Denver RTD Debuts T-Line Rail and Dedicated Colfax Bus Lanes as Mayor Johnston Advances Plan for 20,000 Homes

RTD Restores Core Frequencies with T-Line Launch and Colfax Center Bus Lanes

DENVER, Colorado — Marking a major expansion in multimodal public transit accessibility across the Denver metropolitan region, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) implemented wide-ranging system service restorations effective September 27, 2026. Financed in part through state Clean Transit Enterprise (CTE) grants, the enhancements restore vital rail and bus transit frequencies that were adjusted during recent infrastructure rehabilitation projects.

Headlining the service improvements is the formal passenger launch of the T-Line light rail, operating high-frequency trains between Lincoln Station in Douglas County and Alameda Station in central Denver. Concurrently, RTD shifted its high-ridership Route 15 and 15L bus services onto newly completed center bus-only lanes along East Colfax Avenue, delivering substantial travel time reductions and shielding bus commuters from congested general traffic lanes. RTD also debuted the Route AL SkyRide, offering hourly direct express bus service linking Longmont with Denver International Airport (DEN).

Mayor Johnston Advances Plan for 20,000 Transit Homes Across 150 City Acres

Paralleling transit enhancements, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston advanced legislative frameworks in late September to implement his administration's landmark affordable housing blueprint: developing 20,000 new attainable housing units across 150 acres of city-owned surplus land. The initiative concentrates high-density residential development within walking distance of high-frequency RTD light rail stations and rapid bus corridors.

To accelerate construction timelines and reduce development overhead, the city's Community Planning and Development department launched a streamlined permitting portal, eliminating bureaucratic reviews for projects reserving at least 30 percent of units for low- and moderate-income residents.

City Council Deliberates 2027 Municipal Budget and Autonomous First-Mile Transit

Meanwhile, the Denver City Council conducted detailed budget hearings for Mayor Johnston's proposed 2027 fiscal blueprint, examining strategic investments in street safety, Vision Zero traffic calming, and municipal sanitation. Mayor Johnston also highlighted exploratory partnerships to deploy autonomous vehicle shuttles as 'first-and-last-mile' microtransit links connecting outer neighborhoods to RTD transit hubs, reaffirming Denver's commitment to progressive urban mobility.