Denver's Plan for Enhanced Transit Corridors

Denver Enhanced Transit Corridors Plan
Alexander Bergeron, Trevor Clifford, Jaxon Fagon, Ty Johnson, Eric Kramak,
Mario Kuebler, Mathieu Menard, Kelsey Reeves, John Sherman + Michael Sobol

Planning Project Studio URPL 6000 - Spring 2015 University of Colorado, Denver
Preface 1
Planning Context and Rationale 2
Existing Conditions 14
Moving 5280 36
Denver Rides 67
Table of Contents

Planning Project Studio URPL 6000 - Spring 2015 1University of Colorado, Denver
Preface
Denver is quickly becoming a world-
class city with world-class needs.
The city has been experiencing
tremendous growth over the past
decade. This growth is expected
to continue into the future. As the
population rises, city corridors
become more congested and the
existing transportation system proves
to be inadequate and unable to meet
demand for service, the need for
enhanced transit in the Mile-High City
becomes clear.
This report offers two conceptual
recommendations to assist
city leaders in establishing an
improved transit system. These
recommendations were developed
after thorough research of existing
plans, stakeholder engagement,
community input, and analysis of
existing physical and operational
conditions. A synopsis of these
analytical activities is presented in
the first portion of this document. In
the second portion, the process of
developing four preliminary concepts
and then working to establish two
final, comprehensive concepts will
be showcased. Finally, two enhanced
transit system proposals will be
offered.
The proposals contained herein
should be of great value to the City
and County of Denver as it prepares
to implement a modern transit system
capable of moving people quickly and
efficiently through neighborhoods,
to primary destinations and to
critical regional transportation
links. With such bold changes to its
transportation system, Denver will
truly be capable of playing on the
international stage as a destination
for business, education, recreation
and as a proud home to a thriving
and diverse population.
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loads/2011/09/denver.jpg

Planning Context and Rationale
Chapter Contents:
Review of Existing Local Plans
Planning Rationale
Case Studies Research
Focus Groups & Intercept Interviews

Thegreatlandoni, flickr

Denver Enhanced Transit Corridors Plan Planning Context & Rationale
The transportation plans proposed in this
document were not composed in a vacuum. The
planners paid close attention to the vision and
policies of 14 previously adopted plans, and used
them to guide their own recommendations and
justifications for an enhanced transit network.
This section provides a summary of each plan
followed by a list of the most relevant goals and
recommendations found in each of the city’s
existing plans.
Denver Comprehensive Plan (2000)
This plan recognizes Denver’s automobile-
oriented development patterns and citizen
behavior as a significant driver of roadway and
parking congestion, poor air quality, and lack
of mobility options for elderly, low-income, and
handicapped individuals. It recommends a more
efficient roadway system, expanded transit, bicycle,
and pedestrian networks, and the reduction of
overall transportation demand through mixed-use
development where people live, work, and shop in
close proximity
Key Recommendation: Connect urban centers with
strong multi modal improvements.
Blueprint Denver – Enhanced Bus Transit
Corridors Section (2002)
A key concept of this plan is directing growth
towards areas of change and managing change in
areas of stability. Blueprint Denver emphasizes the
importance for streets to move people rather than
cars, and for improving the function of streets.
Key Recommendation: Create enhanced bus
services on the Denver’s main corridors.
RTD FasTracks Plan (2004)
This plan outlines a 12-year development timeline,
implementation strategy, projected costs, and
funding plan for a regional transit system. Its
goals include expanded transportation choices,
increased transit mode share, balancing transit
needs with future regional growth, economic
development, improved air quality, and the
promotion of smart growth. Key strategies include
new rail and bus rapid transit, expanded and new
park-n-rides, transit hubs, and a downtown multi
modal center (that being Union Station).
Key Recommendation: Create synchronized
transfers at transit hubs throughout the region
to minimize wait times. This program was called
FastConnects.
Downtown Multi modal Access Plan (2005)
This plan outlines goals for integrated transit,
vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle access to and
through downtown Denver. Its goals include
seamless transitions between transportation
modes, enhanced connections within downtown
and to surrounding neighborhoods, and
reinforcing the unique urban form of downtown
Denver. It describes strategies for each
transportation mode, and prioritizes specific
implementation objectives.
Key Recommendation: Create a new shuttle
system to complement the 16th Street Mall Shuttle
(recently implemented as the FREE MetroRide).

4 Planning Project Studio URPL 6000 - Spring 2015 University of Colorado, Denver
Planning Context & Rationale
Downtown Area Plan (2007)
This guiding document is intended to act as
a tool for community and business leaders,
as well as citizens, to ensure that downtown
Denver is developed in livable, sustainable and
vibrant manner. It supersedes the 1986 plan
(much of which still remains valid), to provide
recommendations and setting goals for the
continued development of the downtown area in
the modern era.
Key Recommendation: Create a transit connection
between the Auraria West Station and the
Ballpark/Arapahoe Square district via Larimer and
Lawrence streets.
Denver Living Streets Initiative (2007)
This plan explores the meaning of the
Living Streets concept and recommends the
implementation of three kinds of streets:
destination, multi modal, and connecting. It also
emphasizes behavioral, operational, and physical
components of our transportation network. The
plan also has a practical side, presenting three
Denver case studies, describing their costs,
funding, timelines, improvements, and outcomes.
Key Recommendation: Colorado Boulevard,
South Broadway, and Federal Boulevard should
be utilized as connecting streets, providing high
speed and capacity transit service.
Denver Strategic Transportation Plan (2008)
This plan prioritizes objectives to implement the
visions of past transportation planning efforts.
It groups these objectives spatially into 12 travel
sheds, or ‘study areas defined by geographic
boundaries that have characteristics and facilities
serving similar travel patterns’. Travel sheds
improve on the conventional method of counting
lane miles, allowing planners to measure overall
transportation capacity from all transportation
modes using the concept of ‘person trips’ within
each travel shed. It describes citywide strategies
and measurable behavioral, operational, and
physical implementation objectives within each
travel shed.
Key Recommendation: The city should upgrade
transit service frequency, expand hours of
operation, enhance transit stops, and expand upon
the current route structure.
Colfax Streetcar Feasibility Study (2010)
Per numerous guiding documents, official policy
of the City and County of Denver is to enhance
economic development, increase sustainable
transportation options, and generally improve
mobility for the East Colfax Avenue corridor. A
streetcar on the corridor would work to accomplish
these goals and satisfy stakeholder demand for
this transit type. The Study concludes it is feasible.
Key Recommendation: A streetcar is feasible, as
the existing and projected demand for transit on
East Colfax exceeds current and planned service.

Denver Moves (2011)
This plan, a collaboration between Denver Parks
and Recreation and Public Works, aims to lay
out a set of priorities that enables bicyclists and
pedestrians to travel across the city within the
comfort of a network comparable to that which
motorists enjoy.
Key Recommendation: Specific streets were
identified as bike arteries, creating opportunities
for multi modal connections.
DRCOG MetroVision 2035 Regional
Transportation Plan (2011)
This serves as a regional and long term guide for
all transportation investments in the Denver metro
region. Relevant transportation policies include
increasing transit service to accommodate a higher
share of daily travel, improving transportation
access to downtown Denver, and providing as
system that considers the needs of minority, low
income, elderly, and disabled persons.
Key Recommendation: Develop internal
transit services as part of the larger regional
transportation system.
Denver Climate Adaptation Plan (2014)
This plan is a supplement to Denver’s Climate
Action Plan. The Adaptation Plan offers strategies
to adapt to a future climate with warmer
temperatures, more extreme weather events, and
changes to historical snowpack levels.
Key Recommendation: Create transit-oriented
neighborhoods and increase alternative
transportation options.
Denver Transit-Oriented Development Strategic
Plan (2014)
This plan is meant to be a work program to guide
the City’s efforts to make TOD successful in Denver.
It includes both city-wide policies and station
level action items to direct public and private
investment in the hopes that Denver will become a
network of transit-based communities.
Key Recommendation: Station areas around the
city should serve different purposes and are at
various stages of redevelopment.
DRCOG and Mile High Connects Denver
Regional Equity Atlas (2012)
The Atlas was created to ensure that transit
investments will provide greater access to
opportunity and a higher quality of life for all
area residents. Now, it is an online mapping
tool complete with the region’s distribution of
demographic, housing, employment, education,
healthcare, and recreation characteristics. The Atlas
visually represents the region’s opportunities and
challenges for equitable transit service.
Key Recommendation: Focus on last-mile
connections to make transit a viable alternative for
city residents.
Colfax Corridor Connections (2014)
Colfax Corridor Connections was initiated in
June 2012 to identify transit and multi-modal
improvements within the East Colfax corridor.
Key Recommendation: The preferred alternative to
service transit along Colfax is Bus-Rapid-Transit.

