Recent Streetsblog DENVER posts about RTD

A rendering from a 1972 RTD planning document shows what personal rapid transit may have looked like. It never panned out, which is might be a good thing. Image: RTD

Subways and Pods: A History of Denver Transit and Why We Shouldn’t Obsess Over Tech

By David Sachs | Jan 20, 2017 | 4 Comments

What if, instead of light rail cars clanging alongside downtown traffic, Denver's trains burrowed underground? Or if Denver had a network of tracks elevated on stilts throughout the city that flung personal pods from neighborhood to neighborhood?

University Station, where car storage is king. Image: Google Maps

Retrofitting University and Colorado Light Rail Stations for People

By David Sachs | Jan 18, 2017 | 7 Comments

The two RTD stations are along the E, F, and H lines and combine for more than 9,000 trips per day. But ridership could be much higher if the stations were accessible.

The High Cost of Keeping Pretty, Pricey “Pavers” on the 16th Street Mall

By David Sachs | Jan 11, 2017 | 8 Comments

Should RTD continue spending big bucks to maintain the aesthetically pleasing but functionally flawed surface of the transitway on the 16th Street Mall? Nostalgia says yes, but common sense says no.

On Seattle's Third Avenue, buses rule and cars are "essentially disallowed" during rush hour.

To Become a Great Transit City, Denver Should Follow Seattle’s Lead

By David Sachs | Jan 6, 2017 | 10 Comments

Denver officials should study the transit renaissance in Seattle, where officials have put to new funding for transit to excellent use, providing tangible service improvements that benefit tens of thousands of people each day.

One of several problems with RTD's smart cards is that the card readers on train platforms don't always work. Photo: David Sachs

RTD Board Rips Xerox for Ongoing Delay of Smart Card Fare System

By David Sachs | Dec 16, 2016 | 17 Comments

RTD's quest for this simple fare tech is now eight years long and has cost at least $21 million.

The light pink areas around RTD rail stations represent areas where people should be able to walk to the train easily, but can't because of indirect walking routes thanks to things like parking lots and highways. Image: City and County of Denver

Denver’s Unwalkable Rail Network, Visualized

By David Sachs | Dec 13, 2016 | 6 Comments

Only 8 percent of Denverites live within a half-mile of a rail station -- about a 10-minute walk -- "despite growth in rail transit in Denver over the last 15 years."

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