Impact, which concludes the EA undertaken to fulfill the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, a requirement for eligibility for federal funding
- 2015
- Project becomes part of President Obama's 2016 budget. RTD Board of Directors approves a $140 million two-phased contract award to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. (BBII) to design and build the Southeast Rail Extension.
- 2016
- Budget and funding grant signed, with Notice to Proceed 2 (NTP2). Construction begins on May 16, 2016.
- 2017
- Project reached 50 percent completion milestone in May 2017. By end of 2017, all Right of Way was acquired, the three bridges for the project were nearly complete, platforms had been poured at all three stations, all three Traction Power Substations were installed and substantial progress was made on the RidgeGate parking structure.
- 2018
- Existing light rail service was successfully tied together with the 2.3-mile extension of the E, F and R lines south of Lincoln Station in March 2018. Project entered “integrated testing” phase in November 2018 to examine all components of the rail system and correct any issues. Project reached substantial completion of construction, including bridges, stations, track and utilities, in December 2018. By end of 2018, lines were energized and test trains began running to verify the line is safe and working properly.
- 2019
- Integrated testing of trains and signal systems continued into 2019. Next, the pre-revenue testing phase began, which simulates passenger service. The E, F, and R Line Extension opened for service on May 17, 2019.