I-25 & Broadway station

I-25 & Broadway station (sometimes stylized as I-25•Broadway) is a three-platform RTD light rail station in Denver, Colorado, United States. Operating as part of the D, E, and H Lines, the station was opened on October 8, 1994, and is operated by the Regional Transportation District.[4][5] As the name implies, the station is located at the interchange between Interstate 25 and Broadway in south-central Denver.[6] It is the major transfer point for commuters traveling from Littleton and Englewood on the D Line to the Denver Technological Center on the E Line and Aurora on the H Line.[6]

I-25 & Broadway
 D   E   H 
Trains at the I-25 & Broadway station
General information
Other namesI-25•Broadway
Location901 South Broadway
Denver, Colorado
Coordinates39°42′06″N 104°59′24″W / 39.701698°N 104.990072°W / 39.701698; -104.990072
Owned byRegional Transportation District
Line(s)Central Corridor[1]
Platforms2 island platforms, 1 side platform
Tracks3
ConnectionsBus transport RTD Bus: 0, 0L, 11, 14
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking988 spaces[2]
Bicycle facilities38 racks, 30 lockers[2]
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedOctober 8, 1994 (1994-10-08)
Passengers
201910,690 (avg. weekday)[3]
Rank3 out of 69
Services
Preceding station RTD Following station
Alameda D Line Evans
Alameda E Line Louisiana–Pearl
Alameda H Line Louisiana–Pearl
toward Florida
Former services
Preceding station RTD Following station
Alameda C Line Evans
Alameda F Line Louisiana–Pearl
Location
Map

I-25 & Broadway Station is becoming a focal point of a new transit-oriented development on the site of the old Gates Rubber Company factory, just south, east, and west of the station.

History

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When the system was first opened in 1994, I-25 & Broadway was the southern terminus of the light rail system, at the time being served by just one route to 30th & Downing.[5] On July 14, 2000, the station began seeing southbound service with the opening of the Southwest Corridor. The station became a major transfer point on November 17, 2006 with the completion of the T-REX project, upon which the station began seeing service to the southeast on the E, F, and H Lines.[7] Service to the station by the F Line was suspended on October 20, 2020 due to the COVID-19 related service cuts. The C Line was then suspended on January 10, 2021, with both lines being permanently eliminated on January 8, 2023.[8]

In 2023, the City of Denver approved plans to construct a pedestrian bridge from the I-25 & Broadway station to the west, in order to provide pedestrian access to a future development adjacent to the station as well as the South Platte River Trail. The bridge will be 375 feet upon its completion, with the 220 foot center section being the longest unsupported single span truss in the state of Colorado.[9][10]

Station layout

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Southbound ←  D  toward Littleton-Mineral (Evans)
Island platform
Southbound ←  E  toward RidgeGate Parkway (Louisiana-Pearl)
←  H  toward Florida (Louisiana-Pearl)
Island platform
Northbound  D   H  toward 18th & California (Alameda)
 E  toward Union Station (Alameda)
Side platform

I-25 & Broadway station includes three tracks in order to accommodate the southeast and southwest corridors, which split from one another immediately south of the station. To access the island platforms in the station, the northbound, and possibly southeast bound, tracks must be crossed at-grade. The station can be accessed from the east on W Kentucky Ave and E Ohio Ave. Currently, I-25 & Broadway is inaccessible from the west, however construction is underway to install a pedestrian bridge in that direction. The station has parking lots around the entrance, with a bus bay sitting between them and the train platforms.

Tracks in this station are laid out in a wye. Trains originating at the yard south of Evans Station and bound for the Southeast Line bypass I-25 & Broadway platforms, but operate in service from Evans Station. Trains returning to the yard do not operate in service. I-25 & Broadway is the southernmost transfer station for all lines leading north toward the 10th & Osage station.[6]

Public art

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I-25 & Broadway station features three granite sculptures titled The Welcoming Committee, as a part of RTD's Art-n-Transit program. The art piece, created by Elaine Calzolari, was installed in 1997 within the station's bus loop. The sculptures are made up primarily of salvaged materials from demolished buildings, an old mausoleum, and granite quarries.[11][12]

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References

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  1. ^ "Central Corridor Light Rail Line". Regional Transportation District. March 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  2. ^ a b "Facilities". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Rail Station Activity Analyzed" (PDF). Regional Transportation District (RTD). September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Roberts, Jeffrey A. (October 9, 1994). "100,000 give light rail a heavy workout". The Denver Post. p. C1.
  5. ^ a b "RTD: Central Corridor Light Rail Line" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "Light rail system map". Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  7. ^ "E, F, and H Lines". rtd-denver.com. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  8. ^ Murray, Jon (December 14, 2022). "RTD is officially killing its C and F lines after suspending them during the pandemic". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Minor, Nathaniel (February 14, 2023). "People feared Denver's I-25 and Broadway plans would be dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. Now, it's changing them". Denverite. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Building Bridges, Bridging Communities: Broadway Station's Remarkable Pedestrian Connection". Matrix. February 25, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Welcoming Committee in Denver, CO". Public Art Archive. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  12. ^ "Art-n-Transit". RTD. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.