RTD Question

We’ll be starting and ending a trip to Colorado at a hotel near the Denver airport. Supposedly it’s adjacent to the RTD airport stop.

We’ll need to use RTD to pick up our rental car downtown ((cheaper than the airport) on arrival and then return it to the airport a couple weeks later. After returning it we’ll use RTD to see a Rockies/Braves game and then return to the hotel. Have an early flight the next morning so more convenient than downtown hotel.

Any advice on using it, especially late evening after the ballgame. Any safety issues?

If your on the RTD to the airport. The armed transit police officer will check your tickets. Twice between Denver Union Station and the Airport.

While the homeless in most city are quite noticeable nowadays, while on the airport line you will be fine, at anytime of the day.

Further info: because DIA is busiest of the rail stations the A-Line was spared the COVID service cuts that are still in effect on many lines. However. as in other systems, a labor shortage or a maintenance project will result in a missed trip. For maintenance on single track segments a bus bridge adds some time, usually done in the evenings.

The reason for every train security is that the guard counts as the second crew member for the FRA. The second fare inspection does not always happen, depending on the load, but it helps to keep clever people from buying an inner zone fare and continuing to the airport.

The separate airport fare is valid for a round-trip on the date of issue and is good as a day pass on any other scheduled RTD service.

In the event that the game goes into extra innings, the last train from Union Station every night is at 12:30 a.m.

Arriving DIA at night. The Westin Hotel is above the A-Line platform, accessed via direct elevators or escalators. Other "Airport" hotels depend on shuttle service.


https://www.rtd-denver.com/services/airport
View from the Westin Hotel at DIA.

Good info, @Willbridge and @Just-Thinking-51 , thanks.

Fortunately baseball games are averaging 2.5 hrs (about half hour shorter with new rules in effect) so should be no problem catching the train with a 6:40 start time.

We’re staying at a Hyatt Place adjacent to the 61 and Peña stop which I guess is just before the airport terminal stop.

Palmland said:

Good info, @Willbridge and @Just-Thinking-51 , thanks.

Fortunately baseball games are averaging 2.5 hrs (about half hour shorter with new rules in effect) so should be no problem catching the train with a 6:40 start time.

We’re staying at a Hyatt Place adjacent to the 61 and Peña stop which I guess is just before the airport terminal stop.

Click to expand...

I wrote the original budget for the Rockies Ride bus service and as I recall used 3:05 for the game length. In some seasons the relief pitchers were so weak that games went to around 3:30. The arrival of light rail at Union Station in 2002 helped a lot because Rockies Ride was exhausting the bus divisions' extra board. Operators need 8 hours off-duty before the next morning's rush hour.

A W-Line train leaves on Track 12 after a Rox win.


The Hyatt Place came in after I retired from RTD. We'll be interested to see your comments on it.