Editing Denver (section)

==Transportation==
[[File:Sunrise Over Denver Skyline.jpg|center|thumb|upright=2|Dawn over downtown Denver, viewed from the north with Pikes Peak and the southern [[Front Range]] to the south]]

===City streets===
{{Main|Street system of Denver}}
[[File:Colfaxatbroadway.JPG|thumb|upright|Colfax Avenue at Broadway, where the downtown street grid and the "normal" city grid meet. Colfax Avenue carries [[U.S. Route 40 in Colorado|U.S. Highway 40]] through Denver.]]

Most of Denver has a straightforward [[street grid]] oriented to the four [[cardinal direction]]s. Blocks are usually identified in hundreds from the median streets, identified as "00", which are Broadway (the east–west median, running north–south) and Ellsworth Avenue (the north–south median, running east–west). [[Colfax Avenue]], a major east–west artery through Denver, is 15 blocks (1500) north of the median. Avenues north of Ellsworth are numbered (with the exception of Colfax Avenue and several others, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and Montview Blvd.), while avenues south of Ellsworth are named.

There is also an older downtown grid system that was designed to be parallel to the confluence of the [[South Platte River]] and [[Cherry Creek (Colorado)|Cherry Creek]]. Most of the streets downtown and in [[LoDo]] run northeast–southwest and northwest–southeast. This system has an unplanned benefit for snow removal; if the streets were in a normal N–S/E–W grid, only the N–S streets would receive sunlight. With the grid oriented to the diagonal directions, the NW–SE streets receive sunlight to melt snow in the morning and the NE–SW streets receive it in the afternoon. This idea was from Henry Brown the founder of the [[Brown Palace Hotel (Denver, Colorado)|Brown Palace Hotel]]. There is now a plaque across the street from the [[Brown Palace Hotel (Denver, Colorado)|Brown Palace Hotel]] that honors this idea. The NW–SE streets are numbered, while the NE–SW streets are named. The named streets start at the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway with the block-long Cheyenne Place. The numbered streets start underneath the Colfax and I-25 viaducts. There are 27 named and 44 numbered streets on this grid. There are also a few vestiges of the old grid system in the normal grid, such as Park Avenue, Morrison Road, and Speer Boulevard. Larimer Street, named after [[William Larimer Jr.]], the founder of Denver, which is in the heart of [[LoDo]], is the oldest street in Denver.
[[File:Denver skyline from Speer Blvd near I-25, April 2019.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright=1.35|Speer Boulevard runs north–south through downtown Denver.]]
All roads in the downtown grid system are streets (e.g., [[16th Street Mall|16th Street]], Stout Street), except for the five NE–SW roads nearest the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway: Cheyenne Place, Cleveland Place, Court Place, Tremont Place and Glenarm Place. Roads outside that system that travel east–west are designated "avenues" and those that travel north–south are designated "streets" (e.g., Colfax Avenue, Lincoln Street). Boulevards are higher capacity streets and travel any direction (more commonly north and south). Smaller roads are sometimes referred to as places, drives (though not all drives are smaller capacity roads; some are major thoroughfares), or courts. Most streets outside the area between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard are organized alphabetically from the city's center.

East of Colorado Boulevard, the naming convention of streets takes on a predictable pattern of going through the alphabet by using each letter twice (i.e. AA, BB, CC, DD, through YY – there is no Z). The first street is almost always named after a plant or fruit, the second street is almost always named after a foreign place or location. For example, Jersey Street / Jasmine Street, Quebec Street / Quince Street, and Syracuse Street / Spruce Street. Inexplicably, the letter Y only has one street (Yosemite), and there is no Z.   This double-alphabet naming convention continues in some form into Aurora, Colorado.

