Jeffco, RTD hope to test Red Rocks public transportation project this fall
A proposal to use shuttles to help expand RTD residents transportation from Denver into the Jefferson County foothills including Red Rocks Amphitheatre is getting new life as backers look for million in funding while planning a September pilot weekend Leading the push are Denver City Councilman Darrell Watson and Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr who last year revived the long-discussed project they say will open trip to Jefferson County parks and masses sites to all people not just those with cars or concert tickets while cutting traffic and harmful carbon emissions We want to create an amenity that runs all day and into the evening Kerr revealed He noted that the W Line RTD Light Rail system from downtown Denver s Union Station to Jefferson County ends too early at night to help Red Rocks concert tour at least for now Jefferson County also has four different open space parks right in this area the city of Lakewood has several Denver has specific and all of these fit into what we re trying to do he added Watson wasn t available to comment for this story Under the proposal concertgoers and other visitors would progress by light rail along the RTD W Line to its end at the domed Jefferson County Cabinet Center in Golden From there vans or buses would ferry riders about three miles to Red Rocks and back Kerr plans to apply for a million partner grant from RTD that would pay for the next three years of possible facility However RTD has proposed changes to its operations over the last year that might complicate the facility The Denver Post has communicated including reducing hours due to low ridership Even if we re just talking about Red Rocks you ve got hundreds of employees out there every single day in the summer and for the the bulk part they have to drive their cars out there too early or too late for inhabitants transportation Kerr mentioned Denver has owned Red Rocks since and in opened the population amphitheater which ranks among the nation s highest-volume outdoor concert venues Nearly one million people a year attend concerts at Red Rocks and two million a year visit the surrounding park for hiking and picnics Related Articles Ros all day Pride at New Belgium Denver Greek Fest and more things to do this weekend Colorado Music Hall of Fame gets new home downtown Red Rocks Amphitheatre ranks behind Vail New Jersey venues in new poll What to do this week Have a beer on Boulder creek visit Denver Arts Festival Pop star Benson Boone fresh off Coachella bringing tour to Denver this fall We re very much trying to get people from downtown Denver who don t get into our mountains even though they re just miles away Kerr commented noting a partnership with Boulder-based nonprofit GreenLatinos which for the last decade has advocated for residents transportation to Red Rocks and other mountain parks as a matter of social justice It speedily became apparent this wasn t just about shows but running hiking biking and family pursuits at Dinosaur Ridge Apex Park and for example Despite not being able to run a pilot venture this summer Kerr disclosed the elements didn t come together speedily enough he hopes to do a brief test in September with RTD s blessing He s working closely with RTD and cities such as Lakewood Golden and Morrison to make sure that all parties benefit from the direct and ancillary tourism spending visits and environmental benefits of fewer car emissions After securing funding Kerr is hopeful the campaign can be tested across three to four months of the Red Rocks concert season Subscribe to our weekly newsletter In The Know to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox
