Denver RTD Secures $44M Clean Transit Grant and Launches SkyRide AL as Santa Fe Yards Breaks Ground on 13,000-Seat Stadium

$44 Million State Clean Transit Grant and New SkyRide Route AL to DIA

DENVER, Colorado — Bolstering regional mass transit service throughout the Front Range, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) was officially awarded a landmark $44 million grant from the state's Colorado Clean Transit Enterprise (CTE) in October 2026. The major capital grant empowers RTD to purchase zero-emission electric buses, enhance frequencies along high-demand commuter spines such as the Flatiron Flyer, and expand transit accessibility across historically underserved corridors.

The funding announcement follows the September 27 launch of SkyRide Route AL, providing direct, hourly express bus service between Longmont and Denver International Airport (DIA), significantly reducing airport vehicle traffic along Interstate 25.

East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit Center-Lane Operations Underway

Concurrently, civil engineering contractors marked a defining construction milestone on the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, commencing center-lane corridor reconstruction between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard. The project transforms Denver's busiest bus corridor with dedicated center-running transit lanes, level boarding, heated platforms, and transit signal priority, projected to slash peak commuter travel times by up to 30 percent.

RTD also implemented scheduled rail maintenance along the A Line York/Josephine crossing to preserve long-term rail reliability, with the line restoring full 15-minute headway operations following structural repairs.

Denver Summit FC Breaks Ground on 13,000-Seat Stadium at Santa Fe Yards

In landmark sports and urban renewal news, civic officials and sports leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of a brand-new 13,000-seat professional stadium at Santa Fe Yards (the former Gates Rubber Company industrial complex). Slated to open in time for the 2029 season as the permanent home of Denver Summit FC women's professional soccer team, the mixed-use development features a boutique hotel, public plaza, and hundreds of transit-oriented housing units steps from the Broadway light rail station.

Denver municipal leaders affirmed that aligning clean mass transit, sporting destinations, and high-density housing ensures a sustainable and thriving urban future for the Mile High City.