Metro Denver residents and visitors will see a boost to Regional Transportation District service, including the , starting next year through a $44 million state grant, officials said Friday.
The funding from the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Clean Transit Enterprise means RTD can make some routes more frequent and restore or expand service on others, state and .
Changes will include more trips on routes along East Evans Avenue, Buckley Road, Alameda Avenue, South Downing Street, University Boulevard, West 38th Avenue, Hampden Avenue, Monaco Parkway, Wadsworth Boulevard and Havana Street.
RTD will also extend service hours for routes along Broadway and Mississippi Avenue and expand or add new service along Sheridan Boulevard; between Central Park and the Anschutz Medical Campus; and along 72nd Avenue and South Kipling Street, officials said.
The agency will also add more frequent trips to the Flatiron Flyer, which connects Denver and Boulder along U.S. 36; and between Boulder and Denver International Airport. RTD officials estimate the funding will lead to 3.8 million more transit rides in 2027.
In a statement, CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said the Flatiron Flyer is one of the Front Range’s most well-used commuter routes and was part of the state’s commitment to offer more transit options and improve air quality when U.S. 36 was expanded,
“More frequent service, better connections and expanded hours mean more people can count on transit to get to work, school, appointments, entertainment and other destinations,” Lew said. “These investments also advance Colorado’s broader goals of providing more transportation choices, reducing congestion and improving air quality.”
The grant does not replace the RTD Board of Directors’ decision to cut $20 million in services in 2027, spokesperson Marta Sipeki said in an email. Staffers are expected to bring recommendations for those service cuts in early 2027 to go into effect in May and June.
The money comes from a 2024 state law, Senate Bill 230, that requires the Clean Transit Enterprise to charge oil and gas producers a quarterly fee.
It’s yet to be determined how much of the funds will be used to keep expanded services going long term, Sipeki said. RTD can apply for the same grant funding in the future, and staffers will look at data like boardings along the grant-funded routes when writing those applications.
It’s not clear exactly when the expanded services will roll out. RTD staff have provided some recommendations to the Board of Directors, and directors will vote on the proposed route and service expansions in November, Sipeki said.
“The list is not exhaustive, and RTD staff is working on further recommendations,” she said.
