RTD is proposing service changes for May 2023 to support RTD’s System Optimization Plan, which aims to increase ridership opportunities and address changing travel needs while improving service performance, efficiency, and quality.

Below are details on the proposed service changes, the virtual public meetings, and the other methods for providing your feedback to RTD. We want to hear from you, and we thank you for participating however you can! 

These service changes will take effect on May 28, 2023.

Routes Affected

Proposed Changes for Local/Limited Bus Routes

Route 0
modified

It is proposed to adjust the current schedule and add resources to reduce delays occurring between the Evans and Englewood stations on weekdays.

Route 3L
modified

It is proposed to adjust the current schedule to increase on-time performance.

Route 10
modified

It is proposed to expand service east into Aurora per the System Optimization Plan (SOP). To ensure compliance with the ATU 1001 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), it is also proposed to modify the SOP and extend the route to Colfax and Billings via East 11th Avenue and Peoria Street, with headways of 60 minutes.

In accordance with the SOP all westbound buses will terminate at Denver Union Station.

It is proposed that this route no longer serve the Decatur•Federal Station or Children’s Museum due to lack of ridership compared to the resources required to maintain that routing, while existing headways will be maintained between Denver Union Station and 9th and Claremont.

This proposal aims to increase ridership by improving transit access and connectivity to major activity and employment centers in Denver and Aurora, and provide greater benefit to Title VI populations who are more likely to rely on RTD services. This addresses ongoing customer requests for Route 10 service to return east of Claremont and is warranted based on the ridership demand on parallel Routes 6, 15, 15L and 121.

Customers who previously utilized service west of Denver Union Station will be impacted. However, that segment of the route was discontinued with the COVID 19 Service Changes in 2020 and previously accounted for less than 5% of Route 10 ridership.

Route 11
modified

It is proposed to suspend school tripper service. This proposed change is seasonal and will be reversed as part of the August 2023 Service Changes. 

Route 20
modified

It is proposed to make schedule adjustments aimed at improving on-time performance. Additionally, seasonal school tripper service would be suspended. 

Route 28
modified

It is proposed to make minor schedule adjustments to ensure compliance with the ATU 1001 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Route 30
modified

It is proposed to suspend school tripper service. This proposed change is seasonal and will be reversed as part of the August 2023 Service Changes.

Route 32
modified

It is proposed to make minor schedule adjustments to ensure compliance with the ATU 1001 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Route 34
modified

In order to achieve further compliance with the CBA maintained between RTD and ATU 1001, it is proposed to extend Route 38 east and connect to Route 34 at the 30th•Downing Station. Route 34 would be merged into Route 38, and the extra recovery time currently available on Route 34 will accommodate the additional running time necessary to merge the two routes.

Eastbound routing would continue on Stout St from 17th St until 32nd St, at which point vehicles would turn right on Downing, right on California, where buses will enter the station.

Westbound routing would leave the station on California and follow that until standard routing is resumed with the turn on 15th Street.

Stops #19044 and #10945 would be discontinued, however the distance to the next closest stop is less than 0.1 mile so the estimated customer impact is minimal. New stop spacing would meet the standard for local routes of roughly 0.25 mile between stops and would make the route more efficient for other customers.

The new combined route would be named Route 38: 38th Ave Crosstown.

Route 38
modified

It is proposed to extend Route 38 east and connect to Route 34 at the 30th•Downing Station to achieve further compliance with the ATU 1001 CBA.

Route 34 would be merged into Route 38, with the extra recovery time currently available on Route 34 accommodating the additional running time necessary to merge the two routes.

Eastbound routing would continue on Stout from 17th St until 32nd St, at which point vehicles would turn right on Downing, right on California, where they would enter the station.

Westbound routing would leave the station on California and follow that until standard routing is resumed with the turn on 15th Street.

The new combined route will be named Route 38: 38th Ave Crosstown.

Route 51
modified

It is proposed to suspend school tripper service. This proposed change is seasonal and will be reversed as part of the August 2023 Service Changes.

Route 52
modified

It is proposed to make schedule adjustments aimed at minimizing gate conflicts.

Route 65
modified

It is proposed to suspend school tripper service. This proposed change is seasonal and will be reversed as part of the August 2023 Service Changes.

Route 72
modified

It is proposed to make schedule adjustments aimed at minimizing gate conflicts.

Route 73
modified

It is proposed to suspend school tripper service. This proposed change is seasonal and will be reversed as part of the August 2023 Service Changes.

Route 169
modified

It is proposed to make schedule adjustments aimed at improving on-time performance.

Route 169L
modified

It is proposed to make schedule adjustments aimed at improving on-time performance.

Route 225
modified

It is proposed to make seasonal schedule adjustments to reduce weekday service frequency for the summer.

Route DASH
modified

It is proposed to make seasonal schedule adjustments to reduce weekday service frequency for the summer.

Route JUMP
modified

It is proposed to make seasonal schedule adjustments to reduce weekday service frequency for the summer.

Route FlexRide
modified

It is proposed to create a new FlexRide service area in North Broomfield that will operate weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to provide transportation alternatives to those impacted by changes to Route 128.

