RTD celebrates 30 years of light rail
RTD thanks all who attended the agency’s celebration on Saturday, Oct. 5 in downtown Denver
RTD commemorates 30 years of light rail service that launched in downtown Denver on Oct. 7, 1994. To mark the milestone, the agency hosted a celebratory event on Oct. 5 with a DJ and music, family-friendly activities, food trucks and more for the public. RTD thanks everyone who stopped by to celebrate with the agency.
RTD General Manager and GM Debra A. Johnson, RTD Board Chair Erik Davidson, and Executive Director of Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Amy Ford all spoke at the event that took place adjacent to the 16th•California Station.
“The launch of Denver’s first light rail line in 1994 built upon the city’s rich legacy of rail mobility that began in the 1870’s,” Johnson said. “That mobility remains critical to the region’s prosperity and vitality and also to the individuals and families who rely on public transit daily.”
The Central Corridor Line, which opened to the public Oct. 7, 1994, operated between I-25 and Broadway to 30th Avenue and Downing Street along a rail alignment now served by the D, E, H and L lines. During the opening weekend more than 200,000 customers rode the new line consisting of a fleet of 11 rail cars. The original cars are still in service and sequentially numbered 101 – 111. They have since been refreshed with new floors, rust mitigation, exterior paint and decals to match the current RTD color scheme. The agency is in the process of converting the vehicles’ cloth seats to vinyl. The original cloth seats, once seen as premium, are less resistant to Colorado weather, which the vinyl seats can better withstand. The vinyl seats are also easier to clean and are a welcome upgrade for customers.
Saturday’s event also celebrated the successful conclusion of the first phase of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, which crews competed on Aug. 29, three weeks ahead of schedule. RTD performed needed maintenance on the 30-year-old alignment to protect the community’s investment in light rail services as part of the agency’s Back to Basics strategic initiative.