Some Denver streets have [[bicycle lanes]], leaving a patchwork of disjointed routes throughout the city. There are over {{convert|850|mi|km}}<ref name="denver.org">{{cite web |title=Denver's 850 Miles of Off-Road Bike Trails |url=http://www.denver.org/metro/features/bike-trails |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821123833/http://denver.org/metro/features/bike-trails |archive-date=August 21, 2008 |publisher=Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> of paved, off-road, bike paths in Denver parks and along bodies of water, like Cherry Creek and the South Platte. This allows for a significant portion of Denver's population to be bicycle commuters and has led to Denver being known as a bicycle-friendly city.<ref name="League of American Bicylistsl">{{cite web |title=Bicycle Friendly Communities: Denver |url=http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/Images/bfc_pdf_pages/denver.pdf |date=2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822182922/http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/Images/bfc_pdf_pages/denver.pdf |archive-date=August 22, 2007 |publisher=[[League of American Bicyclists]] |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> Some residents strongly oppose bike lanes, which has caused some plans to be watered down or nixed. The review process for one bike line on Broadway will last over a year before city council members will make a decision. In addition to the many bike paths, Denver launched B-Cycle&nbsp;– a citywide bicycle sharing program&nbsp;– in late April 2010. The B-Cycle network was the largest in the United States at the time of its launch, boasting 400 bicycles.<ref name="Cnet">{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20003054-1.html |title=B-cycle bike sharing to be the largest in U.S. |publisher=CNET |access-date=April 21, 2010 |archive-date=April 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429010944/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20003054-1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Wheel clamp|Denver Boot]], a car-disabling device, was first used in Denver.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/originofeveryday0000acto |url-access= registration |quote= origin of Denver Boot. |publisher=Sterling Publishing |page=[https://archive.org/details/originofeveryday0000acto/page/309 309] |year=2006 |title=Origin of Everyday Things |first1=Johnny |last1=Acton |first2=Tania |last2=Adams |first3=Matt |last3=Packer | isbn= 978-1-4027-4302-3 |access-date=March 21, 2011}}</ref>

===Cycling===
The [[League of American Bicyclists]] rated Colorado as the sixth most bicycle-friendly state in the nation for 2024. This is due in large part to Front Range cities like Boulder, Fort Collins and Denver placing an emphasis on legislation, programs and infrastructure developments that promote cycling as a mode of transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bikeleague.org/bfa/states/state-report-cards/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809100842/http://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/2014_state_ranking_chart.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-09 |url-status=live |title=Bicycle Friendly State : 2024 Ranking |publisher=Bike League |access-date=March 17, 2024}}</ref> [[Walk Score]] has rated Denver as the fourth most bicycle-friendly large city in the United States.<ref name="walkscore" /> According to data from the 2011 American Community Survey, Denver ranks 6th among US cities with populations over 400,000 in terms of the percentage of [[List of U.S. cities with most bicycle commuters|workers who commute by bicycle]] at 2.2% of commuters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://denverurbanism.com/2011/10/denver-hits-2-2-bicycle-commuter-mode-share-for-2010.html |title=Denver Hits 2.2% Bicycle Commuter Mode Share for 2010 " DenverUrbanism Blog |publisher=Denverurbanism.com |date=October 17, 2011 |access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref>

B-Cycle&nbsp;– Denver's citywide bicycle sharing program&nbsp;– was the largest in the United States at the time of its launch in 2010, boasting 400 bicycles.<ref name="Cnet"/> B-Cycle ridership peaked in 2014, then steadily declined. The program announced it would cease operations at the end of January 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=Denver City Council passes Denver B-Cycle expansion|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2012/10/08/denver-city-council-passes-denver-b-cycle-expansion/|work=The Denver Post|date=October 8, 2012|access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Denver B-cycle goes to year-round schedule|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2013/09/09/denver-b-cycle-goes-to-year-round-schedule/|work=The Denver Post|date=September 9, 2013|access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sachs |first1=David |title=B-cycle will leave Denver at the end of January after years of declining ridership |url=https://denverite.com/2019/11/21/b-cycle-will-leave-denver-at-the-end-of-january-after-years-of-declining-ridership/ |access-date=January 3, 2020 |work=Denverite |date=November 21, 2019}}</ref> The city announced plans to seek one or more new contractors to run a bike-share program starting mid-2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-13|title=Denver's five-year, 125-mile bike lane project passes halfway point|url=https://businessden.com/2022/01/13/denvers-five-year-125-mile-bike-lane-project-passes-halfway-point/|access-date=2022-01-20|website=BusinessDen|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Will Go Out to Bid for Bike Share and Scooter Operator(s) |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-department-of-public-works/newsroom/2019/bike-scooter-operators.html |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103050621/https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-department-of-public-works/newsroom/2019/bike-scooter-operators.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Electric rental scooters ===
In 2018, [[Motorized scooter|electric scooter]] services began to place scooters in Denver. Hundreds of unsanctioned LimeBike and Bird electric scooters appeared on Denver streets in May, causing an uproar. In June, the city ordered the companies to remove them<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2018/06/13/denver-electric-scooter-rentals/|title=Denver officials seize more than 250 electric scooters from city streets, levy fines|date=June 14, 2018|work=The Denver Post|access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> and acted quickly to create an official program, including a requirement that scooters be left at RTD stops and out of the public right-of-way. Lime and Bird scooters then reappeared in late July, with limited compliance. [[Uber]]'s Jump e-bikes arrived in late August, followed by [[Lyft]]'s nationwide electric scooter launch in early September.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/06/lyft-launches-its-scooter-business-in-denver/|title=Lyft launches its scooter business in Denver|work=TechCrunch|access-date=September 14, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Lyft says that it will, each night, take the scooters to the warehouse for safety checks, maintenance and charging. Additionally, Spin and Razor each were permitted to add 350 scooters.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.5280.com/2018/09/denver-becomes-first-city-to-get-lyfts-electric-scooters/|title=Denver Is the First City to Get Lyft's Electric Scooters, With E-Bikes to Follow|date=September 6, 2018|work=5280|access-date=September 14, 2018|language=en-US|ref=5280 micro-mobility article Sep. 2018}}</ref>

