Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, one of Colorado’s most iconic attractions, could soon offer a public transit option for visitors. Whether it’s for hiking or attending a concert, many people currently drive to the world-renowned venue, but that may soon change.
Denver and Jefferson County officials are working on a plan inspired by the environmental advocacy group Green Latinos to introduce some form of public transportation to the site. Right now, RTD’s W Line can take riders from downtown Denver to the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden, but it stops there.
The new plan being discussed would use a shuttle—either buses or vans—to transport light rail passengers from Golden to Red Rocks and other nearby outdoor attractions. Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr referred to this initiative as the “West Tracks” plan, which would also include stops at Dinosaur Ridge, popular mountain biking and hiking areas, and of course, Red Rocks. Kerr mentioned that they are hoping for a test run of the shuttle in the fall.
Although they were hoping to launch the shuttle service this summer, Kerr said that Jefferson County and Denver Parks have offered funding for a possible trial run on weekends. The goal is to try it out, gather feedback, and work out any issues, with hopes to fully launch next summer, potentially by Memorial Day weekend.
RTD has confirmed that Jefferson County submitted an application for their partnership program, which provides grants for services like the shuttle with stops at Red Rocks. However, they noted that the current proposal would not accommodate evening concerts, as the W Line does not run late into the night.
For the pilot program, officials have decided not to push for changes to the existing service hours of RTD.