R Line (RTD)

R Line
R Line tracks at the intersection of E Exposition Ave and S Sable Blvd prior to operation
Overview
Other nameI-225 Line
OwnerRegional Transportation District
LocaleDenver metropolitan area
Termini
Stations16
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemRTD Rail
OperatorRegional Transportation District
Ridership1,097,000 (FY2023, annual)
History
OpenedNovember 17, 2006 (G Line)
ClosedMay 3, 2009 (G Line)
ReopenedFebruary 24, 2017 (R Line)
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 750 V DC
Route map

R Line highlighted in green
Legend
to Union Station
 Peoria
to Denver Airport
 Fitzsimons
 Colfax
I-225.svg I-225
 13th Avenue
 2nd Avenue & Abilene
 Aurora Metro Center
 Florida
Iliff
I-225.svg I-225
Nine Mile
 Dayton
I-25.svg I-25
Belleview
 Orchard
 Arapahoe at Village Center
 Dry Creek
 County Line
Colorado 470 wide.svgE470.svg SH 470 / E-470
 Lincoln
to RidgeGate Parkway
This diagram:

The R Line is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail line that serves stations in Aurora, Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial and Lone Tree, Colorado. The line began operation on February 24, 2017. During planning and construction, it was known as the I-225 Line. The line received its letter designation to reflect the letter Rs in "Aurora" and "RidgeGate". The line travels over newer and older portions of the RTD light rail system, and is the only line in the RTD rail system that does not serve downtown Denver. It is colored lime green on system maps.

The R Line's northern terminus is Peoria station in Aurora, and its southern terminus is Lincoln station in Lone Tree. As of 2026, service has been temporarily extended south of Lincoln to RidgeGate Parkway Station. This configuration will remain through the completion of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, at which point the R Line terminus will return to Lincoln.

History

G Line (2006 - 2009)

November 17, 2006 saw the completion of the Southeast Corridor light rail project (part of the Transportation Expansion Project). One of the four routes that were part of the RTD’s service plan for the corridor, the route between Aurora and Lone Tree, was named the G Line and assigned the color brown. The G Line’s northern terminus was at Nine Mile station in Aurora on the I-225 branch of the system, shared with the H Line, while its southern terminus was at Lincoln station in Lone Tree, shared with the E and F Lines.

In August 2007, night, Saturday, Sunday and holiday service was discontinued due to low ridership. Service was further reduced to peak hour-only in August 2008 before being suspended entirely on May 3, 2009. RTD would later re-use the G Line designation for a commuter rail service between Union Station and Wheat Ridge.

The table below shows the G Line's final service pattern and connections in 2009.

Community Station Opened Connections & notes
Aurora Nine Mile November 17, 2006
Park and ride: 1,225 spaces
Dayton
Park and ride: 250 spaces
Denver Belleview
Park and ride: 817 spaces
Greenwood Village Orchard
Park and ride: 48 spaces
Arapahoe at Village Center
Park and ride: 817 spaces
Centennial Dry Creek
Park and ride: 235 spaces
Lone Tree County Line
Park and ride: 388 spaces
Lincoln
Park and ride: 1,734 spaces

R Line (2017 - present)

The 2004 voter-approved FasTracks initiative marked the return of the Aurora-Lone Tree corridor. The service running along the corridor was named the R Line, and its completion facilitated a circumferential link between the E and H Lines and the A Line. The project included seven new stations and provided 1,800 new parking spaces. Construction began in spring 2012 on a short section of the line as part of a joint contract with the Colorado Department of Transportation. Following an unsolicited proposal from Kiewit Corporation, funding was secured for the full line, which was expected to open in winter 2016. The opening date was later pushed back. On January 30, 2017, RTD announced that the R Line would begin service on February 24, 2017. Operations commenced on that day, along with an extension of the H Line to the newly constructed Florida station in Aurora.

Extension to RidgeGate Parkway

RTD sent four teams a Request for Proposal for the Southeast Corridor extension, consisting of 2.3 miles (3.7 km) of new track south of Lincoln station that would serve three new stations: Sky Ridge Medical Center, Lone Tree City Center, and a new terminus at RidgeGate Parkway. On July 28, 2015, a design-build contract for the extension was awarded to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. Design on the extension began in fall 2015 and construction began in 2016. The extension opened on May 17, 2019. This service pattern would be short-lived, as R Line service was cut back to Lincoln in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This service change has persisted since the pandemic due to low demand south of Lincoln.

