Southeast Corridor Light Rail

Denver's Southeast Corridor Light Rail will run along the west side of I-25 from Lincoln Avenue in Douglas County to the Broadway station on the north end and in the center median of I-225 from the I-25/I225 interchange to Parker Road in Aurora. Thirteen new light rail stations will be built and improvements made to the existing Broadway station. The project includes the creation of 19 miles of double-track rail line, the purchase of 34 light rail vehicles, construction of the new light Elati rail maintenance facility and installation of a communications control center.

The new line will connect to the Central Corridor Light Rail, providing service to downtown Denver and the new Central Platte Valley spur, which serves entertainment venues including Invesco Field at Mile High, Six Flags Elitch Gardens, the Pepsi Center and Coors Field.

The T-REX transit line will connect with the southwest line at the Broadway station, providing service to Englewood and Littleton. All stations will have connecting bus service. Trains will travel, on average, about 35-40 miles per hour between stops, with a top speed of 55 mph. RTD estimates that in 2020, riding light rail from Lincoln Avenue to downtown Denver will take about 40 minutes, compared to driving the same stretch in about an hour. During an average weekday, it's estimated that Southeast Corridor light rail transit will provide service to more than 38,000 riders, with the option of adding more trains and increasing service frequency to expand capacity even further.

Broadway Station

Expansion of the station includes TOD opportunities led by Cherokee Development of the former Gates property into a mixed-use facility to be built between Broadway and Santa Fe.

University Station

Station to be built west of University off Buchtel with construction of a 540-car parking garage well under way. The University of Denver is exploring TOD options, but no master plan is in place yet.

Colorado Boulevard

Caissons are being set for the below-grade station located east of Colorado and north of Evans. Known unofficially as "the Wedge," the segments adjoining the station offer some of the best TOD opportunities along the line. The city is inviting developers to submit plans for this segment.

Arapahoe Road

Station will be located on the west side of I-25 with a park-n-Ride featuring 820 spaces on the east side, connected by a pedestrian walkway. The land exchange between RTD and THE City of Greenwood Village has been signed to allow TOD plans to go forward.

Source: T-REX

T-REX Message to Developers:

Now's the time to master plan for light rail station developments

T-REX and RTD officials overseeing business development along the T-REX light rail corridor are encouraging potential developers to get their master plans in place this year.

"We see 2003 as the best time to get serious about development along the corridor, especially if they want to have it in place when we finish in Sept. 2006," said T-REX TOD Specialist Jerry Jaramillo. He helps developers coordinate their plans with those of RTD and the T-REX contracting team.

According to Jaramillo, 2003 and early 2004 are the ideal time to generate master plans for developments near the light rail stops because "those who do will be ahead of the scramble that's likely to follow the completion of this line."

He said there has been a high level of interest in projects, but people are being cautious about going to the master plan stages, mostly because of the economy.

"What people need to know," he added, "is that the opening of this light rail line will not be a linear progression. In other words, even though many of the stations will be done ahead of time, we won't open part of the line early, then more later on. We will wait until all of it is ready and then open all at once."

The other reason that master plans are not yet abundant in the corridor may simply be a lack of awareness, according to Jaramillo. "Many developers may not be aware of the possibilities of transit-oriented development here yet. In some cases, we don't get calls until people see the dirt being moved for parking lots or parking garages going up. Many of them know they've still got extra time to master plan because of the slow economy. We're just encouraging them not to wait too long to start that process."

Jaramillo also said that there is some interest in development of secondary areas near the light rail stations. Secondary areas are those beyond walking distance of about a quarter-mile from the stops.

"Overall, we're optimistic about the opportunities for TOD along the T-REX corridor. It will become the economic engine of the southeast area, and we predict that activity will really take off later this year."