R Line (RTD)
| R Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 R Line tracks at the intersection of E Exposition Ave and S Sable Blvd prior to operation | |||
| Overview | |||
| Other name | I-225 Line | ||
| Owner | Regional Transportation District | ||
| Locale | Denver metropolitan area | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 16 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Light rail | ||
| System | RTD Rail | ||
| Operator | Regional Transportation District | ||
| Ridership | 1,097,000 (FY2023, annual)[1] | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | November 17, 2006 (G Line) | ||
| Closed | May 3, 2009 (G Line) | ||
| Reopened | February 24, 2017 (R Line) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 750 V DC | ||
| |||
The R Line is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail line that serves stations in Aurora, Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial and Lone Tree, Colorado.[2] The line began operation on February 24, 2017. During planning and construction, it was known as the I-225 Line.[3] The line received its letter designation to reflect the letter Rs in "Aurora" and "RidgeGate".[4] The line travels over newer and older portions of the RTD light rail system, and is the only line in the RTD rail system that does not serve downtown Denver. It is colored lime green on system maps.
The R Line's northern terminus is Peoria station in Aurora, and its southern terminus is Lincoln station in Lone Tree. As of 2026, service has been temporarily extended south of Lincoln to RidgeGate Parkway Station. This configuration will remain through the completion of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, at which point the R Line terminus will return to Lincoln.[5][6]
History
G Line (2006–2009)
November 17, 2006 saw the completion of the Southeast Corridor light rail project (part of the Transportation Expansion Project). One of the four routes that were part of the RTD’s service plan for the corridor, the route between Aurora and Lone Tree, was named the G Line and assigned the color brown.[7] The G Line’s northern terminus was at Nine Mile station in Aurora on the I-225 branch of the system, shared with the H Line, while its southern terminus was at Lincoln station in Lone Tree, shared with the E and F Lines.
In August 2007, night, Saturday, Sunday and holiday service on this route was discontinued due to low ridership. An exception was the lone northbound Owl service trip on weekend and holiday mornings. Service was further reduced to peak hour-only in August 2008 before being suspended entirely on May 3, 2009.[8] RTD would later re-use the G Line designation for a commuter rail service between Union Station and Wheat Ridge.
| Community | Station | Opened | Connections & notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Nine Mile | November 17, 2006 |   Park and ride: 1,225 spaces |
| Dayton | Park and ride: 250 spaces | ||
| Denver | Belleview |  Park and ride: 817 spaces | |
| Greenwood Village | Orchard | Park and ride: 48 spaces | |
| Arapahoe at Village Center | Park and ride: 817 spaces | ||
| Centennial | Dry Creek | Park and ride: 235 spaces | |
| Lone Tree | County Line | Park and ride: 388 spaces | |
| Lincoln | Park and ride: 1,734 spaces |
FasTracks relaunch
I-225 Rail Line
The 2004 voter-approved FasTracks initiative marked the return of the Aurora-Lone Tree Line. The I-225 Corridor is a 10.5-mile (16.9 km) light rail line running through Aurora and facilitates a circumferential link between the Southeast Corridor and the East Corridor. The project will include seven new stations and provide 1,800 new parking spaces. Construction began in spring 2012 on a short section of the line as part of a joint contract with the Colorado Department of Transportation. Following an unsolicited proposal from Kiewit Infrastructure Company, funding was secured for the full line, which was expected to open in winter 2016.[9] The opening date was later pushed back.[10] On January 30, 2017, RTD announced that the H and R Lines would begin service on February 24, 2017.[11]
Southeast Corridor Extension
The Regional Transportation District sent four teams a Request for Proposal for the Southeast Corridor extension, consisting of 2.3 miles (3.7 km) of new track south of Lincoln station that would serve three new stations: Sky Ridge Medical Center, Lone Tree City Center, and the terminus at RidgeGate Parkway.[12][13] On July 28, 2015, a design-build contract for the extension was awarded to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. Design on the extension began in fall 2015 and construction began in 2016.[12][14] This extension opened on May 17, 2019.[15] This service pattern would be short-lived, as R Line service was cut back to Lincoln in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This service change has persisted since the pandemic due to low demand south of Lincoln.
In June 2026, R Line service to RidgeGate Parkway was restored to due to the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project. This project prompted the suspension of the H Line for construction, with increased service on the R Line and a temporary "T Line" replacing H Line capacity.[16] This service change is temporary and the R Line's southern terminus will return to Lincoln when complete.
Route
The R Line travels south from Peoria station in northwest Aurora. The line follows Sand Creek to East Colfax Avenue, where it meets Interstate 225. It then follows I-225 south, mostly along a dedicated right-of-way with a smaller street-running portion through central Aurora. It meets the H Line at its outbound terminus at Florida station. The two lines travel together to Dayton station; at I-225's southern terminus at Interstate 25, the H Line splits off north towards downtown Denver while the R Line splits off south towards the Denver Tech Center. It joins the E Line north of Belleview station. The two lines travel together alongside I-25 to the R Line's terminus at Lincoln station in Lone Tree.
The R Line is the primary public transit corridor for travel between Denver's southeastern suburbs - Centennial, Greenwood Village, and Lone Tree - and Denver International Airport. Passengers bound for the airport transfer to A Line trains at Peoria.
Stations
| Community | Station | Opened | Connections & notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Peoria | April 22, 2016 |  Park and ride: 550 spaces |
| Fitzsimons | February 24, 2017 | ||
| Colfax | February 24, 2017 |  | |
| 13th Avenue | February 24, 2017 | Park and ride: 262 spaces | |
| 2nd Avenue & Abilene | February 24, 2017 | Park and ride: 242 spaces | |
| Aurora Metro Center | February 24, 2017 | Park and ride: 145 spaces | |
| Florida | February 24, 2017 | | |
| Iliff | February 24, 2017 | Park and ride: 600 spaces | |
| Nine Mile | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 1,225 spaces | |
| Dayton | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 250 spaces | |
| Denver | Belleview | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 817 spaces |
| Greenwood Village | Orchard | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 48 spaces |
| Arapahoe at Village Center | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 817 spaces | |
| Centennial | Dry Creek | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 235 spaces |
| Lone Tree | County Line | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 388 spaces |
| Lincoln | November 17, 2006 | Park and ride: 1,734 spaces |
References
- ↑ "RIDERSHIP (BOARDINGS) BY MONTH, YEAR AND MODE" (PDF). RTD. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ↑ "RTD – I-225 Rail Line". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ↑ "RTD – R Line". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ↑ "Aurora News Weekly". No. July 13, 2015. City of Aurora, Colorado. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ↑ "RTD's latest bus and rail service changes start June 7". The Denver Post. May 21, 2026. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Proposed June 2026 Service Changes". www.rtd-denver.com. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ "RTD Southeast Light Rail". Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
- ↑ Jeffrey Leib (January 13, 2009). "RTD plans to reduce service". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ↑ "FasTracks – I-225 Corridor". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
- ↑ Paul, Jesse (November 18, 2016). "RTD will not open G-Line or R-Line before end of year as planned". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ↑ "RTD". www3.rtd-denver.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- 1 2 Aguilar, John (January 25, 2019). "Light-rail extension into Lone Tree set to start passenger service May 19". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ↑ "Southeast Rail Extension". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Contract approved to extend Southeast Rail Line in Douglas County". RTD FasTracks. Regional Transportation District of Denver. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ↑ Rubino, Joe (May 15, 2019). "RTD's newest line in southeast Denver metro will power development for years to come". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ↑ Finley, Bruce (May 21, 2026). "RTD's latest bus and rail service changes start June 7". The Denver Post. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
External links
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