Denver

RTD F LINE

By Steve Bulota

The F line operates between Lincoln Ave. in Lone Tree and 18^th Street in downtown Denver Monday thru Friday.  It does not operate on weekends.  Service began on November 17, 2006.  It shares trackage with the E line from Lincoln Ave. to Colfax Ave., where it turns off along with the D and H lines and heads downtown.  Standard train length is two or three cars. 

20^th & Welton  Two tracks, center platform. Doors open only to the left. The southbound ADA ramp extends straight ahead. The station itself is on the northwest side of Welton St., between Broadway and 20^th St. Except for the two tracks, the canopy arrangement is the same as 25^th St. and 29^th St.

We are now at Broadway, the east/west dividing point in Denver’s street numbering system. Welton St. runs northeast-southwest while Broadway and Downing St. run north-south. Metro Denver’s streets are laid out in a north-south rectangular grid while downtown Denver’s streets are laid out in a diagonal grid in relation to the rest of the metro area. This is because Denver was originally founded on the banks of the South Platte River, which flows southwest-northeast at the point of the first settlement. The first streets were laid out in parallel to the river. As the city grew and expanded, a north-south grid was adopted. The original diagonal grid was retained and is confined mainly to the area north of Colfax Ave. and west of Downing St. All diagonal streets end at Downing St. except for Market St. and Blake St., and become numbered east-west avenues. Numbered streets downtown run diagonally southeast-northwest while named streets run northeast-southwest. With few exceptions, avenues (both named and numbered) and roads run east-west while streets and boulevards run north-south.

After leaving the 20^th-Welton station, our train turns right onto 19^th St., crosses Broadway, and continues along 19^th St. before turning left onto Stout St, running in the opposite direction of vehicular traffic. The northbound track is left behind at California St., where there is a wye turnout. The loop track is used by F and H trains from Lincoln Ave. and Nine Mile respectively, as well as by some peak hour D trains headed back to Mineral Ave. joins the southbound track at this point. We are now on the loop portion downtown. The following stations are located just before each intersection. They feature one ADA ramp at the forward end which doubles back plus a single canopy with a raised circular center and herald boards on the ends and in the center. Canopies at these stations are longer than the center canopies at other stations and do not extend over the ADA ramp. Tracks on the downtown loop are situated on the right side of the street relative to the train’s forward direction except for the single block along 14^th St. ADA strips were replaced in 2006 and lengthened to accommodate four-car trains. Boarding at all downtown loop stations is done from the sidewalk, and train doors open only to the right.

From this point to Broadway, the F line shares trackage with the D and H lines.

18^th & Stout Boarding is from the northwest sidewalk. This is the terminus for trains marked "18^th Street". Trains looping back to the south stop at both 18^th St. stations. Layup time on such trains is minimal, similar to subway trains stopping at South Ferry in New York.

16^th & Stout Identical to 18^th & Stout. 16^th St. itself is a pedestrian mall at this point. A transfer is available to the 16^th Street Free MallRide. As a result, this is one of the busiest stations on the line. Consisting of free shuttle buses running along the entire length of the mall, this service was inaugurated in October 1982 with the opening of the mall itself. Shuttle buses originally ran from the Civic Center at Broadway to Market St. In September 2001, shuttle service was extended to Union Station in anticipation of the new Central Platte Valley Spur; however, passengers could only travel as far as Wynkoop St. until the C line opened. Just before 14^th St, our train passes the southern loop turnout that permits trains from 30^th Ave. to loop northward. The former 14^th & Stout station was located here.

After crossing 14^th St., both tracks are side by side once again. We have now left the loop portion. Initially, the line proceeded straight down Stout St. from 14^th Street to Speer Blvd., passing between Currigan Exhibition Hall and the Colorado Convention Center. In 2002, Currigan Hall was demolished to allow expansion of the Convention Center. In the process, Stout St. was rerouted along with the light rail tracks. Just past 14^th Street, the tracks curve westward, leaving the original alignment, and literally run through the new Convention Center parking garage.

Convention Center/Performing Arts  Two tracks with a center platform along with one side platform for southbound boarding. Doors open on both sides. The southern end features an ADA ramp shared by both tracks while the northern end has separate ADA on the outside of each track. This station opened on November 28, 2004 and replaced both original 14^th Street stations (see Abandoned Stations). It is physically located inside the Convention Center parking garage, is accessed from 14^th Street and was built to accommodate four-car trains.