In summary, there were a number of
recommendations that fit within this projects three
guiding principles of increasing transit mode share,
stimulating economic development, and improving
social equity. The following table highlights
some of these recommendations, with the color
corresponding to the principle it identifies with.
Some recommendations served multiple principles,
indicated as secondary colors.
There were also some important ideas to consider
when implementing any future transportation
plan. Translating the proposed vision into reality
is incredibly difficult, and being cognizant of the
following will help achieve that final goal:
• Operational improvements to Denver’s roads are
prioritized over capacity improvements;
• Flex lanes can help create multi modal balance
on constrained streets;
• Partnering with the private sector and higher
levels of government has been essential for
covering the cost of past projects, large and small;
and
• Promotional and operational programs are
encouraged over capital investments to encourage
the use of alternative travel modes.
All told, the plans reviewed show broad support
for enhancing the Denver’s transit network. So
rather than something new, this transportation
plan builds on a wide foundation and helps fulfill
the City’s decades-old aspirations.
Figure 1: Key Findings

Three plan objectives were identified to inform
the concept planning process: increase transit
mode share, improve social equity, and stimulate
economic development. In order to achieve
these objectives, the concept plans would have
to address three known barriers to using transit.
These barriers are physical, behavioral, and socio-
economic in nature. Physical barriers are easy to
identify. They present themselves in the form of
wide roads, high walls, and other infrastructural
designs that make it difficult for a person to access
transit. Behavioral barriers are cultural in nature
and can be overcome by eliminating perceptions
and stigmas associated with using transit. Socio-
economic barriers are overcome by making
transit affordable to those who depend on it and
can afford it the least. This plan addresses these
barriers in three ways: providing access to transit,
making ridership convenient, and providing users
with necessary amenities to legitimize the system
and encourage its use.
Five Big Picture Questions
The research conducted in the seeking the
justifying rationale for planning for enhanced
transit in Denver relied on five primary questions:
1. What are the physical, socio-economic and
cultural/behavioral issues or barriers that cause
Denver residents, workers and visitors to not use
transit on a regular basis?
2. What are the operational, design and locational
characteristics of an enhanced transit system that
would cause more Denver residents, workers and
visitors to use transit on a regular basis?
3. What are the specific factors that must be
addressed to help transit-dependent populations
improve their mobility around the city and
to achieve transportation equity for Denver’s
underserved neighborhoods?
4. What are the specific factors that would
generate economic development by real estate
developers, investors, businesses and consumers in
response to these transit investments?
5. What are the long-term social, economic
and environmental arguments and ‘return on
investment’ that would provide the rationale for
Denver to spend public dollars on enhanced transit
in the city?
Providing the appropriate investments to
encourage transit ridership is the basis for building
the plan framework. Figure 2 shows a model
of different techniques that should be used to
provide access, convenience, and amenities to
transit riders. Each solution seeks to overcome
the identified barriers in one of three ways:
operational, locational, or design improvements.
These techniques are listed below with a short
description of how it improves the transit system:
• Access
◦ Stop and station investments - amenities that
legitimize system and locations near places
people need to be
◦ Multi-modal connections - considers motorized
and active travel modes
◦ Language equity - creates equity for all riders
◦ Price affordability - encourages ridership,
especially important to transit-dependent and
low-income earners
◦ Time - Frequency, operating hours, timeliness,
and reliability for optimized efficiency and
predictability
◦ Wayfinding system - provides intuitively
navigable network
• Convenience
◦ Frequency - must compete with alternative
modes
◦ Comfort - encourages ridership, especially for
choice-riders
◦Safety - people need to feel safe on transit and
at stops/stations
◦ Routes and transfers - efficiently scheduled
connections to reduce wait times
◦ Service hours - meet needs for all types of
transit riders
◦ Payment options - diverse and efficient
• Amenities
◦ Marketing and branding - establishes
awareness and recognition of the system
◦ Station permanence - creates assurances for
developers and community investment
◦ Feature investments - necessary physical
improvements; shelters, benches, lighting, and
wayfinding at a minimum
◦ System legibility - prevents uncertainty and
apprehensiveness, especially in new users
◦ Affordable housing - social equity, especially at
transit-oriented development locations
◦ Environmental responsibility - includes
sustainable technology initiatives
Improving the system is paramount to meeting
multiple city, region, and state goals. These goals
include economic development, environmental
stewardship, and social equity. Improving the
transportation system through enhanced transit
options offers people access to opportunities.
Removing single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) from
roads reduces congestion and improves air quality.
The benefits of enhancing transit are cumulative
and far reaching. Some examples of these benefits
can be seen in Figure 4.
Planning Rationale

Figure 2: Barriers Figure 3: Improvements
Planning Rationale

Figure 4: Justification
Planning Rationale

To assist in analytical research, the City and County
of Denver staff provided select transportation plan
case studies from cities with like transportation
needs and planning activities. The case studies are:
• Portland Transportation System Plan
• Carrollton/Dallas Texas Transit Master Plan
• Seattle Transit Master Plan
• San Jose “Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan”
Analysis of these case studies provided arguments
supporting transit investments along with major
physical, program, and policy recommendations.
The plans also contained implementation
strategies used to increase mode share,
improve social equity, and stimulate economic
development. These findings provided key
takeaways which can be used to inform the plan
and improve Denver’s future transit investments.
Carrollton/Dallas Texas Transit Master Plan
Why transit is important: The increase in
population and innovation has created new
challenges such as the need for more parking,
use and zoning decisions, connectivity to other
modes including biking and walking facilities, and
improving traffic operations within key corridors
to facilitate bus headways. It also supports the use
of Intelligent Transportation Systems - a family of
technologies that make transportation systems
more efficient and sustainable, as well as enhance
safety for its users.
Recommendations: The Plan mainly recommends
policies directed at increasing the proportion of
commute travel using modes other than SOVs. It
does this by suggesting circulation policies that
increase bicycle, pedestrian, and transit travel while
reducing motor vehicle trips, prioritizing funding
for projects that enhance and improve bicycle and
pedestrian facilities, and collaborating with transit
providers to site transit stops at safe, efficient, and
convenient locations, and to develop and provide
transit stop amenities.
Lessons learned for Denver:
Give priority to the funding of multi modal projects
that provide the most benefit to all users
• Evaluate new transportation projects to make the
most efficient use of transportation resources and
capacity
• Fund transportation improvements for all
modes through the entitlement process for
new development, giving first consideration to
improvement of bicycling, walking and transit
facilities
• Encourage investments that reduce vehicle travel
demand
private development and the station complex
• Define the parking and access requirements for
the station complex and proposed development
• Define the scale and architectural character of
the station complex and surrounding development
San Jose, CA - Envision San Jose 2040 General
Plan (2012)
Why transit is important: Reducing the number of
vehicle trips by shifting those trips to bicycling or
walking would help improve circulation, minimize
the need for additional parking, contribute toward
a healthier community and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions
About the plan: The plan focuses on creating a
balanced transportation system that gives priority
to the mobility needs of bicyclists, pedestrians,
and public transit users while also providing for
the safe and efficient movement of automobiles,
buses, and trucks. San José maintains a goal to
reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled in
the city by 40% thorough this balancing and
reprioritization of modes. The City believes it can
greatly influence transit ridership through land
fewer vehicles on the road to lessen traffic issues
and the need to have as many commuters as
possible utilizing public transit.
About the plan: The primary goal of the project
is to set the design framework of a new multi-
modal station complex for downtown Carrollton
integrating multi-modal, multi-agency transit
service with a new urban center and gateway
to the City of Carrollton. The plan is designed
to strengthen existing neighborhoods, and
to promote transit-supporting, mixed-use,
pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods.
Recommendations: The major program and policy
recommendations include utilization of vacant
parcels of land in the area to become part of the
Downtown Carrollton DART Station area plan. Use
of the major thoroughfares, such as the six lane
divided freeway to provide greater access to the
Downtown Carrollton area; the creation of the
Pedestrian/ Bicycle Network and increased parking
availability.
• Develop a station layout for the ultimate
configuration and transit operations based on the
project goals.
• Develop a mutually supportive freight and
passenger operation plan that maintains freight
service and enhances passenger operations.
• Develop a phased implementation plan based
on infrastructure improvement and development
market milestones
• Define the relationship and linkages between

