Arrival of Aurora light rail ‘R” line will spell new bus schedules

AURORA | Many Aurora bus riders will see changes to their commutes after the Regional Transportation District’s Interstate 225 light rail line opens late next year.

“Although many of the changes are minor, there are still a lot of changes,” said Jeff Dunning, a senior planner with RTD, of a 50-page report outlining the proposed changes to bus service that will run in conjunction with RTD’s “R” and East Rail lines. Both lines are set to open in 2016.

The Aurora “R” line is a 10.5-mile light rail line within the city that will connect commuters to the East and Southeast rail lines with stops serving the Aurora City Center, Anschutz/Fitzsimons Medical Center and Denver International Airport. The East Rail Line will run from Denver Union Station to DIA.

As part of the proposed schedule changes — which will take effect once the new rail lines open — RTD is eliminating many routes that it considers “lifeline services.” That means routes that run every 60 minutes or more, and those routes are being mostly eliminated, re-routed or replaced by bus service that runs at least every 15 or 30 minutes.

“It’s hard to attract many riders to routes that only run occasionally,” said Dunning. “The best routes are both frequent and direct. That’s something this plan tries to address.”

“Although many of the changes are minor, there are still a lot of changes,” said Jeff Dunning, a senior planner with RTD, of a 50-page report outlining the proposed changes to bus service that will run in conjunction with RTD’s “R” and East Rail lines. Both lines are set to open in 2016.

Tom Tobiassen, a Regional Transportation District board member whose district encompasses Aurora, said the biggest impact residents may feel with the new schedule is in Heather Gardens, where Route 130H is being discontinued. The 130H runs from Nine Mile Station through Heather Gardens on Marina Drive to the Centrepoint and Sable bus transfer center, and ends at the Community College of Aurora campus at East Centretech Parkway and East First Avenue.

“The ridership numbers there are very low, but some folks there feel like their community is being short changed and seniors are being picked on,” Tobiassen said. “I sent the plan over to them so we could start the dialogue sooner rather than later.”

RTD is asking passengers who use the 130H bus to instead use the Route 130 on Yale Avenue.

Tobiassen and Dunning emphasized that most of the route changes are for the better.

“The new route to Buckley Air Force Base will be very significant,” Tobiassen said of the proposed 157 route, which will run from the future Aurora Metro Center Station at Centrepoint and Sable to the air force base.

“I’ve met with the folks at Buckley and they were hoping for better service, and the 157 will provide the opportunity of covering more of the base,” Tobiassen said. “All active duty military members ride all RTD services for free.  With the improved connections, this could be huge for young military members coming to the Aurora/Denver metro area.”

As part of the proposed schedule changes — which will take effect once the new rail lines open — RTD is eliminating many routes that it considers “lifeline services.” That means routes that run every 60 minutes or more, and those routes are being mostly eliminated, re-routed or replaced by bus service that runs at least every 15 or 30 minutes.

Under the proposed schedule the 157 will run every 30 minutes on weekdays and replace the 10 bus that runs from downtown Denver to Buckley.

“There are many connections that will be available that are not available today,” Tobiassen said of the route, which will be a direct connection to the Metro Center Station, where riders can then take the future light rail to DIA, Park Meadows Mall and downtown Denver.

Dunning said improvements to the 169L, which runs from Arapahoe Crossing and  runs on Buckley Road all the way to DIA, will run with much greater frequency under the new plan.

“Now it only runs a few trips in the morning, a few in the middle of the day and a few at night to serve DIA employees,” he said.

Under the proposed schedule the 169L will run every 30 minutes all day weekdays in both directions, and every 60 minutes on weekends throughout the day.

“For the people living on Buckley Road, that’s a big improvement,” he said.

RTD will be holding meetings where the public can comment on the plan starting Aug. 15 through Sept. 30.