It wasn’t quite the Tokyo subway at rush hour, but it was close.
Tens of thousands of riders converged on RTD’s new southeast light-rail lines Saturday, jamming rail cars and forcing some travelers to wait for packed trains to pass before one came by with room to board.
“Today we are going nowhere, just from one end to the other,” said Svetlana Senatorova, 65, of Denver. “I think everybody is having an adventure today. They don’t know where, they’re just going for a ride.”
The Regional Transportation District offered free rides on the entire light-rail system Saturday. Travel was free on the 19-mile southeast line Friday, which generated more than 22,000 passenger trips for the day, according to RTD.
“The more that people see the advantages of it, the greater the demand will be,” said Randy Smith of Parker, who rode the new line with his family on Friday.
Eleven of the southeast corridor light-rail stations held opening day celebrations Saturday. Karen Wolff of Littleton took her two children by train to the street fair at the I-25 and Broadway station. It was Wolff’s first time riding light rail, but she said she plans to take the train downtown for evenings out with her husband.
“Now you don’t have to worry about driving if you have a couple glasses of wine,” she said. “It’s a great alternative.”
The southeast rail line, built as part of the $1.7 billion Transportation Expansion Project, is expected to handle at least 33,000 passenger trips a day. The $880 million line took five years to build.
Senatorova said that in her native Belarus, it’s customary for younger passengers to offer their seats to older people or to pregnant women. That wasn’t exactly the scene Saturday when rail cars were so packed that senior citizens and women carrying infants had no choice but to stand and hold on.
Most passengers marveled at the smooth, fast ride on the new trains, but some complained about the need for clearer signs to orient people when they arrive at stations. Some departing passengers said better signs are needed to direct them to the proper side of the platform.
“I had an easier time figuring out the train system in countries where I don’t speak the language,” said Sue Skripko of Aurora , who suggested putting arrows on the signs to help direct passengers.
With new rail lines and changes in existing bus routes, RTD officials expect some confusion during Monday’s commute. But they are confident the new transportation system will ultimately ease commuters’ burden once people are accustomed to the changes.
“Anytime there’s a new system in place, there’s a bit of a shakeout period,” said Scott Reed, spokesman for RTD. Overall, the debut of the new light rail went smoothly, he added.
“I think we’ve proved the trains can handle very large numbers of people.”
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-954-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
Today you pay
Today is the first day southeast light-rail riders must pay for service. Thousands are expected to take the new train to the Broncos- Chargers game. Kickoff is at 6:15 p.m.
AFTER THE GAME, RTD expects large crowds at the Invesco Field at Mile High rail station. RTD officials hope to get all riders heading south on trains within 45 minutes, but if needed, there will be backup buses available to give fans an alternate way of getting back to their station of origin. Fans are encouraged to consider taking BroncosRide express buses from RTD parking lots throughout the area to and from the game.
Information on BroncosRide pickup locations and pricing can be found at www.RTD-Denver.com (click on “Site Map” and scroll down to BroncosRide) or by calling 303-299-6000.
Get the facts
More information on new bus and train routes and schedules can be found at southeastlightrail.com or by calling 303-299-6000 in the Denver/Boulder area. Outside the 303 area code, call 800-366-7433.
Watch and learn
A “how to” video, produced by the Southeast Business Partnership and RTD, is available for new light-rail riders. The six-minute video describes how to purchase tickets and ride the new light-rail line. The video can be viewed at trainyourself.sebpconnections.com, or you can get a copy by calling 303-792-9447.