Seattle, WA –Seattle Transit Master Plan (2012)
Why transit is important: Due to all transit trips
beginning with walking or biking, the city seeks
to improve important pedestrian and bicycle
linkages to local and regional transit services and
to identify ways to improve accessibility. The main
focus is on low income and elderly people who live
a considerable distance from the core of the city
who rely on public transit.
About the plan: The TMP vision is a network of high
quality, frequent transit routes that connect urban
villages, centers, manufacturing and industrial
districts. These measures were used to identify
corridor capital investment priorities, including a
top tier of modes recommended for high capacity
transit. Creating transit oriented neighborhoods
is a major goal of the Seattle Comprehensive plan
and the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Vision
2040 Plan. The city is tasked with meeting these
challenges in order to improve and increase its
transportation services.
The city’s primary transit service objective is to
ensure mobility in Seattle. In times of economic
recession, the City may need to focus on
maintaining current services levels on a high
ridership routes. In better times, resources should
be dedicated to expanding the Frequent Transit
Network. The service network that supports this
is delivered by appropriately scaled bus and rail
modes, connecting resident and workers to the
regional transit system via transportation centers
that are well integrated with urban village life. This
includes the implementation of policies, programs,
and investment priorities to make it easier and
more desirable for people to take transit. The
TMP includes a broad set of evaluation measures,
grouped under five evaluation accounts that
include community, economy, environment and
human health, social equity, and efficiency. Transit-
oriented neighborhoods have proven to be more
economically and environmentally sustainable and
resilient, to produce less automobile travel, and
are a core strategy for reducing greenhouse gases.
Operating revenues which are a local responsibility
for urban transit agencies in Washington State, are
also down significantly due to declining sales tax
receipts during the current economic downturn.
Recommendations: Some of the major policy
recommendations are identifying the city’s most
important transit corridors* as having the greatest
potential to serve transit needs that will emerge
as the population grows. Making transit more
competitive with private auto by enhancing speed,
reliability and frequency of the transit service.
Expanding the rail system and improving way
finding and real-time information at transit stops;
as well as making right-of-way modifications to
improve bus speed, efficiency and coordination
of transfers. Other recommendations include
developing design standards for transit stops and
stations to make the user experience
safe, comfortable, enjoyable and convenient
and identifying transit funding options for
implementing TMP priorities to support existing
local transit services and developing and
strengthening transit supportive zoning overlays.
• Invest in programs the build transit ridership
• Develop a safe routes to transit program
• Develop transit information and way finding
standards
• Increase support for traveler education programs
• Invest in Transportation Demand Management
Programs that increase Transit Use
• Explore a Transit Streamline Program Agreement
with King County Metro
Portland, OR - Portland Transportation System
Plan (TSP) (2007)
Why transit is important: Reducing the number of
vehicle trips by shifting those trips to bicycling or
walking would help improve circulation, minimize
the need for additional parking, contribute toward
a healthier community and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
About the plan: The plan focuses on creating a
balanced transportation system that gives priority
to the mobility needs of bicyclists, pedestrians,
and public transit users while also providing for
the safe and efficient movement of automobiles,
buses, and trucks. San José maintains a goal to
reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled in
the city by 40% thorough this balancing and
reprioritization of modes. The City believes it can
greatly influence transit ridership through land
use and zoning decisions, connectivity to other
modes including biking and walking facilities, and
improving traffic operations within key corridors
to facilitate bus headways. It also supports the use
of Intelligent Transportation Systems - a family of
technologies that make transportation systems
more efficient and sustainable, as well as enhance
safety for its users.
Recommendations: The Plan mainly recommends
policies directed at increasing the proportion of
commute travel using modes other than SOVs. It
does this by suggesting circulation policies that
increase bicycle, pedestrian, and transit travel while
reducing motor vehicle trips, prioritizing funding
for projects that enhance and improve bicycle and
pedestrian facilities, and collaborating with transit
providers to site transit stops at safe, efficient, and
convenient locations, and to develop and provide
transit stop amenities.
• Give priority to the funding of multi modal
projects that provide the most benefit to all users

• Evaluate new transportation projects to make the
most efficient use of transportation resources and
capacity
• Fund transportation improvements for all
modes through the entitlement process for
new development, giving first consideration to
improvement of bicycling, walking and transit
facilities
• Encourage investments that reduce vehicle travel
demand
Figure 5 (right) summarizes the key takeaways for
Denver.
Figure 5: Takeaways

Chaffee
Park
Sunnyside
Highland
Globeville
Jefferson
Park
Sun
Valley
Valverde
Athmar
Park
Windsor
Northeast
Park Hill
Elyria
Swansea
Wellshire
University
Rosedale
Cheesman
Park
Hilltop
MontclairHale
North
Park Hill
South
Park Hill
University
Park
Platt
Park
College View
- South
Platte
Overland
Ruby
Hill
Kennedy
Hampden
Baker
Fort
Logan
Bear
Valley
Harvey
Park South
Southmoor
Park
Hampden
South
Indian
Creek
Goldsmith
Virginia
Village
Virginia
Village
Gateway
- Green
Valley Ranch
DIA
University
Hills
Harvey
Park
Mar Lee
Westwood
East
Colfax
Auraria
Cory -
Merrill
Belcaro
Washington
Park
Washington
Park West
Speer
Cherry
Creek
Country
Club
Congress
Park
City
Park
Clayton
Skyland
Cole
Marston
Washington
Virginia
Vale
Barnum
Barnum
West
Villa
Park
West
Colfax
West
Highland
Sloan
Lake
Berkeley
Regis
Lincoln
Park
City Park
West
Whittier
Capitol
Hill
North
Capitol
Hill
Civic
Center
CBD
Union
Station
Five
Points
Stapleton
Montbello
Lowry
Field
0 2 4
Miles [
Which neighborhoods
have good transit?
After coming to a group concensus, please
put a "+" sign inside neighborhoods your
group believes have good transit service
and a "-" sign inside neighborhoods your
group believes have poor transit service.
If you cannot come to a consenus, make
no marks. Use your own definitions for
good and poor transit service.
Focus Group & Intercept Interviews
The planners gathered community input to help
guide them in their decision making. This was a
two-tiered approach. First, the planners sat down
with stakeholders to hold focus group interviews,
where intense discussion on transit in Denver was
had. Second, the planners intercepted ordinary
citizens at street level where they were asked a
series of predetermined questions. These were
performed in two distinct types of locations: transit
locations and non-transit oriented locations.
This two part stakeholder engagement process
was critical in determining which existing
conditions data needed to be collected and
analyzed. The process also enriched the plan’s
understanding of these existing conditions issues
as viewed by stakeholders. Focus group interviews
were conducted with the key stakeholder group,
the Transit Alliance, and were performed at
the University of Colorado Denver College of
Architecture and Planning.
The Transit Alliance stakeholders were asked to
identify on a map of Denver (Figure 6, right) where
they believed transit was efficient and where it was
lacking. Discussion about this commentary was
had in great detail and feedback was recorded. In
addition, stakeholders were asked how far they
would be willing to travel to reach transit in three
different scenarios:
• How far would you walk to reach transit? Most
respondents indicated they would not walk more
than a mile.
• How far would you ride a bicycle to reach transit?
Most respondents would ride two miles or less.
• How far would you drive to reach transit? Most
respondents would drive no more than five miles.
Figure 6: Focus Group Map

Stakeholder Engagement Takeaways
The following are the primary takeaways from
engaging with stakeholders:
Barriers to Transit Use
• Physical
◦ Accessibility of transit stops
◦ Accessibility for the elderly and persons with
disabilities
◦ Insufficient maps and signage
• Economic
◦ Price of transit pass
◦ Price of car versus transit
◦ Lack of payment options
• Social
◦ Real and perceived crime
◦ Social stigma with public transit
◦ Cultural dependency on automobiles
Opportunities for Improvement
• Operational Improvements:
◦ Implement real-time tracking apps
◦ Increase frequency during peak hours
• Design Improvements:
◦ Improve stop infrastructure
◦ Enhance design to better accommodate
persons with disabilities
• Scheduling Improvements:
◦ Improve connections between rail and bus
◦ Reduce steps on express routes
Focus Group & Intercept Interviews

Planning Project Studio URPL 6000 - Spring 2015University of Colorado, Denver
Existing Conditions
Chapter Contents:
Existing Condtions Maps

Existing Conditions
After engaging with stakeholders, completing review of relevant
case studies and existing local plans, and establishing a valid
rationale to continue planning, the planners began to look
meticulously at existing conditions.
Because the cultural, political, social and economic qualities of
a city the size of Denver are very fluid, numerous factors were
studied to get a full understanding of the city’s current and
projected needs. The city-wide study of existing conditions
allowed the planners to determine which neighborhoods
were in the greatest need socio-economically, which were
experiencing growth, and which were primed for new
development.
All in all, through performing the activities aforementioned on
the previous pages, analyzing available data and performing
field observations, an understanding of Denver’s existing
land use, transportation, socio-economic and demographic
conditions permitted the planners to create the transportation
plans that are presented in this document.
Existing conditions assessments were performed on the
following factors:
• Existing and planned major trip-generating sites, facilities
and destinations
• Socio-economic and demographic attributes of the
population
• Areas of change and areas of stability
• Existing zoning and future land uses
• Existing land utilization and future development potential
• Existing and planned transportation routes and facilities by
mode
• Existing traffic volumes and transit ridership data for key
corridors or locations
The key findings of each of these assessments will be presented
in the form of a series of interpretive maps in the following
Existing Conditions Assessment
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Speer_Boulevard_Denver.JPG

0 1 2
Miles[
Airport
Campus
Cherry Creek North
Commercial
Corridor
Downtown
Downtown - Civic
Former Chapter 59
Zone
Industrial
Industrial - Mixed
Use
Main Street
Mixed Use
Multi Unit
Open Space -
Conservation
Open Space, Public
Parks
Planned Unit
Development
Residential Mixed
Use
Single Unit
Two Unit
Existing Conditions
Existing Zoning
Existing zoning conditions found in Denver’s
official zoning code shed light on where changes
to land use can and should occur. For example,
a transit line designed to serve large, outlying
open space might not be justifiable with a limited
budget because the destination would not likely
see as high of ridership compared to a Main Street
zoned area with a good amount of economic
activity.
Figure 7: Current Zoning Map

