RTD’s new southeast corridor light rail system got off to a fine start for its first day of commuter traffic this morning.
To the concern of many, the parking lots remained relatively empty, with end-of-the-line Lincoln station parking only about 40 percent of capacity at mid-morning. The large Arapaho station parking facility was only about 10 percent full at mid-morning.
Ridership figures were not immediately available, so it could not be determined if ridership was low or if many commuters were dropped off at the stations.
Most riders contacted were very enthusiastic about the newest, 19-mile commuter rail line.
Anthony Floro, a sophomore business student at Denver University, said he was eager to take the train because of the money it saves him. The drive from his home near Hampden Avenue and Tower Road normally takes him 30 to 40 minutes, more if I-225 is congested.
This morning, he boarded the train at 9-Mile station at 8 a.m. “For me, it’s all about saving money, what with the price of gas,” said Floro, who benefits from a reduced-fare student pass.
Tens of thousands of riders converged on RTD’s new southeast light-rail line Friday, jamming rail cars and forcing some travelers to wait for packed trains to pass before one came by with room to board.
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.
Some riders said southeast rail platforms need more signs to let arriving passengers know where they are, while some departing passengers wanted better signs to direct them to the proper side of the platform.
