R Line (RTD)
| Company type | Light rail route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | February 24, 2017 |
Area served | Aurora, Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial, Lone Tree |
| Owner | Regional Transportation District (RTD) |
| Website | www |
R Line
The R Line, frequently referred to as the Aurora Line or I-225 Rail, is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail route serving stations across Aurora, Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial, and Lone Tree. It commenced operations on February 24, 2017, with the "R" label representing its connection to "Aurora" and "RidgeGate."
Utilizing a combination of newly constructed and preexisting RTD Light Rail tracks, the R Line replaced the earlier G Line, which operated from 2006 until 2009 along the southern segment of this corridor. Significantly, it stands out as the only RTD rail service that does not have stops within downtown Denver.
Between June and October 2023, service south of Florida station was halted to facilitate maintenance work on the Southeast Corridor between I-25 & Broadway and Lincoln stations; this maintenance is currently on hold until May 2024. Despite this, the R Line maintains full operation from Peoria to Lincoln but will experience reduced evening frequencies during the ongoing work.
G Line service (2006–2009)
The completion of the Southeast Corridor light rail project on November 17, 2006, as part of the Transportation Expansion Project, introduced four new routes including the “G Line.” This brown-designated line connected Aurora to Lone Tree, with its northern endpoint at Nine Mile Station in Aurora along the I-225 branch—shared with the H Line—and its southern terminus at Lincoln Avenue Station in Lone Tree, served also by the E and F Lines.
Due to insufficient ridership levels, night, weekend, and holiday services were discontinued in August 2007 except for a single northbound weekend and holiday morning trip. Further reductions limited operations to peak hours starting August 2008 before complete suspension on May 3, 2009.
I-225 Rail Line
The Aurora-Lone Tree corridor was revitalized under the 2004 voter-approved FasTracks program via the I-225 Corridor light rail line. This route provides a circumferential connection between the Southeast and East Corridors through Aurora. The initiative included seven additional stations and approximately 1,800 parking spaces. Construction commenced in spring 2012 through a joint contract with the Colorado Department of Transportation. After securing financing through an unsolicited proposal from Kiewit Infrastructure Company, completion was initially scheduled for winter 2016 but encountered delays. On January 30, 2017, RTD announced that both H and R Lines would start service on February 24, 2017.
Southeast Corridor Extension
For extending the Southeast Corridor beyond Lincoln station, RTD issued a Request for Proposal to four teams to add track serving three new stations: Sky Ridge Medical Center, , and terminating at . On July 28, 2015, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. secured the design-build contract. Design activities began in fall 2015 followed by construction starting in 2016. This extension officially opened on May 17, 2019. Nevertheless, due to low passenger numbers and ongoing development in the area, service was truncated back to Lincoln station in 2020 amid widespread declines in transit usage related to the pandemic.
Route
The R Line extends southward starting from Peoria Station located in northwest Aurora. It predominantly follows the path of Interstate 225 through Aurora to reach Belleview Station in southeast Denver, then continues along Interstate 25 until its initial endpoint at RidgeGate Parkway station in southern Lone Tree. Due to insufficient ridership, service was reduced to terminate at Lincoln Station, eliminating stops at Sky Ridge, Lone Tree City Center, and RidgeGate Parkway.
Stations
Template:Rtds Lone TreeTemplate:RintTemplate:RintPark and ride: 388 spaces Template:RtdsTemplate:RintTemplate:Rint
Park and ride: 1,734 spaces
| Station | Municipality | Opened | Interchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Rtds | Aurora | April 22, 2016 | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 550 spaces |
| Template:Rtds | February 24, 2017 | ||
| Template:Rtds | Template:Rint Flatiron Flyer | ||
| Template:Rtds | Park and ride: 262 spaces | ||
| Template:Rtds | Park and ride: 242 spaces | ||
| Template:Rtds | Park and ride: 145 spaces | ||
| Template:Rtds | Template:Rint Template:Rint | ||
| Template:Rtds | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 600 spaces | ||
| Template:Rtds | November 17, 2006 | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 1,225 spaces | |
| Template:Rtds | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 250 spaces | ||
| Template:Rtds | Denver, Colorado | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 817 spaces | |
| Template:Rtds | Greenwood Village, Colorado | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 48 spaces | |
| Template:Rtds | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 817 spaces | ||
| Template:Rtds | Centennial, Colorado | Template:Rint Template:Rint Park and ride: 235 spaces |
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