Existing Conditions
0 1 2
Miles[
Campus
Commercial
Corridor
DIA
Downtown
Employment
Entertainment,
Cultural,
Exhibition
Golf Course
Industrial
Mixed Use
Neighborhood
Center
Open Space
Limited
Park
Pedestrian
Shopping
Corridor
Regional Center
Single Family
Duplex
Single Family
Residential
Town Center
Transit Oriented
Development
Urban
Residential
Water Body
The Conceptual Land Use Map on the right
interprets land use in a simple manner. It differs
from the official zoning map by offering a more
easily understood snapshot of current land use.
For example, where an area may be zoned as park
space on the previous page, the Conceptual Land
Use map differentiates between bodies of water
and golf courses. This map makes it easier for
planners and for stakeholders to see where they
might want a transit line to go.
Conceptual Land Use
Figure 8: Conceptual Land Use

0 1 2
Miles[
Legend
Blueprint Denver - Areas of Change
Existing Conditions
Areas of Change
Blueprint Denver, Denver’s land-use and
transportation plan details out how Denver should
be developed, features areas of change and areas
of stability.
Areas of change are those areas where
development is likely or are changing in other
ways. Areas of change are shown in blue on the
map to the left.
Areas of stability are those parts of the city that
should not expect to see much development in the
near future, or changing development patterns.
Those areas are the areas on the map that are not
blue.
Figure 9: Areas of Change

Existing Conditions
Average Household Size
Figure 10: Average Household Size
Household size is often a good indicator of the
number of children in an area. As children are a
transit dependant population they are recognized
as a population that needs to be served by the
plan.
Areas of blue and purple on the map show areas of
large household size, areas of orange and yellow
show lower household size.

Existing Conditions
The median household income of block groups in
Denver allows planners to understand which areas
are lower income, which is often an indicator of
transit dependency. It also displays areas of higher
income where any transportation will have to be
geared towards capturing choice riders.
Areas of blue and purple on the map show areas
of higher income, areas of orange and yellow show
lower household income.
Median Household Income
Figure 11: Median Household Income

Existing Conditions
Understanding where the highest number of jobs
and the lowest number of jobs are located allows
planners to identify where transit routes might
need to be located to ensure that people have the
option of taking transit to and from work. Looking
at the map to the right, it is easy to see that
downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center,
with their many office buildings, are top candidates
for hosting enhanced transit.
with high numbers of jobs, areas of orange and
yellow show lower numbers of jobs.
Employment Distribution
Figure 12: Employment Distribution

Existing Conditions
Older adults, typically defined as those 65 years of
age or older, tend to rely on transit more than their
younger counterparts.
with a higher percentage of older adults, areas of
orange and yellow show lower percentage of older
adults.
Distribution of Older Adults
Figure 13: Distribution of Older Adults

Existing Conditions
It is useful to know where ethnic and racial
minorities are located because often non-white
communities are more transit dependant than
white communities.
with a higher percentage of non-whites, areas of
orange and yellow show lower percentage of non-
whites.
Distribution of Non-White Residents
Figure 14: Distribution of Non-White Residents

Existing Conditions
Similar to older adults, teenagers rely on transit
to be independently mobile as younger teens
are prevented from driving by their age, and
older teens are often not able to afford private
transportation.
with a higher percentage of teens, areas of orange
and yellow show lower percentage of teens.
Distribution of Teens
Figure 15: Distribution of Teenagers

Existing Conditions
It is useful to know where people tend to drive
themselves around in personal vehicles or begin
their daily commutes from home in their own
cars. In those areas where people do not rely on
their own cars, there may be a greater need for
enhanced transit.
with a higher percentage of commute by SOVs,
areas of green and yellow show lower percentage
of commutes by SOVs.
Single Occupancy Vehicle Commuters
Figure 16: SOV Commuters

Existing Conditions
Knowing where transit commuters originate is
useful because it shows where enhanced transit
might be beneficial to those who already rely on
transit to get to work. Providing enhanced transit
service to the Sun Valley neighborhood, the dark
blue area in the center-west portion of the city, for
example, could easily be justified in this context.
with a higher percentage of commute by transit,
areas of green and yellow show lower percentage
of commutes by transit.
Workers Commuting by Transit
Figure 17: Workers Commuting by Transit

Existing Conditions
Because enhanced transit tends to get more
people out of cars and onto buses and trains,
for example, knowing where the greatest traffic
congestion occurs can help guide planners when
they select streets to put transit on.
Points of red and orange on the map show points
of high traffic counts, points of yellow and green
show lower traffic counts.
Traffic Congestion
Figure 18: Average Daily Traffic Volume

Figure 19: Average Bus Passenger Count
Understanding where the highest bus ridership
is located allows the planner to identify which
bus lines and corridors may be due for a capacity
upgrade.
Points of red and orange on the map show points
of high passenger counts, points of yellow and
green show lower passenger counts.
Average Bus Stop Passenger Count
Existing Conditions

Existing Conditions
The map on the right shows where Denver’s most
popular trip-generating destinations are. All of the
destinations shown would benefit from enhanced
transit because it would ensure most people can
reach them.
Popular Destinations
Figure 20: Trip-generating Destinations

Existing Conditions
Knowing where existing express bus and local bus
routes are located can help planners understand
where there is room for improvement, where
service is already sufficient, where service is
absent, and more.
Existing Bus Routes
Figure 21: Existing Bus Routes

Existing Conditions
The map on the left shows where existing and
planned light rail lines, commuter rail lines, and
their stops are located. Linking enhanced transit
lines with the lines that are already in place or
should be expected to be in place soon would
create a well-connected, comprehensive transit
network for Denver.
Existing and Planned Rail
Figure 22: Existing and Planned RTD Rail Lines

Existing Conditions
Sometimes transit stops are located too far from
someone’s home or place of employment for
them to walk to board transit. Instead, they might
take their bike for that ‘last mile.’ Knowing where
bicycle routes are currently located or should be
expected to be installed can help determine where
enhanced transit routes and transit stops should
be located.
Red lines indicate existing bike routes and green
lines indicate proposed bike routes.
Existing and Proposed Bicycle Routes
Figure 23: Existing and Planned Bike Routes

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FAR Value
High : 9.5+
Low :0.1
Existing Conditions
The map on the left shows what the densest
parts of the city are. This could be tall buildings
or many other buildings clustered together. This
information is useful because it shows where
transit would serve the most people.
Areas of red on the map show areas with a higher
floor area ratio, areas of green show areas with a
lower floor area ratio.
Floor-Area Ratio
Figure 24: Density in Denver

Two teams were asked to create two transportation
concept plans each. Through stakeholder feedback
and a SWOC analysis each team each team
produced a final plan.
The two plans are dubbed: “Moving 5280” and
“Denver Rides”. They are presented in that order
in the subsequent pages.

MOVING 5280

Denver Enhanced Transit Corridors Plan Moving 5280
Keeping in mind the three plan goals, the five
“big picture” questions, and what was learned
from the existing conditions analysis, two concept
plans were developed. The first concept put heavy
emphasis on balancing the three plan goals by
identifying tiered route investments and transit
node opportunities. The second concept focused
primarily on promoting economic development
by enhancing service through route investments
that centered on the Denver TOD Strategic Plan
areas of high market readiness and development
potential. The earliest iterations of these concepts
were taken to a stakeholder brainstorming session
where Transit Alliance members were solicited
for opinions on the concepts and overall plan
considerations. These thoughts were used to refine
the original plans which were then presented to
the client through the exercise of a SWOC analysis.
The input from the SWOC analysis was evaluated
further and integrated into a what would become
the final concept plan; a plan rooted in the
original balanced concept approach but enhanced
through careful analysis, public participation, and
client feedback. The final plan has been dubbed
MOVING 5280
Introduction
Figure 25: Moving 5280 System Map

Denver Enhanced Transit Corridors PlanMoving 5280
Existing Conditions Relating to the Three Principles- Economic Development
Indexes were created to accurately map the
existing conditions of the three principles in
Denver. These three principles are:
Encourage economic development
Increase social equity around transit
Increase mode share
The map to the left displays areas of potential
economic development. The darker areas of
the map display areas that are more primed for
economic development. The index was created
using Blueprint Denver’s areas of change.
Critical areas include:
Downtown
Stapleton
Lowery
South Broadway
Cherry Creek
Figure 26: Areas of potential economic development

The map to the right displays areas of high
transit dependency. The darker areas of the map
display areas that are more transit dependent.
The index was based on data from the American
Community Survey and US Census. Variable in the
index are: homes lacking vehicles, population with
disabilities, female-headed households, income
levels, and young/ elderly population.
West Denver
Montbello
North East Park Hill
Capitol Hill
Windsor
Existing Conditions Relating to the Three Principles- Equity
Figure 27: Areas of transit dependency

The map to the left displays areas of potential
choice rider capture. The darker areas of the map
display areas that are prime for higher transit use.
The index was created using traffic counts and
number of households with two or more vehicles.
Downtown
Capitol Hill
South Broadway
Colorado Bvld.
Southeast Denver
Existing Conditions Relating to the Three Principles- Economic Development
Figure 28: Areas of potential choice rider capture

