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New commuter lines may put light rail on fast track to trouble
Passenger capacity, student safety raise campus concerns
By Amy Woodward
awoodwa5@mscd.edu

Commuters living beyond Denver’s city limits can breathe a sigh of relief with the opening of the southeast corridor light-rail lines on Nov. 17. However, the opening of the new lines brings new concerns about passenger capacity and Auraria’s safety.

The Regional Transportation District is introducing 19 miles of new light-rail service and 13 new stations, according to their website. The additions will be line E, which will run from Lincoln Avenue to Union Station; line F, which will run from Lincoln Avenue to 18th and California streets; line G, which will run from Lincoln Avenue to Nine Mile in Aurora; and line H, which will run from Nine Mile to 18th and California streets.

“I normally don’t ride the light rail because the stations are just too far away from my house,” said Metro junior Sean Surber. “With the new light-rail station opening up at Lincoln and I-25, I will be using the light rail because it is a better mode of transportation, and it’s free.”

RTD officials predict 33,800 new riders boarding daily with the opening of the new lines, raising concerns about a shortage of cars and space issues on the trains.

“It is still hard to determine, but I do know we are short a few cars, and I don’t know if we will have three cars for each scheduling,” said Ken Siefford, a light-rail operator and 10-year RTD employee.

Georgann Fisher, public affairs and media relations specialist for RTD, denied the suggestion that RTD was short cars for the new lines but said they will be monitoring the issue.

“We believe that we will have sufficient capacity on opening day, but it is certainly something we will monitor,” Fisher said. “If we see problems with capacity, we believe we can make adequate adjustments to meet the demand.”

Fisher added that during its peak hours, RTD normally runs three cars.

According to Fisher, RTD is capable of adding a fourth car to trains during peak hours, but it is not something being considered at this time.

“We will make adjustments based on demand,” Fisher said. “Maybe if we use one during the middle of the day, when ridership is lower, then it will free up two cars we can use at another location, where the demand for the cars is higher.”

CCD sophomore Kidist Gebre said there are currently problems with space on the trains, but said the increase of light-rail lines should even things out throughout the stations.

The Auraria West campus station will see more trains with the addition of line E to the route. With both lines C and E, there will now be a train at the station approximately every 15 minutes, according to Fisher

There will also be three lines running through the Colfax at Auraria station. Between the new F and H lines, along with the existing D line, at least one train will arrive approximately every three minutes, according to RTD’s light-rail schedule.

This brings an increased safety hazard for Auraria students and for those who normally make a left from eastbound Colfax onto 9th Street to drop their child off at Auraria’s Early ing Center, which provides child care, preschool and kindergarten programs for the children of students and faculty at Auraria.

Heather Coogan, chief of the Auraria police, said the department agrees there is a concern about the traffic safety at that intersection.

“With the new lines running every three minutes, we are concerned about the impact it’s going to have on 9th and Colfax and the drivers who have to make that left to drop their child off at the child-care center,” she said.

To help with awareness of the safety issue, Coogan issued safety-alert fliers to parents at the day-care center, requesting that all parents use an alternate route to get to the center.

“We are asking people to use Auraria Parkway or Speer to access the campus instead of eastbound Colfax, due to the frequency of the trains.” Coogan said.

Laurie Sperry, a professor at UCD, drops her 3-year-old son off at the child-care center and said she takes an alternate route to the center to avoid the dangerous intersection.

“There is a very little gap between when the light is green and when the light is flashing that tells you when the train is coming.” Sperry said. “The stop light does not give you a green arrow, so you are between a rock and a hard place, especially when you are in mid-turn and the lights flash that a train is coming.”