The tracks then curve to the southwest, running adjacent to Champa Street and pass a diamond crossover, then curve eastward before emerging from the garage and rejoining the original alignment. Our train then crosses Speer Blvd. and Cherry Creek and aligns with W. Colfax Ave. (US 40), Denver’s main east-west artery, on the north side.

Colfax at Auraria  Two tracks, offset outside platforms with a low fence between the tracks. Doors open only to the right. The southbound ADA ramp extends straight ahead and the boarding area extends back around a gentle curve. This station is parallel to W. Colfax Ave. and serves the Auraria Campus which includes Metropolitan State College, the Community College of Denver, and the University of Colorado at Denver. Because of the offset boarding areas, the ADA ramps are closer together than at other stations. Each boarding area features a single canopy with a raised circular center. Herald boards are on the circular center. A transfer is available to the #16 Colfax Ave. and #30 Dartmouth buses. Some peak hour trains turn back to 18^th St. from this station.

Leaving Colfax at Auraria, we continue west for several blocks to 7^th Street before descending at the point where Colfax Ave. rises onto a concrete viaduct. Beneath the viaduct, our train passes a signal-protected grade crossing where it joins the C and E lines at a 3-way at-grade junction. D trains continue straight, then turn sharply left beneath the viaduct. A normally-unused turnout branches off to the right and permits trains from downtown to go to Union Station.

The Central Platte Valley Spur is discussed separately later in this article.

From here, the C, D, E, F and H lines share the same tracks on a private ROW to Broadway. Just south of the junction, the overhead wire changes over to catenary. Our train passes a gate-protected grade crossing at 13^th Ave. Industrial freight tracks from the Burnham Freight Yard run alongside the light rail line as far south as Alameda Ave.

10^th & Osage  Two tracks, center platform. This station is approached on foot from the east; doors open only to the left. The southbound track rails have exposed ties. The Buckhorn Exchange, Denver’s original steakhouse dating from 1893, is located on the northeast corner of 10^th Ave. and Osage St., a mere stone’s throw from the station. There are no bus transfers and no parking is available. There is a canopy at each end with circular herald boards, and the southbound ADA ramp extends straight back with the walkway folding back to the boarding area.

South of this station, our train passes access switches to the Mariposa storage yard and maintenance facility directly adjacent to and east of the line, as well as the only physical track connection to the outside world – a single crossover switch from the adjacent industrial freight track. It is used primarily for delivery of new equipment. The Mariposa facility was remodeled after the Elati yard and maintenance facility opened. Heavy repairs are performed at Mariposa now. After passing beneath 6^th Ave., our train climbs a ramp onto a concrete flyover and crosses over Santa Fe Drive and Kalamath Street as well as 1^st and 3^rd Avenues. After descending from the flyover, our train passes a gate-protected grade crossing at Bayaud Ave., then crosses over Alameda Ave. This east-west artery was depressed many years ago, and three railroad overpasses accommodated the numerous freight tracks at this location. The easternmost bridge, the widest of the three, is no longer used, and light rail trains utilize the middle bridge.

Alameda  Two tracks, center platform. Doors open only to the left. The southbound ADA ramp extends straight ahead and the walkway leads back to the boarding area. southbound track rails have exposed ties. The station is south of Alameda Ave. and parallel to Cherokee St., and has the same layout as 10^th & Osage. Transfers are available to the #3 Alameda Ave. and #52 buses. The Park’n’Ride lot at this station has been expanded several times.

Just after leaving Alameda Ave, the freight tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, formerly the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe along with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroads, align with the light rail line and run adjacent on the west side of it. At the same time, the southbound track splits into two tracks. Our train takes the newer outer track and passes beneath I-25, where the two original tracks spread apart north of the single crossover switch just before the Broadway station.