Stakeholder Brainstorming Activity/ SWOC Analysis
At the earliest stage of concept development,
stakeholders were engaged in a brainstorming
session where they were asked to provide
feedback on route development concepts and
transit plan concerns. The stakeholders were
provided three poster-sized city maps, each
representing one of the three plan goals. The
first map showed economic development areas
which displayed areas of change identified in
Blueprint Denver. The second map displayed
high transit need areas represented by transit
dependent and low income neighborhoods. The
final map displayed high automobile use areas
represented by multiple vehicle households and
roads with high traffic counts. Stakeholders were
given markers and time to provide input on where
they believe investments should be focused. The
following was gleaned from those conversations:
• Frequency, extended hours, and increased
weekend service is extremely important to
gaining ridership
• More investment is needed on Federal
Boulevard
• Current system is too focused on directing
people into downtown. Future investments
needed to focus on direct travel between
districts
• Look into investments along 56th Avenue in
Montbello area
• Stapleton connections to system are lacking
• Westwood area lacks connections to city center
• Provide more east-west connections
throughout the city
• Increase mode share in Northeast Denver
• Yosemite may provide better eastern
investment than Quebec
A SWOC analysis was used to identify the plan’s
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
constraints of the two early transit plan
concepts. These two alternatives, originally
dubbed the the “Balanced Concept” and
the “Economic Development Concept” were
presented to client and stakeholder groups,
allowing additional feedback to be provided
early in planning process. The group was
presented with a list of proposed routes for
each plan along with a matrix justifying how
the route served plan goals. The following is
feedback received during that process.
Balanced Concept
Strengths:
• Nodes create more transit options for people
(rail, bike, car, bus)
• Social equity aspect makes concept popular for
everyone
• Comprehensive network- geographically
equitable
• Makes sense from a systems and operational
standpoint
• Nodes highlight many existing “urban centers”
from TOD Strategic Plan
Opportunities:
• Nodes to create opportunities for last-mile
connections (car share, B-cycle) and consider
last-mile connections around areas well served
by transit (major feeders and overall system
implications)
• Connections to other cities (Lakewood-Belmar)
• NE connection to I-225 rail line
• Create phasing plan
• Consider the scope of nodes (major vs minor)
• Visualize node concepts in plan
Weaknesses:
• SW region is neglected
• Green Valley Ranch area is missed
• Extend Broadway to Evans
• “Zoom in” to analyze CBD
Constraints:
• Collaboration with neighboring jurisdictions
• Economic Development Concept
Economic Development Concept
Strengths:
• Stapleton/ Lowry/ Cherry Creek connection
• Highland line
Weaknesses:
• Concept #1 corridors make more sense for
economic development
• Only recognizes areas that are already
developing, doesn’t account for “emerging”
areas
• Lacks equity overall
• Highlands is already up and coming
• Doesn’t consider potential of Federal
• Concept is more of a “mode-shift focus” than
an “economic development focus”
Opportunities:
• Connect Lowry to E line
• Easy connection to Northfield
• Extend Highland line north
• Identify “emerging” areas
• Locate vacant lots
• Technology such as mobile phone applications
• Economic development incentives
Constraints:
• None identified by group

Establishing Investment Tiers
Types of Proposed Enhancements
The enhanced transit proposal is comprised of
three components: rapid transit improvements
or routes, express improvements or routes, and
nodes.
Rapid Transit Routes
Rapid transit routes form the core network of the
proposed transit system. Routes identified as rapid
transit improvements see an upgrade in vehicle
type to accommodate an increased number of
passengers, shorter headways, and faster travel
generally. The upgraded vehicle types could
potentially be rail based vehicles, streetcars, or bus
rapid transit. Given the mode neutral nature of the
proposal, no preference of rapid transit vehicle
selection is implied.
Along rapid transit routes, enhanced amenities are
proposed at every stop. Such amenities should
include seating and shelters sized approximately
50 x 10 feet, as well as signage, route-specific
maps and network maps for wayfinding. The
estimated cost of rapid transit improvements is
$30 million per route-mile.
Express Routes
Express routes are similar to rapid transit routes
in that they promise accommodation for an
increased number of passengers, shorter headways
and faster travel times than local buses. They
differ from rapid transit routes in that there may
be more stops than rapid transit routes, but fewer
stops than local bus routes. Each stop should,
however, have passenger amenities similar to
those of rapid transit routes. Reorganization of
the right-of-way is not proposed. Instead, express
routes are distinguished by enhanced shelters,
stop amenities, and wayfinding materials at every
stop, as well as route specific branding to identify
them as enhanced transit routes rather than
local bus routes. The estimated cost of express
improvements is $5 million per route-mile.
Nodes
The proposed plan features strategically located
transit nodes that anchor the enhanced transit
system. The purpose of each multi modal node
is to allow for the concentrated access to various
transportation types in most areas of the city,
permitting transit users to travel with minimal
transfers between neighborhoods. Nodes allow
travelers to avoid routing through the Central
Business District as is often currently required,
minimizing trip distances and durations where
possible. Because the nodes are located at
intersections between our proposed routes and
existing and proposed bicycle routes and/or RTD
rail lines, it is the expectation that the number
of transfers for any given trip will be limited,
expediting trips to other parts of the city and
local destinations. Sizing of individual nodes will
be relevant to the context of each node type,
appropriately located amenities, and available
adjacent land.
Proposed are two types of multi modal nodes:
Transit centers (regional) and transit stations
(local).
Transit Centers
Transit centers are, generally, those that are
located at the junction of any combination the
following: two or more proposed rapid transit
routes, RTD rail line(s), major TOD locations, and
regional destinations. At these transit centers,
RAPIDPotential Tier 1 RAPID Branding
EXPRESSPotential Tier 2 EXPRESS Branding

it is recommended that stops for local RTD bus
routes be present, even if the pathways for these
routes have to modified slightly to a proposed
maximum of three blocks, to ensure they serve
these transit centers. This way, local bus service
is certain to meet enhanced service and/or
regional transportation and/or bicycle routes.
It is envisioned that transit centers will feature
bicycle facilities including, but not limited to,
adequate bike parking, bike lockers, and perhaps
bicycle repair at the transit centers with the
greatest use. Structured parking is recommended
at transit centers farthest from the city center to
encourage motorists to use transit by making
it very feasible for them to access it. Abundant
shelters for passengers should be offered at
transit centers. For these passengers, and even
local residents, the provision of food concessions,
mobile or structured, is recommended to increase
the desirability of the transit center. Also for
the purpose of enhancing the user experience,
comprehensive, real time signage should be
present. At each transit center, a system map
should be present and easily legible, which should
include all routes that serve the transit center
(including bicycle routes), as well identify other
major routes and major destinations.
Transit Stations
Transit stations are those where one or two
proposed rapid transit routes intersect one or
two transit routes of any kind, including proposed
express routes and bicycle routes. Additional
services and amenities at transit stations are
intended to be limited relative to those found at
transit centers, but still offer accommodations to
users of a variety of transit types. Some bicycle
parking, as well as motorist parking where demand
would support such an improvement, should
be provided at transit stations. Signage and
wayfinding amenities that would be found at a
transit centers should be present at transit stations.
At transit stations, local-service and rapid transit
vehicles should be able to pull out of traffic to
allow for the timely on-boarding and deboarding
of passengers without disrupting traffic flow.
The actual size of the pullout/boarding area is
dependent on the number of transit vehicles, and
of what variety, serve the station.
List of Proposed Transit Centers:
• Denver Union Station
• Belleview Transit Center
• Colfax & Colorado Transit Center
• Alameda Transit Center
• Broadway Transit Center
• Federal & 38th Transit Center
• Central Park Transit Center
List of Proposed Transit Stations:
• Cherry Creek Station
• 40th & Colorado Station
• Decatur & Federal Station
• Lowry Station
• Peoria Station
• Federal & Evans Station
• Federal & Alameda Station
• Colfax & Yosemite Station
• 38th & Sheridan Station
• 38th & Blake Station
• 41st & Fox Station
• Montbello Station
• Civic Center Station

Transit Center Improvement Recommendations
• Distinctive pavers
• Clear stop identification/ signage
• Large shelters
• Real time information boards
• Bike racks
• Bike lockers
• Line specific branding
• Off-street vehicle stop area
• Improved lighting
• Bike repair station
• Garbage receptacles
• Landscaping
• Park and ride facilities (except Union Station)
• Place electric vehicle charging stations
To the left is the current I-25 and Broadway
RTD light rail stop. To the right is the
potential I-25 and Broadway Transit C
Physical Improvement Recommendations- Transit Center
Figure 29: Broadway and I-25 RTD Station Before

Figure 30: Broadway Transit Center After

Transit Station Improvement Recommendations
• Distinctive pavers
• Clear stop identification/ signage
• Large shelters
• Real time info board
• Bike racks
• Line specific branding
• Improved lighting
• Garbage receptacles
• Seating
• Stop area bulbs/ pavement marking
To the left is a current RTD bus stop. To the right
is the potential Alameda Transit Station after
implementing the recommended improvements
Along with stop design recommendations, vehicle
design recommendations are also made.
Vehicle Improvement Recommendations
• Low floor vehicles
• Tier specific branding
• Aesthetically appealing vehicles
Physical Improvement Recommendations- Transit Station/ Vehicles
Figure 31: RTD Bus Stop Before