===Walkability===
2017 rankings by [[Walk Score]] placed Denver twenty-sixth among 108 U.S. cities with a population of 200,000 or greater.<ref name=walkscore>{{cite web |url=http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/cities/|title=2017 City & Neighborhood Ranking |publisher=Walk Score |year=2017 |access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> City leaders have acknowledged the concerns of walkability advocates that Denver has serious gaps in its sidewalk network. The 2019 "Denver Moves: Pedestrians" plan outlines a need for approximate $1.3 billion in sidewalk funding, plus $400 million for trails.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pedestrian Program |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-pedestrians/plans.html |website=Denver, The Mile High City |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=May 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513172950/https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-pedestrians/plans.html |archive-date=May 13, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2022, Denver voters passed Initiative 307, dubbed "Denver Deserves Sidewalks", to complete sidewalk construction and repair by shifting responsibility for sidewalk maintenance from property owners to the city and imposing a new fee on property owners based on the length of a property's sidewalk frontage,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Minor |first1=Nathaniel |date=November 14, 2022 |title=Denver sidewalk initiative backers have declared victory. Here's what may come next |work=Denverite |publisher=Colorado Public Radio |url=https://denverite.com/2022/11/14/initiated-ordinance-307-results-denver-deserves-sidewalks/ |access-date=February 1, 2023}}</ref> although the measure may be revised in the course of implementation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lopez |first1=Meghan |date=November 25, 2022 |title=Denver's sidewalk repair initiative could face big changes before it's implemented |work=Denver7.com |publisher=Scripps Media |url=https://www.denver7.com/news/politics/denvers-sidewalk-repair-initiative-could-face-big-changes-before-its-implemented |access-date=February 1, 2023}}</ref>