In June 2026, R Line service to RidgeGate Parkway was restored to due to the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project. This project prompted the suspension of the H Line for construction, with increased service on the R Line and a temporary "T Line" replacing H Line capacity. This service change is temporary and the R Line's southern terminus will return to Lincoln when complete.

Route

The R Line travels south from Peoria station in northwest Aurora. The line follows Sand Creek to East Colfax Avenue, where it meets Interstate 225. It then follows I-225 south, mostly along a dedicated right-of-way with a smaller street-running portion through central Aurora. It meets the H Line at its outbound terminus at Florida station. The two lines travel together to Dayton station; at I-225's southern terminus at Interstate 25, the H Line splits off north towards downtown Denver while the R Line splits off south towards the Denver Tech Center. It joins the E Line north of Belleview station. The two lines travel together alongside I-25 to the R Line's terminus at Lincoln station in Lone Tree.

The R Line is the primary public transit corridor for travel between Denver's southeastern suburbs - Centennial, Greenwood Village, and Lone Tree - and Denver International Airport. Passengers bound for the airport transfer to A Line trains at Peoria.

Stations

Community Station Opened Connections & notes
Aurora Peoria April 22, 2016 Mainline rail interchange
Bus interchange 37, 45, 121, 153
Park and ride: 550 spaces
Fitzsimons February 24, 2017
Colfax Bus interchange LYNX, 10, 15, 15L, 20, FF5
13th Avenue Park and ride: 242 spaces
2nd Avenue & Abilene Bus interchange 6
Park and ride: 262 spaces
Aurora Metro Center Bus interchange 3, 3L, 6, 11, 15L, 21, 130, 133, 153
Park and ride: 145 spaces
Florida Bus interchange 11
Iliff Bus interchange 21
Park and ride: 600 spaces
Nine Mile November 17, 2006 Bus interchange 35, 83D, 83L, 121, 130, 133, 135, 139, 483, AT, ATA
Park and ride: 1,225 spaces
Dayton Park and ride: 250 spaces
Denver Belleview Mainline rail interchange
Bus interchange 73
Park and ride: 59 spaces
Greenwood Village Orchard Mainline rail interchange
Park and ride: 48 spaces
Arapahoe at Village Center Mainline rail interchange
Bus interchange 66, 153, 169, AT, ATA
Park and ride: 817 spaces
Centennial Dry Creek Mainline rail interchange
Park and ride: 235 spaces
Lone Tree County Line Mainline rail interchange
Bus interchange 402L
Park and ride: 388 spaces
Lincoln Mainline rail interchange
Bus interchange 483
Park and ride: 1,734 spaces
Sky Ridge May 17, 2019 Mainline rail interchange
Lone Tree City Center Mainline rail interchange
RidgeGate Parkway Mainline rail interchange
Park and ride: 1,300 spaces

References

  1. ↑ "RIDERSHIP (BOARDINGS) BY MONTH, YEAR AND MODE" (PDF). RTD. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  2. ↑ "RTD – I-225 Rail Line". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ "RTD – R Line". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Aurora News Weekly". No. July 13, 2015. City of Aurora, Colorado. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ "RTD's latest bus and rail service changes start June 7". The Denver Post. May 21, 2026. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Proposed June 2026 Service Changes". www.rtd-denver.com. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
  7. ↑ "RTD Southeast Light Rail". Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  8. ↑ Jeffrey Leib (January 13, 2009). "RTD plans to reduce service". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  9. ↑ "FasTracks – I-225 Corridor". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ Paul, Jesse (November 18, 2016). "RTD will not open G-Line or R-Line before end of year as planned". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  11. ↑ "RTD". www3.rtd-denver.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  12. 1 2 Aguilar, John (January 25, 2019). "Light-rail extension into Lone Tree set to start passenger service May 19". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Southeast Rail Extension". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Contract approved to extend Southeast Rail Line in Douglas County". RTD FasTracks. Regional Transportation District of Denver. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  15. ↑ Rubino, Joe (May 15, 2019). "RTD's newest line in southeast Denver metro will power development for years to come". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  16. ↑ Finley, Bruce (May 21, 2026). "RTD's latest bus and rail service changes start June 7". The Denver Post. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
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