Figure 32: Alameda Federal Bus Station After

Policy Recommendations
Financing Methods
Rapid Transit:
• Federal (Highway Trust Fund, TIGER)
• Issue bonds (general obligation, revenue
bonds)
• Special districts- BID, GID, TID
• Mill Levy
• Tax increase/ new tax
• Room/ occupancy taxes
• TIF
• Value capture
Express:
• General revenues
• Naming rights
• Tax policy
• Automobile related fees- registration, rental,
lease, parking, emissions, congestion pricing,
VMT
• Revenues- advertising, concessions
• Mortgage recording fees
• Corporate franchise taxes
• Corporate sponsorship
• Donations
• Other fees- utility, business licensing,
development impact, realty transfers
• (see TRB report http://www.trb.org/Main/
Blurbs/160356.aspx,pg 11 for local and state)
Coordination and partnerships
• Work closely with RTD and other local transit
agencies
• Partner with community organizations, both
governmental and community grassroots
groups
• Use existing plans as guidance
• Land use and zoning
• Create TOD overlay district
• Encourage high-density mixed use
development around Nodes
• Use zoning tools to create transit corridor areas
• Incentivize development around transit nodes
and corridors
Parking
• Undertake parking study for all nodes to
determine appropriate build level
• Implement developer incentives to reduce
parking spots
• Provide car share designated parking
• Lower development parking requirements in
city regulations
Technology Integration
• Create mobile app with real time tracking
• Integrate non-cash payment options
• Provide refillable smart card payment option
Operations and Scheduling
• All rapid transit and express lines should
operate at least 21 hours per day
• Timeliness of services is of the utmost
importance
• Optimized transfer schedules at all nodes
• Ensure cleanliness of busses
• Ensure garbage collection
Marketing and Branding
• Hold branding design competition for bus and
logo designs
Rapid lines:
• Broadway
• Colfax
• Colorado
• Federal
• Hill to Hill
Express lines:
• Park Express
• Alameda Express
• Mile High Express
• Eastside Express
• Northeast Express
• Evans Express
• Cherry Creek Express
Public Engagement
• Undertake robust public input process
• Hold public meetings at locations throughout
the city
• Engage with community groups and leaders
• Engage with business and development
community
• Create web-based information resource (eg:
i70east.com)

Marketing and Branding
All Rapid and Express stops should be branded.
Uniform and identifiable colors should be used for
each line, while incorporating the overall brand of
the Denver Enhanced Transit System.
Figure 33: Recommended Stop Branding

Recommended Lines- Moving 5280 System Plan
To the left the complete system plan can be found
the recommended corridors will be displayed in
more detail on the following pages. The plan which
has been dubbed the Moving 5280, attempted
to balance all three principles to achieve the best
outcome for all residents of Denver. The balanced
plan uses the current and future RTD rail system as
a backbone. Nodes are proposed to allow transit
users to transfer to high speed transportation
options throughout Denver.
The recommended Rapid lines are:
• Broadway
• Colfax
• Colorado
• Federal
• Hill to Hill
The Recommended Express lines are:
• Park Express
• Alameda Express
• Evans Express
Figure 34: Recommended Lines

The Rapid System
The Rapid system consists on lines where modal
upgrades are recommended. These lines are
expected to have the highest ridership in the
system and are seen as critical connections.
The recommended Rapid lines are:
• Broadway
• Colfax
• Colorado
• Federal
• Hill to Hill
Figure 35: Rapid System Map

Recommended Rapid Lines- Broadway
As the principal north-south artery in central
Denver, the Broadway corridor (including Lincoln
Street where it is an arterial) is a prime candidate
for rapid transit enhanced transit. Where Lincoln
Street terminates and becomes 20th Street in
downtown Denver, the enhanced corridor travels
northwest along 20th Street to Coors Field, turning
southwest at Chestnut Street to serve Denver
Union Station. The route then returns to Broadway
via 17th Street, which is currently without the
enhanced transit that 19th, 18th, and 16th Streets
currently feature. This corridor connects Denver
Union Station with the burgeoning Broadway
Station area while serving neighborhoods not
served by existing light rail. The corridor should
terminate at Evans Avenue on its southern end,
for the purpose of furthering the creation of an
enhanced transit grid.
Figure 36: Broadway Line

Recommended Rapid Lines- Colfax
Previously Denver’s principal thoroughfare,
Colfax Avenue should be served by rapid transit
enhanced transit across town from Denver’s
boundary with Aurora to its boundary with
Lakewood. Colfax Avenue is currently underserved
by RTD, as demand for service exceeds what
can presently be carried by RTD buses. Because
of this shortcoming, and considering that
previous feasibility studies support rapid
transit enhancement along Colfax Avenue, the
importance of enhancing of this corridor is
stressed.
Figure 37: Colfax Line

Recommended Rapid Lines- Colorado
Notoriously congested and without any existing
high-speed transit, rapid transit enhancements are
proposed for Colorado Boulevard. For the highest
level of connectivity, the enhanced corridor should
extend between the Colorado Station transit center
on the southern end to the Colorado-40th transit
station on the northern end.
Figure 38: Colorado Line

Recommended Rapid Lines- Federal
Federal Boulevard is one of the primary north-
south routes in Denver, as well as one of the
most-utilized transit routes operated by RTD. It
is proposed that a rapid transit enhanced transit
corridor extend across town from Denver’s border
with Adams County on the north to its border with
the city of Sheridan on the south.
Figure 39: Federal Line

Recommended Rapid Lines- Hill to Hill
To enhance connectivity between the popular
and developing Highland, Capitol Hill and Golden
Triangle neighborhoods, a rapid transit circulator
is proposed. Beginning at the Federal & 38th
transit center, the route should travel along 38th
Avenue to Zuni Street, where it turns south and
then east on 29th Avenue. The route should enter
the downtown area along 15th Street, where it
should turn onto Blake Street and then onto 14th
Street, in keeping with the current directional flow
of traffic. Where 14th Street meets Civic Center
Park, the route should complete a loop, utilizing
Colfax Avenue, Grant Street, 13th Avenue, and
Bannock Street, before re-entering the Central
Business District via 15th Street. This proposed
pathway is recommended as such for the purposes
of best utilizing existing infrastructure, increasing
mode share along busy 15th and 14th Streets and
discouraging the use of motor vehicles to travel to
and through these most-dense portions of Denver.
Figure 40: Hill to Hill Line

The Express System
The Express system consists on lines where modal
upgrades are not recommended. Amenity and
service upgrades are recommended to bolster
current service. While having lower ridership than
the Rapid system, the Express system should have
significantly higher ridership than local bus service.
The recommended Express lines are:
• Park Express
• Alameda Express
• Evans Express
Figure 41: Express System Map

Recommended Express Lines- Park Express
An express Route is proposed to run along 38th
Avenue, beginning at the 38th Avenue and
Sheridan node, to Park Avenue, where it will turn
southeast to run the entire length of Park Avenue.
The route should turn east onto Colfax Avenue
and then south, serving the York Street/Josephine
Street corridor, until it passes through the Cherry
Creek transit station, finally ending at the junction
of University Boulevard and Alameda Avenue. This
route will provide a direct connection between
Highlands and central Denver in the area of
Cheesman and City Parks. Both Park Avenue and
38th Avenue can support enhanced transit, and
it appears likely that such investment could spur
economic development along the route.
Figure 42: Park Express

Recommended Express Lines- Alameda Express
A express Route is proposed for Alameda Avenue
from Denver’s Boundary with Lakewood on the
west to the Cherry Creek transit station to the
east. Such an improvement should increase the
aesthetic and functional qualities of Alameda
Avenue by providing a more pedestrian-friendly
environment with its many express amenities,
encouraging economic development.
Figure 43: Alameda Express

Recommended Express Lines- Mile High Express
A new express circulator route is proposed for
the Central Business District and RiNo. Currently,
RTD operates the Free MallRide and the Free
MetroRide to connect Denver Union Station with
Civic Center Station (two important nodes). These
routes travel northwest to southeast (and vice
versa). The installation of southwest to northeast
circulator will expand coverage of easily accessible
transit to tourists, students, business people and
other users of the downtown area. It will meet
the important goal, as described in the review of
pertinent existing plans, of connecting Auraria
with the Ballpark area. It should increase economic
development opportunities throughout its service
area; particularly in the developing RiNo area as a
result of enhanced access to that district.
Figure 44: Mile High Express

