RTD East Corridor
Encyclopedia
The East Corridor will be a commuter rail line in Denver and Aurora
, Colorado
. The East Corridor was the second line of FasTracks
to break ground, on August 26, 2010. It will be completed in 2015. The line is part of the Eagle P3
public-private partnership.
and Denver International Airport
since the latter was proposed in the 1980s. The project gathered momentum in 1997 when a Major Investment Study was completed for the corridor, encouraging fixed-guideway mass transit (light rail
or commuter rail), highway widening and general improvements. The project was approved as part of the FasTracks
transit expansion package in November of 2004, went through regulatory processes and was approved by the Federal Transit Administration
in November of 2009. In July of 2007, it was decided to use electric multiple unit
propulsion instead of diesel multiple unit
over speed and air pollution concerns.
, the train follows the Union Pacific corridor and goes past the back side of Coors Field
. It will stop at a station shared with the expanded Central Corridor
at 38th and Blake streets. From there the corridor turns east along 40th Avenue past the Denver Intermodal Yard. East of Josephine, the corridor turns north, then east again to stay along the Union Pacific mainline, along Smith Road. There will be stations at Colorado Boulevard, Central Park Boulevard (in the Stapleton
redevelopment area and at Peoria Street. The station at Peoria Street will be shared with the reinstated G Line
. East of Peoria Street, the line will travel under Interstate 225
. It will then cross over both the Union Pacific mainline tracks and Interstate 70
. There will be a stop next to the existing Park and Ride
at 40th Avenue and Airport Boulevard. From there the line follows the east and south sides of Peña Boulevard
, crossing over E-470
. Once adjacent runway 7/25, the corridor crosses over Peña Boulevard and runs between the airport secure area and the car rental facilities along 78th Avenue. The corridor then crosses over the south/west bound lanes of Peña Boulevard, ending at a new station south of the Jeppesen Terminal.
route, four commuter rail lines and three light rail lines will merge here, leading to connection opportunities for residents of a large part of the Denver metro area.
line and will provide connections to the east side of downtown and the Five Points
area.
and Park Hill neighborhoods.
, which will pass through central Aurora
. This station will also serve the Montbello
neighborhood of Denver and the northwest part of Aurora
.
.
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The East Corridor was the second line of FasTracks
FasTracks
FasTracks is a twelve-year, $6.5 billion public transportation expansion plan for the Denver-Aurora and Boulder metropolitan areas in Colorado, USA, developed by the Regional Transportation District...
to break ground, on August 26, 2010. It will be completed in 2015. The line is part of the Eagle P3
Eagle P3
Eagle P3 is a public-private commuter rail project involving the Regional Transportation District and Denver Transit Partners to develop parts of the FasTracks public transportation program in Denver, Colorado.-Terms:...
public-private partnership.
History
Mass transit has been under consideration for the corridor between Downtown DenverDowntown Denver
Downtown Denver is the main financial, commercial, and entertainment district in Denver, Colorado. There is over of office space in downtown Denver, with 130,000 workers....
and Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
since the latter was proposed in the 1980s. The project gathered momentum in 1997 when a Major Investment Study was completed for the corridor, encouraging fixed-guideway mass transit (light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
or commuter rail), highway widening and general improvements. The project was approved as part of the FasTracks
FasTracks
FasTracks is a twelve-year, $6.5 billion public transportation expansion plan for the Denver-Aurora and Boulder metropolitan areas in Colorado, USA, developed by the Regional Transportation District...
transit expansion package in November of 2004, went through regulatory processes and was approved by the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
in November of 2009. In July of 2007, it was decided to use electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
propulsion instead of diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
over speed and air pollution concerns.
Route
Leaving Union StationUnion Station (Denver)
Union Station is Denver, Colorado, USA's historic train station at 17th and Wynkoop in the LoDo district. The station first opened in 1881.-History:...
, the train follows the Union Pacific corridor and goes past the back side of Coors Field
Coors Field
Coors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
. It will stop at a station shared with the expanded Central Corridor
D Line (RTD)
The D Line—also referred to as the Green Line, because green is the line's color on maps—is a light rail line which is part of the light rail system operated by the Regional Transportation District in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area in Colorado...
at 38th and Blake streets. From there the corridor turns east along 40th Avenue past the Denver Intermodal Yard. East of Josephine, the corridor turns north, then east again to stay along the Union Pacific mainline, along Smith Road. There will be stations at Colorado Boulevard, Central Park Boulevard (in the Stapleton
Stapleton International Airport
Stapleton International Airport was Denver, Colorado's primary airport from 1929 to 1995. At different times it served as a hub for TWA, People Express, Frontier Airlines and Western Airlines as well as a hub for Continental Airlines and United Airlines at the time of its closure.In 1995 Stapleton...
redevelopment area and at Peoria Street. The station at Peoria Street will be shared with the reinstated G Line
G Line (RTD)
The G Line was a light rail line of the Regional Transportation District in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area in Colorado. It was added to the system on November 17, 2006, with the completion of the Southeast Corridor project . It was one of four routes that were part of the RTD's service plan...