Proposed Changes for Regional Bus Routes 

Route FF2
modified

It is proposed to add three eastbound trips at 7:07 a.m., 7:37 a.m., and 4:15 p.m. from Downtown Boulder Station to address demand during the peaks.

It is also proposed to add three westbound trips at 7:45 a.m., 4:45 p.m., and 5:20 p.m. from Union Station to address demand during the peaks.

Route FF5
modified

It is proposed to add a 6:30 a.m. eastbound trip from Downtown Boulder Station to Anschutz Campus to address the demand for an 8:00 a.m. shift start time.

It is also proposed to shift the current 7:30 a.m. westbound trip from Anschutz Campus to Downtown Boulder Station to a 7:50 a.m. departure time to increase operational Adjusting this trip time would improve service connections into Boulder/CU for 9 a.m. class start times.

Route NB
modified

It is proposed to make a seasonal adjustment to short-turn trips at Nederland High School due to Eldora Ski Resort not operating during the summer.

Proposed Changes for Rail

D Line
modified

It is proposed to adjust service frequency by balancing service to match demand, and extend the service span to match the E Line. This would produce a distribution of service that creates connections to the southwest corridor in the late evenings.

Balancing service is intended to improve route performance efficiency and cost effectiveness. Intent is to offset the D and H lines during the reduced 30-minute service to maintain 15-minute service in the central corridor and maintain convenient transfers to the E Line for improved connectivity.

It is proposed:

  • Monday-Thursday and Sunday: Extend service to midnight to provide connections from the E Line to the D Line and Littleton•Mineral Station in the evenings, while reducing service frequency between 6:30–8:00 p.m. to 30-minutes from 15-minutes.
  • Friday: Extend service to 2 a.m. to match E Line and provide connections to the D Line and the Littleton•Mineral Station after 10 p.m. that currently aren’t provided. Reduce service frequency between 7:30–9:00 p.m. to 30-minutes from 15-minutes.
  • Saturday: Extend service to 2:00 a.m. on 30-minute headways to match E Line service and provide connections to the D Line and Littleton•Mineral Station that currently aren’t provided. Reduce service frequency between 8:00–10:00 a.m., and 7:00–8:00 p.m. to 30-minutes from 15-minutes.

While existing customers will be impacted by the reduced service frequency periods, extending the service span will provide positive impacts to the community and provide connections later in the evening that customers have been requesting since fall of 2020.

E Line
modified

It is proposed to adjust service frequency by balancing service to match demand and extend the service span to accommodate demand for late night service for events and evening staff. Balancing service frequency to ridership is intended to improve route performance efficiency and cost effectiveness while improving service span coverage.

It is proposed:

  • Monday-Thursday: Extend 30-minute frequency until midnight. This addresses the requirement to match the increased service hours added to the W Line per the FTA agreement requiring any increase in service to be matched on the Southeast Rail Extension from Lincoln to RidgeGate Parkway.
  • Sunday: Reduce service frequency between 8:00–10:00 a.m. to 30-minutes from 15-minutes due to low ridership and move those hours to the evening due to increased request and demand for 30-minute service to midnight.

While existing customers will be impacted by the reduced service frequency periods, extending the service span will provide positive impacts to the community and provide connections later in the evening that customers have been requesting since fall of 2020.

H Line
modified

It is proposed to adjust service frequency by balancing service to match demand and extend the service span to match the E Line service, creating coverage and spreading service span to create connections to Aurora in the late evening.

Balancing service is intended to improve route performance efficiency and cost effectiveness. Intent is to offset the D and H lines on the reduced 30-minute service to maintain 15-minute service in the central corridor of Denver with convenient transfers to the E Line for improved connectivity.

It is proposed:

  • Monday-Thursday: Extend service to midnight to provide connections from the E Line to Aurora, while reducing service frequency between 6:30–9:00 p.m. to 30-minutes.
  • Friday: Extend service span to 2 a.m. from 10:00 p.m. to match with E Line service and provide connections and service span coverage for the alignments. Reduce service frequency between 6:30–9:00 p.m. to 30-minutes.
  • Saturday: Extend service to 2 a.m. from 10:00 p.m. to match E Line service and provide connection and service coverage to Aurora. Reduce service frequency between 6:00–9:00 p.m. to 30-minutes.
  • Sunday: Reduce service between 6:00–9:00 p.m. to 30-minutes from 15-minutes and extend service to midnight from 10:00 p.m. to match E Line service and provide connections to Aurora.

While existing customers will be impacted by the reduced service frequency periods, extending the service span will provide positive impacts to the community and provide connections later in the evening that customers have been requesting since fall of 2020.

N Line
modified

It is proposed to make minor schedule adjustments to improve on-time performance.

R Line
modified

It is proposed to perform a running time analysis to address on-time performance per safety improvements made on the R Line between Florida Station and Aurora Metro Center Station, while improving connections with the E and H lines.

W Line
modified

It is proposed to adjust service span and frequency to meet demand and balance service to improve route performance, cost effectiveness, connections, and coverage.

It is proposed:

  • Monday-Thursday: Extend 30-minute service frequency to midnight from 10:00 p.m. per increased demand and ridership.
  • Sunday: Extend service on 30-minute frequency to midnight from 10:00 p.m., while reducing service frequency to 30-minutes from 15-minutes between 8:00–10:00 a.m. due to low ridership.