Recommended Express Lines- Eastside Express
Anchored by the Belleview Station transit center
to the south and the Central Park Station center to
the north, this proposed express route serves the
eastern portion of Denver with enhanced transit.
Notably, the route serves the important Stapleton
and Lowry areas, and, through connections with
other enhanced corridors, provides access to the
remainder of the city to these neighborhoods
which are very much on the municipal fringe. In
ensuring adequate access to Stapleton, Lowry
and other areas of change, this route should
not follow one arterial, but rather several. From
Belleview Station, the route should follow Union
Avenue to DTC Boulevard, where it should turn
north, and continue northward along the arterial
as Tamarac Drive and then as Quebec Street.
Where Quebec Street meets Lowry Boulevard, it
should turn east-north-east, following the Lowry
arterial to Yosemite Street, where it will turn due
north. Yosemite Street will eventually become
Central Park Boulevard, and this route will follow
the Boulevard to the Central Park Station transit
center. Due to the non-linear nature of this route, it
is recommended that a substantial branding effort
be implemented to clearly identify this route along
the entirety of its path.
Figure 45: Eastside Express

Recommended Express Lines- Northeast Express
To better connect the neighborhoods of Montbello
and Gateway with the rest of the city, an express
route is proposed for the northeastern portion
of Denver, south of Denver International Airport.
Beginning at Central Park Station, the route
should travel along Central Park Boulevard to 56th
Avenue, continuing to Chambers Street, where it
should turn south on Chambers and then west on
the Gateway Avenue/51st Avenue arterial corridor
to Peoria Street. The route should then turn south
on Peoria Street, terminating at the Peoria Station
transit station.
Figure 46: Northeast Express

Recommended Express Lines- Evans Express
A express Route is proposed for Evans Avenue
from the Federal and Evans node on the west
to its junction with the East Side route. Such an
improvement should increase the aesthetic and
functional qualities of Evans Avenue, by providing
a more pedestrian-friendly environment with its
many express amenities, encouraging economic
development.
Figure 47: Evans Express

Recommended Express Lines- Cherry Creek Express
This express route, would provide a high speed
connection between the Highlands, Cherry
Creek, and Lowry. Currently, there is no readily
distinguishable transit route along Speer
Boulevard, which supports high speed transit and
accesses many neighborhoods. In its southern
portion, this express route works to connect the
Lowry area with the Cherry Creek area, traveling
between the two namesake nodes, largely along
East Alameda Avenue. This provides a link from the
East Side route into the southern portion of central
Denver, which complements the link between the
East Side route and the Central Business District
provided by the Colfax Avenue route. Together,
these routes provide options to transit users in
regards to how they would like to access the heart
of the city, and what they’re final destination can
be when choosing enhanced transit over the
private automobile.
Figure 48: Cherry Creek Express

Moving 5280 Final Line Recommendations
A map of the entire Moving 5280 concept final line
recommendations and the current and future RTD
system.
Figure 49: Complete System map with RTD Lines

Phasing
Figure 50: Phasing

Planning Project Studio URPL 6000 - Spring 2015University of Colorado, Denver

Denver Enhanced Transit Corridors PlanDenver Rides
Executive Summary
Purpose
The purpose of Denver Rides is to establish specific
actions the City and County of Denver need to take
within the next twenty-years to realize the vision
set out in the Denver Strategic Transportation Plan
and Blue Print Denver. Denver Rides builds upon
the vision for reducing singular-motorized trips in
Denver, and emphasizes the need for a convenient
and accessible transportation network that links
people to employment centers, social services, and
recreation opportunities.
Denver Rides is a mode-neutral and action-
oriented transportation plan that establishes
a toolbox of tier I and tier II facility types, and
an implementation and phasing strategy for
the enhancement of existing and proposed
transportation routes. Denver Rides focuses on
person trips and travel sheds, and establishes a
series of measurable goals and objectives to track
increases in mode share, transit access equity, and
economic opportunities.
Projections & Trends
• Regional population growth of 1.3 million
people by 2030
• FasTracks is to be completed by 2016
Between 2015 and 2030 (source: Denver TOD
Economic Analysis and Market Study):
• Upwards of 50,000 residential units coming
online (totaling 328,005)
• Nearly 20,000 new retail jobs (totaling 117,000)
• Approximately 35,000 new office jobs (totaling
240,000)
Vision Statement
Denver Rides will enhance existing transit options
and amenities, providing a more convenient
network that gets people where they are going
faster.
Goals
Denver Rides seeks to improve mobility by
providing greater geographic coverage for fixed-
route transit options. The first goal states that
Denver Rides will create:
A transit network where every household is within
a quarter-mile (10-minute walk or 5-minute bicycle
ride) of stop or station.
By making the transit system more accessible and
convenient for all users, Denver Rides works to
reduce motorized trips. This second goal focuses
on commuter trips due to available data, and the
ability to measure progress. Denver Rides puts in
motion a way for the city to:
Increase transit usage/ridership/mode share to 15%
by 2030.
Enhancing the transit network and increasing
ridership also requires an improvement to stop
and station amenities, and corridors. Not only
does this goal reinforce the first two, it emphasizes
the importance of economic development in a way
that builds upon the success of Transit Oriented
Development in the region.
Encourage increased density along transit corridors
and at transfer hubs.
Objectives
Denver Rides objectives are measurable targets
to guide the transit enhancement process from
technical planning and design, to community
engagement and stakeholder outreach, and finally
implementation. These objectives are based on the
criteria of increased mode share, improved social equity,
sustainability, and economic development, and to do so
requires an enhanced system for choice and non-choice
riders alike.
Objective #1 – Increase Geographic Coverage
Objective #2 – Invest in Stop and Station Amenities
Objective #3 – Facilitate Multi modal Connections
Objective #4 – Ensure Equal Access
Objective #5 – Improve Convenience
Objective #6 – Reconsider Auto-Centric Policies

Denver Enhanced Transit Corridors Plan Denver Rides
Executive Summary
Network
Denver Rides establishes tier I and tier II route
typologies to organize the enhancement of the
existing transit network, through the expansion
and/or modification of existing routes, the
addition of new routes, and improved facilities
and amenities. Enhancements will be physical and
operational, and phased over a 15 year period.
Denver Rides proposes enhancing of 101.2 miles
of the transit network, through tier I and tier II
improvements. A breakdown of the proposed
improvement and cost is shown in the spreadsheet
below. Tier I improvements make-up 39 percent
(40 miles) of the proposed network enhancement,
and tier II 61 percent (62 miles).
Figure 51: Phasing, Cost, and Distance

Executive Summary
Implementation
The total estimated cost of tier II and tier II
enhancements described in Denver Rides is
$1.48B (2015 dollar value). Tier I improvements
are projected to cost $1.2B or 81 percent of the
total projected cost, and $2.9M or 19 percent for
tier II improvements. The phasing plan for tier
I improvements, the phasing plan breaks down
to $456M for phase I, $466.5M for phase II, and
$264M for phase III. For tier II improvements, the
phasing plan breaks down to $60.65M for phase
I, $117.2M for phase II, and $113.1M for phase III.
Route prioritization informed the phasing strategy
for Denver Rides, and is designed to produce
the greatest return on investment by maximizing
opportunities pertaining to mode share, equity,
and/or economic opportunities (development).
The following graphics summarize the plan’s
implementation costs and phases.
Figure 52 (top left), 53 (bottom left), 54 (top right), 55 (bottom right): Length
per Phase, Cost per Phase, Distance per tier, Cost per tier

Background
What is Denver Rides?
Denver Rides builds upon the vision for non-
singular-motorized transportation in Denver by
establishing a series of measurable goals and
objectives for enhancing mode share, transit
access equity, and economic opportunities. Denver
Rides emphasizes the need for a convenient and
accessible transportation network that links people
to employment, social service, and recreation
opportunities. The Plan also supports the
development of an efficient, clean and innovative
transportation network.
Currently, the Regional Transportation District
(RTD) provides transit services in the City and
County of Denver, which is also responsible for
the regional FasTracks program. While FasTracks is
important in bringing people to and from the city,
Denver also needs an enhanced transit network
to better serve people living within the city who
depend on or would like to use transit as a primary
mode of transportation. The Plan identifies transit
enhancements that complement FasTracks, and
improvements from DRCOG, CDOT, and the private
sector.
Denver Rides is a mode-neutral and action-
oriented transportation plan that establishes tiers
and implementation phases that address goals
and objectives - , accounting for projected growth
and transportation system demands. The Plan
also addresses opportunities for partnerships,
and identifies funding strategies, reflecting a
need for flexibility due to financial constraints and
competition for scarce resources
Policy Framework
Denver Rides integrates citywide policy for mass-
transit into particular recommendations for an
enhanced transit system. Blueprint Denver remains
a critical document in setting the land-use and
transportation vision for Denver, particularly by
identifying corridors for enhancement (p115) and
areas of change. The Strategic Transportation
Plan (STP) expands upon the vision established
in Blueprint Denver, identifying ‘Transit Support
Strategies’, that include, “upgrading transit
service frequency, expanding hours of operations,
expanding transit route structure, enhancing
transit stops and passenger amenities, and
improving transit operations by implementing
strategies such as Transit Signal Priority . . .” (p19).
The STP is particularly important and innovative
by limiting the expansion of the public right-of-
way, and focusing on moving people, not just cars;
emphasizing improvements to the function and
efficiency of the existing street, and stating short-
and long-term strategies.
Denver Rides integrates the visions and goals
outlined in Blueprint Denver and the STP,
evaluates their feasibility and makes robust
recommendations for an integrated and enhanced
transportation network. Denver Rides is the Mass
Transportation Plan for the City and County of
Denver.

