ADA focus group takes a ride on a portion of 16th Street Mall to provide feedback on Denver’s new MallRide transitway
On Sept. 23, RTD, the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), 16th Street Mall Project contractor PCL Construction and the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) invited ADA community members to experience boarding MallRide shuttles and taking a ride on the Mall between Larimer and Arapahoe streets ahead of bus service returning to a portion of the 16th Street Mall in mid-October.
The invitation provided an opportunity for the guests to try out the new center-running alignment and provide feedback on their experience. The session also served to familiarize MallRide bus operators with accessibility needs of customers with disabilities and vision impairments specific to navigating the new center-running transitway, including practice in deploying ADA ramps on the newly constructed curbs.
RTD began training Free MallRide operators on Monday, Sept. 16, on the completed portionof the 16th Street Mall between Wazee and Curtis streets. The training is taking place to familiarize bus operators with the new center-running transitway.
Operator training will take place 6 a.m.-2 p.m. through the end of September, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for approximately two weeks in October. Signs are posted on the Free MallRide shuttles indicating that the vehicles are training operators and not in service. Approximately four shuttles are operating in both directions each day between Wazee and Curtis streets. Pedestrians are encouraged to be cautious and look both ways while crossing the transitway.
RTD Free MallRide will continue to provide service to customers on 15th and 17th streets between, Union Station and Civic Center Station, while operator training is underway.
In mid-October, the Free MallRide will begin operating on the 16th Street Mall from Denver Union Station to Curtis Street, and on 15th and 17th streets between Curtis Street and Civic Center Station. MallRide service is anticipated to remain in this configuration from mid-October until the project is completed in 2025. Read more.