R Line (RTD)

{{Short description|Light rail line in the Denver metropolitan area}}

{{Infobox rail line

| name = R Line

| color = {{rcr|RTD|R}}

| logo = File:Denver RTD R.svg

| image = Future R Line, Exposition & Sable, looking north, Aurora, CO.jpg

| caption = R Line tracks at the intersection of E Exposition Ave and S Sable Blvd prior to operation

| type = Light rail

| system = RTD Rail

| status =

| locale = Denver metropolitan area

| start = {{Rtds|Peoria}}

| end = {{Rtds|RidgeGate Parkway}} (suspended)
{{Rtds|Lincoln}}

| stations = 19

| routes =

| daily_ridership =

| ridership2 = 1,097,000 (FY2023, annual){{Cite news |title=RIDERSHIP (BOARDINGS) BY MONTH, YEAR AND MODE |work=RTD |url=https://cdn.rtd-denver.com/image/upload/v1709053451/2023_Boardings_Ridership_Report_aenadp.pdf |access-date=March 4, 2025 |archive-date=February 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250214103227/https://cdn.rtd-denver.com/image/upload/v1709053451/2023_Boardings_Ridership_Report_aenadp.pdf |url-status=live }}

| open = November 17, 2006 (Original G Line)

| close = May 3, 2009 (Original G Line)

| reopen = February 24, 2017 (R Line)

| owner = Regional Transportation District

| operator = Regional Transportation District

| character =

| depot =

| stock =

| linelength =

| tracklength =

| tracks =

| gauge = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}

| minradius =

| electrification = {{750 V DC|conductor=overhead}}

| speed =

| elevation =

| map = {{switcher

| {{maplink|frame=yes |frame-width = 290 |frame-height = 275 |frame-align = center |type=line |plain=yes |stroke-color=#C1D32F |id=Q5515134}}
R Line highlighted in green

| Show interactive map

| {{RTD R Line}}

| Show route diagram

}}

The R Line or Aurora Line/I-225 Rail{{cite web |publisher=Regional Transportation District |title=RTD – R Line |url=http://www.rtd-denver.com/r-line.shtml |access-date=July 17, 2015}} is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail line that serves stations in Aurora, Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial and Lone Tree.{{cite web |publisher=Regional Transportation District |title=RTD – I-225 Rail Line |url=http://www.rtd-denver.com/I225RailLine.shtml |access-date=January 29, 2015}} Opening on February 24, 2017, the line was designated as the "R" line, reflecting the letter R’s in "Aurora" and "RidgeGate".{{cite news |title=Aurora News Weekly |url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL752A37D6CDC4A7B5 |issue=July 13, 2015 |publisher=City of Aurora, Colorado |access-date=July 17, 2015}}

The line travels over newer and older portions of the RTD Light Rail system. The R Line was preceded by the G Line, which operated from 2006 to 2009 along the southern half of the route. The R Line is the only line in the RTD rail system not serving downtown Denver.

Service south of Florida station was suspended from June 2023 until October 2023 due to maintenance on the Southeast Corridor between I-25 & Broadway station and Lincoln station. This project is temporarily paused until May 2024. The R Line is and will continue running the full route between Peoria and Lincoln; however, it will see limited service in the evenings throughout the rest of the project.

History

= G Line service (2006–2009) =

November 17, 2006 saw the completion of the Southeast Corridor light rail project (part of the Transportation Expansion Project). One of the four routes that were part of the RTD’s service plan for the corridor, the route between Aurora and Lone Tree, was named the “G Line” and assigned the color brown.{{cite web |title=RTD Southeast Light Rail |publisher=Regional Transportation District |url=http://www.southeastlightrail.com/stations-g_line.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024011258/http://www.southeastlightrail.com/stations-g_line.cfm |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |access-date=June 4, 2014}} The G Line’s northern terminus was at Nine Mile Station in Aurora on the I-225 branch of the system, shared with the H Line, while its southern terminus was at Lincoln Avenue Station in Lone Tree, shared with the E and F Lines.

In August 2007, night, Saturday, Sunday and holiday service on this route was discontinued due to low ridership. An exception was the lone northbound Owl service trip on weekend and holiday mornings. Service was further reduced to peak hour-only in August 2008 before being suspended entirely on May 3, 2009.{{cite news |title=RTD plans to reduce service |publisher=The Denver Post |author=Jeffrey Leib |date=January 13, 2009 |url=http://www.denverpost.com/2009/01/12/rtd-plans-to-reduce-service/ |access-date=February 24, 2017}}

= FasTracks relaunch =

== I-225 Rail Line ==

The 2004 voter-approved FasTracks initiative marked the return of the Aurora-Lone Tree Line. The I-225 Corridor is a {{convert|10.5|mi|km|adj=on}} light rail line running through Aurora and facilitates a circumferential link between the Southeast Corridor and the East Corridor. The project will include seven new stations and provide 1,800 new parking spaces. Construction began in spring 2012 on a short section of the line as part of a joint contract with the Colorado Department of Transportation. Following an unsolicited proposal from Kiewit Infrastructure Company, funding was secured for the full line, which was expected to open in winter 2016.{{cite web |publisher=Regional Transportation District |title=FasTracks – I-225 Corridor |url=http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/i225_1 |access-date=June 4, 2014}} The opening date was later pushed back.{{cite news |last1=Paul |first1=Jesse |title=RTD will not open G-Line or R-Line before end of year as planned |url=http://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/18/rtd-will-not-open-g-line-end-of-year/ |access-date=November 20, 2016 |publisher=The Denver Post |date=November 18, 2016}} On January 30, 2017, RTD announced that the H and R Lines would begin service on February 24, 2017.{{Cite web |url=http://www3.rtd-denver.com/elbert/news/index.cfm?id=9326 |title=RTD |website=www3.rtd-denver.com |language=en|access-date=January 31, 2017}}

== Southeast Corridor Extension ==

Regional Transportation District sent four teams a Request for Proposal for the Southeast Corridor extension, consisting of {{convert|2.3|mi|km}} of new track south of Lincoln station that would serve three new stations: Sky Ridge Medical Center, {{stn|Lone Tree City Center}}, and the terminus at {{stn|RidgeGate Parkway}}.{{cite news |last=Aguilar |first=John |date=January 25, 2019 |title=Light-rail extension into Lone Tree set to start passenger service May 19 |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/25/rtd-southeast-extension-light-rail-ridgegate/ |work=The Denver Post |access-date=May 17, 2019}}{{cite web |publisher=Regional Transportation District |title=Southeast Rail Extension |url=http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/se_1 |access-date=May 14, 2015}} On July 28, 2015, a design-build contract for the extension was awarded to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. Design on the extension began in fall 2015 and construction began in 2016.{{cite web |title=Contract approved to extend Southeast Rail Line in Douglas County |url=http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/se_65 |website=RTD FasTracks |publisher=Regional Transportation District of Denver |access-date=August 3, 2015}} The extension opened on May 17, 2019.{{cite news |last=Rubino |first=Joe |date=May 15, 2019 |title=RTD's newest line in southeast Denver metro will power development for years to come |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/15/lone-tree-ridgegate-rtd-rail-extension/ |work=The Denver Post |access-date=May 17, 2019}}

Route

The R Line travels south from Peoria Station in northwest Aurora, predominantly following Interstate 225 through central Aurora to Belleview Station in southeast Denver. It then follows Interstate 25 to its terminus at RidgeGate Parkway station in southern Lone Tree. Due to low ridership, the R Line was cut back to Lincoln Station, no longer serving Sky Ridge, Lone Tree City Center, and RidgeGate Parkway Stations.