Goals and Objectives
Transportation goals are intended to guide the
overall planning of the enhanced transportation
network. They establish a link to key goals outlined
in the Strategic Transportation Plan and Blue Print
Denver as well as reflect the intended outcomes
of City and County of Denver. The outcomes
include economic development, a greater transit
modeshare, and a more equitable city. Each of
these outcomes are symbolized throughout the
plan as the following:
Objective #1 - Increase Geographic Coverage
Physical
Locate routes in areas with a high concentration of
transit dependent residents.
Locate routes that connect directly to essential
services, including social services, grocery stores
medical care, and employment centers.
Operational
Extend service hours to increase service coverage
area at certain times.
Objective #2 - Invest in Stop/Station Amenities
Physical
Enhance high traffic transit stops with permanent
amenities to improve that increase rider safety,
system legibility and connectivity.
Ensure basic amenities at all stops citywide.
Operational
Provide regular maintenance at all transit stops.
Keep stop and adjacent streetlights on during
hours of operation.
Objective #3 - Facilitate Multi modal
Connections
Physical
Provide a complete pedestrian network within ¼
mile of every stop, including functional concrete
sidewalks, crosswalks and curb ramps.
Connect existing bike routes to transit stops, and
locate new stops at intersections where Denver
Moves recommends new bike routes.
Provide bike parking at transit hubs and high
traffic stops.
Encourage the development of B-cycle stations at
transit hubs.
Provide a wayfinding system within a ¼ mile of
transit hubs and high volume stops.

Goals and Objectives
Operational
Expand RTD’s timed transfer policy to high volume
stops citywide.
Objective #4 – Ensure Equal Access
Operational
Implement a means based fare system for
residents below 200 percent of the federal poverty
level
Behavioral
Extend travel training programs to recent
immigrants, non-English speakers, and children.
Encourage the adoption of work and school based
travel plans
Objective #5 - Improve Convenience
Physical
Reconfigure the right of way on Tier 1 corridors for
dedicated or peak priority transit lanes.
Prioritize traffic signals for transit along Tier 1
corridors during peak hours.
Operational
Reduce headways during peak times along high
traffic corridors.
Develop a web based application that tracks buses
and trains in real time
Develop an electronic payment system that allows
riders to pay before boarding transit, and institute
an electronic payment only system on high volume
corridors.
Distinguish route and stop typologies through
visual design elements.
Objective #6 Reconsider Auto-Centric Policies
Physical
Reduce parking requirements for development
along enhanced corridors.
Behavioral
Institute a congestion pricing policy along high
traffic corridors and within urban centers.

Process
Identifying the Network
RTD’s fixed-route transportation network currently
has 118,385 miles of service across the region,
establishing a strong foundation which Denver
Rides seeks to build-upon. The City has identified
three goals that informed the overall selection and
analyses process: Increase Transit Mode Share,
Improve Social Equity, and Stimulate Economic
Development. Denver Rides was a two phased
process completed between January and May
2015.
Brainstorming Workshop & Mapping
Conducted with the Transit Alliance, this first
step of the phase II transit enhancement plan
development process was important in identifying
critical transportation issues facing communities
and corridors. The tools for the brainstorming
included markers, trace paper, and three maps
that accounted for the goals identified by city
staff: Economic Development, Increased Mode
Share, and Social Equity. We integrated their
feedback into our methodology, which led to the
analysis of more variables in the two concepts later
developed; particularly our adoption of a “multi-
destinational” approach.
The purpose of the economic development map
was to identify the existing conditions (surface
parking lots, supermarkets), plans (Blueprint
Denver, Urban Centers) or studies (2013 Retail
Study) that indicated enhanced transit may aid
in realizing the vision for these areas. This is
particularly true for underutilized parcels, such
as parking lots, where enhanced transit may
encourage redevelopment of a parcel into a more
productive and intense use.
Data was collected from Denver Open Data
Catalog, DRCOR Regional Data Catalog. Data
collected from Denver included major trip
generators (supermarkets, libraries, higher
education, areas of change, etc.). Data collected
from DRCOG included urban centers.
Figure 56: Areas of Change, Urban Centers, and Arterials

Process
Increased Mode Share
To encourage an increase in mode-share among
residents and visitors to the Mile High City, we
mapped the most used transit lines, single-
occupancy vehicle commute percentage, transit
commute percentage, and automobile traffic
citywide. Coupled with existing routes, research
into headways and hours of operation, we were
able to identify travel sheds that may benefit from
enhanced transit service.
Figure 57: Traffic and Commute Type

Social Equity
Socio-economic data was analyzed using ArcGIS,
and aggregated using the Kreagin tool, to create
a kind of socio-economic heat-map to illustrate
the spatial intensity of these characteristics within
Denver. Variables analyzed were sourced entirely
from US Census tract data, and included: low-
income, women as head of household, households
with an above average number of kids 10-19,
residents years 65+, areas of high-unemployment.
These variables were chosen due to their
perception as indicators of transit-dependency.
Overlaying existing fixed-routes onto the heat-map
indicated where gaps exist in the geography of
the current transit network, particularly identifying
underserved neighborhoods and transit inclined/
dependent populations.
This step in the process provided us with
an enhanced understanding of the critical
transportation issues facing neighborhoods and
corridors, and would ultimately lead to our two
concepts and route selection.
Process
Figure 58: Index of Transit Dependency

Process
Route – Goal Correlation Heat Matrix
To determine which routes to enhance, we first
created a ‘Goal Correlation Heat Matrix’ to
organize and visually represent each selected
corridors relationship to the goals identified by
City staff. Routes selected were informed by the
existing conditions analysis conducted in phase I,
and the feedback received from the Transit Alliance
stakeholder group and intercept interviews.
The darker colors in the matrix indicate higher
levels of correlation
Alternative Concepts & SWOT Analysis
The final component of this stage included
presenting two alternative concepts, and
conducting a SWOT analysis, from which some
routes were altered or removed. Concept I
emphasized routes that increased social equity,
and concept II routes that encouraged economic
development; both routes anticipated an increase
in mode share.
Concept 1 received praise for the way it expanded
coverage throughout the city and had flexible
infrastructure. There were concerns about the
operation of proposed circulators, the number
of transfers required to get downtown, whether
existing right-of-way could accommodate buses,
and that it did not offer benefits to each voting
district.
Concept 2 was well received for its U shape across
town, and the matching of public investments
with areas of economic change. Its weaknesses
thou were that it did not expand service to transit
dependent areas and did not factor in operational
constraints at line ends.
Figure 59: Phasing and Goal Correlation

Process
From this process we combined the strongest
components of each concept into a single concept,
which would become Denver Rides.
In-Depth Research & Justifications
In-depth research was conducted to inform our
phasing recommendations, and implementation
principles. The body of this research includes
studies conducted for the City and County of
Denver, some for neighboring municipalities, and
a large amount of professional and academic
research analyzing local, national and international
transit enhancement data.
Economic Development
The 2013 Retail Study, conducted by Economic
Planning Systems for the City and County
of Denver, was an important document and
informed our prioritizing areas for transportation
enhancements as it identified “opportunity areas”
where enhanced transit may bolster economic
development - particularly areas for retail growth.
The opportunity areas identified include: Regional
Expansion, Potential Regional Retail Center,
Emerging Neighborhood District, Refill/Redevelop.
The first recommendation outlined in the study’s
conclusion states, “Ensure that all Denver residents
have the opportunity to buy the full range of retail
goods and services within the city” (p21). Denver
Rides seeks to provide that opportunity, and spur
economic development by doing so.
Other literature reviewed was the role of enhanced
transit and access-related price effects on land,
whereas land becomes more accessible, it’s
perceived usefulness for locating commercial or
residential activity increases, inducing demand
which inevitably raises its value – ultimately
Figure 60: Areas of Retail Growth (EPS, 2013)

Process
inducing the land holder/user/developer to use
the land more intensely (Bartholomew and Ewing
2011, p20). The research further indicates that,
introducing transit service to an area, particularly
if that service operates in its own right of way, has
the net effect of increasing the relative accessibility
of that area compared to other areas at the
same or less distance from downtown or other
activity centers but without transit (retail centers,
DRCOG urban centers) (Englewood Corridor Retail
Assessment p2 section IV, 2011). These findings
are reinforced in a report by the Center for
Transit Oriented Development states, “if transit is
planned in a way that makes strong connections
to significant employment centers, it can also
promote residential TOD in places on the transit
corridor where commercial uses are less likely to
locate” (p27).
Factors influencing the degree of relative
accessibility (Bartholomew and Ewing 2011, p22)
• Frequency
• Geographic Extent
• Speed
• Length
• Intensity
• Geographic extent of traffic congestion on
same or parallel road
One example of the impact enhanced transit may
have in an area is the Pearl District, near downtown
Portland, Oregon. Prior to the city constructing
a street car line in 2007, area development was
less than half the density allowed in the zoning
code. After the city constructed the street car
development increased to between 60 and 90
percent of the allowable density (measure by floor-
area-ratio) (Bartholomew and Ewing 2011, p21).
Figure 61: Urban Centers (DRCOG GIS)

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