I-25 & Broadway  Three tracks with platforms between each track. Originally built as a two-track station, it was expanded in 2003 to accommodate additional trains branching off onto the Southeast Corridor immediately to the south. Each track was assigned a number when the Southeast Corridor opened. The third track and additional platform were added west of the existing facility, and southbound trains began using the new track on February 2, 2004. southbound C and D trains normally use the new outer third track, or Track 3 while E, F and H trains use the original southbound track or Track 2, now in the middle. The northbound track is used by all trains and is now designated as Track 1. Doors open only to the left. The southbound ADA ramp on the center loading area doubles back. Each ADA ramp has its own canopy. The new southbound track has exposed ties while the current middle track is now embedded in concrete after having exposed ties when the line first opened. This station is approached on foot from the east and is situated just to the north of the former Gates Rubber Company factory. It was the original southern terminus of the line for all trains, and later for C/Orange and D/Green trains marked "I-25/Broadway" until all trains were through routed to Mineral Ave. in May of 2003. Some AM rush hour trains from Mineral Ave. bypass this station. Although train destination signs and station herald boards say I-25/Broadway, recorded announcements refer to this station as simply, Broadway. This is a major transfer station, with numerous bus transfers available along with 1,004 parking spaces. A long canopy extends along almost the entire length of the station on the outside of the northbound track, instead of the center boarding area. It has a circular roof with herald boards towards the northern end, not in the exact center. A former Denver Tramways streetcar, minus its trucks and sporting an "Englewood" sign, served as a waiting room just south of the station on the east side for a number of years. It was removed during construction of the Southeast Corridor and not put back.

After leaving the I-25/Broadway station, the E, F and H lines turn off to the left at grade. There is a connection that permits southbound C and D trains on the middle track to continue on to Mineral Ave, if needed. Short turn trains continue south to a new layup track before reversing direction. Track work south of the station was altered during construction of the Southeast Corridor. The original layup track was removed and relocated further south. It is accessed from the middle track at Broadway. Short turn trains switch to this track after leaving Broadway. The two new tracks merge with the southbound track just north of Mississippi Ave. Our train proceeds south past the Gates plant, crossing over Mississippi Ave. first and then Iowa Ave. It then ramps up and crosses over an industrial siding via flyover just to the north of the Evans station. At this point, the tracks are now adjacent to Santa Fe Drive (US 85), with the BNSF tracks in between. The industrial siding continues south, running adjacent to the light rail line on the east side and ending just beyond the Evans station. It used to continue to the site of the now-demolished General Iron Works facility at 601 W. Bates Ave. Ground was broken for the $35 million, 125,000 square foot Elati maintenance facility for LRVs at this site on July 30, 2002. It was dedicated on June 17, 2004 and began functioning as the main facility in January of 2005. It can accommodate 18 cars inside while 100 cars can be stored outdoors. Normal maintenance and light repairs are carried out at the Elati facility while the original Mariposa facility is used for heavy repairs.

After leaving Broadway on the middle track, the line branches off from the Southwest Corridor and negotiates an S curve over Broadway on a steel bent bridge and around an office building of the Gates Rubber Company before descending down to the floor of the Narrows, a portion of I-25 so named when it narrowed to three lanes in each direction while following the course of an ancient riverbed.  Since the completion of the T-Rex project, this stretch of highway has come to be known as the Grand Canyon.  The entire stretch from Logan Street to just before University Blvd. is in an open cut that was enlarged during T-Rex construction, eliminating the sloping landscape and replacing it with retaining walls along both sides of I-25.  We are now running parallel and directly adjacent to I-25 on the west side. 

Louisiana/Pearl   Two tracks, center platform.  Located and centered directly beneath the Louisiana Ave. bridge over I-25.  Features one canopy secured by suspension cables from towers at the southbound end, the only exposed part of the station.  The north end of the station is covered by a roof known as the Louisiana Lid, forming a plaza.  This roof is shaped as a rhombus, extending along Buchtel Blvd. from the intersection of Louisiana Ave. and Washington St. out to just past the light rail tracks parallel to I-25, which passes both streets at a 45-degree angle.  The Louisiana Ave. bridge features extra wide sidewalks and an additional drop-off lane in each direction.  Glass-enclosed elevators on each side provide access to the light rail station, as do stairs.  There is no parking available at this station. 

University of Denver   Two tracks, center platform along with an outside southbound platform.  Located on Buchtel Blvd. west of University Blvd. adjacent to a Park ‘n’Ride garage.  As its name suggests, this station serves the DU campus; however announcements refer to it as simply, University.  Features gable-shaped canopies secured by suspension cables from towers. 

Just before Colorado Blvd., the line leaves the I-25 alignment, following the off ramp from southbound I-25 and passes beneath Colorado Blvd. via tunnel.  It proceeds in an open cut to the Colorado Blvd. station. 