. East of Peoria Street, the line will travel under Interstate 225
Interstate 225
Interstate 225 is a spur route of Interstate 25 in Colorado. It is the only auxiliary route of Interstate 25, and one of two in Colorado. I-225 traverses Aurora and small portions of Denver and Greenwood Village. It runs north from Interstate 25 to Interstate 70. It intersects with Interstate...
. It will then cross over both the Union Pacific mainline tracks and Interstate 70
Interstate 70 in Colorado
Interstate 70 is a transcontinental Interstate Highway in the United States, stretching from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. In Colorado, the highway traverses an east–west route across the center of the state. In western Colorado, the highway connects the metropolitan areas of Grand...
. There will be a stop next to the existing Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
at 40th Avenue and Airport Boulevard. From there the line follows the east and south sides of Peña Boulevard
Peña Boulevard
Federico Peña Boulevard, named for former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, is a long freeway located in Adams County and the City and County of Denver, Colorado. The freeway, which opened in 1993, provides the only access into the Denver International Airport which opened at the same time...
, crossing over E-470
E-470
E-470 is a 46-mile limited-access tollway traversing the eastern portion of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area in Colorado. The toll road is not a state highway, but is instead maintained by the E-470 Public Highway Authority.-Route description:...
. Once adjacent runway 7/25, the corridor crosses over Peña Boulevard and runs between the airport secure area and the car rental facilities along 78th Avenue. The corridor then crosses over the south/west bound lanes of Peña Boulevard, ending at a new station south of the Jeppesen Terminal.
Union Station
Union Station is the hub of the FasTracks transit expansion. By the completion of the project, one AmtrakCalifornia Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
route, four commuter rail lines and three light rail lines will merge here, leading to connection opportunities for residents of a large part of the Denver metro area.
38th/Blake
This station will be shared with the expanded Central CorridorD Line (RTD)
The D Line—also referred to as the Green Line, because green is the line's color on maps—is a light rail line which is part of the light rail system operated by the Regional Transportation District in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area in Colorado...
line and will provide connections to the east side of downtown and the Five Points
Five Points (Denver)
Five Points is one of Denver, Colorado's oldest historic neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown central business district. The neighborhood is located in the area of Northeast Denver where the original downtown street grid meets the neighborhood street grid of the first Denver suburbs...
area.
Colorado Boulevard
Located at Smith Road and Jackson Street (one block west of Colorado Boulevard), this station will serve the Elyria/SwanseaElyria-Swansea, Denver
Elyria-Swansea is a neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. It is located in East Denver, on the northeast side of the city. In 2007, the neighborhood had 7,218 residents and 1,787 households...
and Park Hill neighborhoods.
Central Park Boulevard
This station is located in Denver's Stapleton redevelopment area just west of Sand Creek and the former runways of Stapleton International AirportStapleton International Airport
Stapleton International Airport was Denver, Colorado's primary airport from 1929 to 1995. At different times it served as a hub for TWA, People Express, Frontier Airlines and Western Airlines as well as a hub for Continental Airlines and United Airlines at the time of its closure.In 1995 Stapleton...
Peoria
This station will be shared with the reinstated and expanded G LineG Line (RTD)
The G Line was a light rail line of the Regional Transportation District in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area in Colorado. It was added to the system on November 17, 2006, with the completion of the Southeast Corridor project . It was one of four routes that were part of the RTD's service plan...
, which will pass through central Aurora
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
. This station will also serve the Montbello
Montbello
Montbello is a neighborhood in the northeastern section City and County of Denver, Colorado, USA. Montbello is one of Denver's largest neighborhoods, with over 9,000 housing units, and over 30,000 residents.- Neighborhood facts :...
neighborhood of Denver and the northwest part of Aurora
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
.
40th/Airport
Located in northeast Aurora, this station will also serve the Gateway and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods of Denver.Denver International Airport
This station will be connected to the southernmost part of the Jeppesen Terminal at Denver International AirportDenver International Airport
Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
.