W Line marks a milestone with 10 years of service today

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the W Line opening. What began with a ceremonial “pulling” of the old Associated Railroad trolley tracks in May 2007 in Lakewood, evolved into the 12.1-mile connection from Golden in Jefferson County through Lakewood to Denver. The line was the first to open of the FasTracks expansion in 2013. The celebration kicked-off with the RTD Color Guard and the Colorado School of Mines Marching Band and a performance by the Ambassadors of Gospel. Thousands of people waited to take the first ride on that sunny spring day.

The W Line features the signature 6th Avenue bridge which was preconstructed along the side of the highway and then rolled out over the highway into place over a period of 14 hours. This innovative method of installation saved the public months of traffic impacts by way of lane closures. Other key features along the line, include unique art installations and nearly 36 relay houses wrapped with art designs for customers to enjoy while they ride the train.

Since opening, the line has carried approximately 36.7 million customers and traveled an estimated 18,986,000 miles.

Today customers can easily access education centers like Red Rocks Community College, Auraria Higher Education Campus and large employers like the Federal Center, as well as entertainment and sports venues like Empower Field at Mile High and Ball Arena.