Colorado   Two tracks and two side platforms joined by a pedestrian bridge.  Accessed by stairs and elevator.  Located in the open cut parallel to Evans Ave. at Colorado Center Drive, east of the intersection of Evans Ave. and Colorado Blvd.  Parking is available at the adjacent lot on the south side.  This lot was used to store heavy equipment during construction, and also served as headquarters for the Southeast Corridor’s contractor. 

Leaving Colorado Blvd., the line curves southeast and rejoins the I-25 alignment just before the Evans Ave. bridge.    

Yale  Two tracks, center platform.  Located just north of Yale Ave.   Accessed by stairs and a long ADA ramp on the west side of the station.  Limited parking is available. 

Continuing south, the line crosses over Yale Avenue on separate bridges for each track and tunnels beneath Hampden Ave. 

Southmoor  Two tracks, center platform.  Located south of Hampden Ave.  A pedestrian tunnel under I-25 provides access from the Park ‘n Ride lot of the same name on the east side.  Elevator access is available. 

South of the Southmoor station, there is a middle track with wye connections at each end.  This track can accommodate one four-car train and is used for short turns and layups.  The line continues south and just after passing beneath Quincy Ave., the H line branches off at the I-25/I-225 junction to the I-225 spur while the G line joins the E and F lines.  Instead of crossing at grade, the tracks separate and meet at flying junctions.  It was built this way to minimize delays because all three legs of the wye see regular service.  All turnouts at this flying junction permit 35 mph diverging speeds.   

Belleview  Two tracks, center platform along with an outside southbound platform .  Located north of Belleview Ave. and just south of the Union Ave. bridge over I-25.  Access is provided by stairs and elevator from the westbound side of the Union Ave. bridge.  Parking is available off Quebec Street. 

Orchard  Two tracks, center platform.  Located north of Orchard Road.   Has angular canopies similar to those at the Englewood station on the Southwest Corridor.  Accessible from the east side of I-25 via pedestrian bridge.  Also accessible on foot from the west side, but all boarding is from the center platform only.  Elevators and stairs provide access to the station’s boarding area.  Limited parking is available. 

The line crosses over Orchard Road on a graceful, sweeping bridge. 

Arapahoe at Village Center  Two tracks, center platform.  Same canopy type as Orchard Rd.  Located north of Arapahoe Road beneath the Yosemite Street bridge over I-25.  Announcements refer to this station as simply, Arapahoe.  Originally, Yosemite St.  was offset at Arapahoe Road due to its close proximity to I-25.  Motorists using Yosemite St. had to take Arapahoe Road a short distance under I-25 to continue their journey.  Increasing traffic in the early 80s led to the construction of a separate bridge, alleviating snarls.  A pedestrian bridge over I-25 provides access to the Park n’ Ride located directly across the highway from the station.  Elevators and stairs provide access to the station platform.  The station can also be accessed from Fiddler’s Green parkway to the west. 

The line crosses over Arapahoe Road and Dry Creek Road on bridges.  Like the Yale Ave. bridge, the Dry Creek Road bridge has separate trackways for each track in much the same manner as an elevated subway line in New York. 

Dry Creek  Two tracks, center platform.  Same canopy type as at Orchard and Arapahoe Rd.  Located south of Dry Creek Road adjacent to a parking garage.  Access is also available from the east side of I-25 via pedestrian bridge that was completed in the spring of 2007 after the line opened. Elevators and stairs provide access to the station’s boarding area.  Originally there was no exit from I-25 to Dry Creek Road, mainly because Dry Creek Road itself ended at Yosemite Street.  An exit was added in the early 1980s. 

The line crosses over County Line Road on a long bridge. 

County Line  Two tracks, center platform.  Located south of County Line Road overlooking Park Meadows Mall.  Access is from the east side of I-25 via pedestrian bridge.  Elevators and stairs provide access to the station’s boarding area.  Initially there was no access from Park Meadows.  This will change in the near future. 

The line crosses over E-470 and underneath connecting ramps at the I-25/C-470/E-470 interchange. 

Lincoln Ave. Two tracks, center platform along with an outside southbound platform.  Located ½ mile north of Lincoln Ave.  A six-story parking garage is located adjacent to the station.  The tracks continue south for 1000 feet and end at bumper posts.  A pedestrian bridge across I-25 provides access from San Luis Street on the east side of I-25.