===Modal characteristics===
In 2015, 9.6 percent of Denver households lacked a car, and in 2016, this was virtually unchanged (9.4 percent). The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Denver averaged 1.62 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Car Ownership in U.S. Cities Data and Map|journal=Governing|date=December 9, 2014|url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html|access-date=May 4, 2018|archive-date=May 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511162014/http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Freeways and highways===
Denver is primarily served by the interstate freeways [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|I-25]] and [[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|I-70]]. The problematic intersection of the two interstates is referred to locally as "[[Mousetrap (Denver)|the mousetrap]]" because, when viewed from the air, the junction (and subsequent vehicles) resemble mice in a large trap.
* [[File:I-25 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]]''' runs north–south from [[New Mexico]] through Denver to [[Wyoming]]
* [[File:I-225 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|Interstate 225]]''' traverses neighboring Aurora. I-225 was designed to link Aurora with I-25 in the southeastern corner of Denver, and I-70 to the north of Aurora, with construction starting May 1964 and ending May 21, 1976.
* [[File:I-70 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|Interstate 70]]''' runs east–west from [[Utah]] to [[Maryland]]. It is also the primary corridor on which motorists access the mountains.
* [[File:I-270 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 270 (Colorado)|Interstate 270]]''' runs concurrently with [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]] from an interchange with [[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|Interstate 70]] in northeast Denver to an interchange with [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]] north of Denver. The freeway continues as [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]] from the interchange with [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]].
* [[File:I-76 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 76 (Colorado)|Interstate 76]]''' begins from I-70 just west of the city in [[Arvada, Colorado|Arvada]]. It intersects I-25 north of the city and runs northeast to Nebraska where it ends at [[Interstate 80 (Nebraska)|I-80]].
* [[File:US 6.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 6 (Colorado)|US 6]]''' follows the alignment of 6th Avenue west of I-25, and connects downtown Denver to the west-central suburbs of [[Golden, Colorado|Golden]] and [[Lakewood, Colorado|Lakewood]]. It continues west through Utah and [[Nevada]] to [[Bishop, California]]. To the east, it continues as far as [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]], on [[Cape Cod]] in [[Massachusetts]].
*[[File:US 285.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 285 (Colorado)|US 285]]''' ends its {{convert|847|mi|km|adj=on}} route through [[New Mexico]] and [[Texas]] at [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]] in the University Hills neighborhood.
* [[File:US 85.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 85 (Colorado)|US 85]]''' also travels through Denver. This highway is often used as an alternate route to [[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]] instead of taking [[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]].
* [[File:US 87.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Route 87]]''' runs north–south and through Denver. It is concurrent with I-25 the entire length in the state.
* [[File:US 36.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]]''' connects Denver to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] and [[Rocky Mountain National Park]] near [[Estes Park, Colorado|Estes Park]]. It runs east into [[Ohio]], after crossing four other states.
* [[File:Colorado 93.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Colorado State Highway 93|State Highway 93]]''' starts in the western Metropolitan area in [[Golden, Colorado]], and travels almost {{convert|19|mi|km}} to meet with [[Colorado State Highway 119|SH&nbsp;119]] in central [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]]. This highway is often used as an alternate route to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] instead of taking [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]].
* [[File:Colorado 470.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Colorado State Highway 470|State Highway 470]]''' ('''C-470''', '''SH 470''') is the southwestern portion of the Denver metro area's beltway. Originally planned as Interstate 470 in the 1960s, the beltway project was attacked on environmental impact grounds and the interstate beltway was never built. The portion of "Interstate 470" built as a [[state highway]] is the present-day SH 470, which is a [[freeway]] for its entire length.

Denver also has a nearly complete beltway known as "the 470's". These are [[SH 470 (CO)|SH 470]] (also known as C-470), a freeway in the southwest Metro area, and two toll highways, [[E-470]] (from southeast to northeast) and [[Northwest Parkway]] (from terminus of E-470 to [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]]). SH 470 was intended to be I-470 and built with federal highway funds, but the funding was redirected to complete conversion of downtown Denver's [[16th Street Mall|16th Street]] to a pedestrian mall. As a result, construction was delayed until 1980 after state and local legislation was passed.<ref>{{cite web |author=Matthew E. Salek |url=http://www.mesalek.com/colo/denvers470.html |title=C-470? E-470? I-470? W-470? I give up! |publisher=Mesalek.com |access-date=September 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924101940/http://mesalek.com/colo/denvers470.html |archive-date=September 24, 2011 }}</ref> I-470 was also once called "The Silver Stake Highway", from Gov. Lamm's declared intention to drive a silver stake through it and kill it.

A highway expansion and transit project for the southern [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|I-25]] corridor, dubbed T-REX ([[Transportation Expansion Project]]), was completed on November 17, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=T-REX Announces Opening Day for Southeast Light Rail Line |url=http://www.denvergov.org/Southeast_Corridor/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures2005/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures20055/tabid/393990/Default.aspx |date=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013125106/http://denvergov.org/Southeast_Corridor/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures2005/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures20055/tabid/393990/Default.aspx |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> The project installed wider and additional highway lanes, and improved highway access and drainage. The project also includes a light rail line that traverses from downtown to the south end of the metro area at Lincoln Avenue.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5151700,00.html |title=New light rail heads on down the tracks |newspaper=Rocky Mountain News |access-date=September 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013114548/http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0%2C1299%2CDRMN_15_5151700%2C00.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The project spanned almost {{convert|19|mi|km|0}} along the highway with an additional line traveling parallel to part of [[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|I-225]], stopping just short of Parker Road.

Metro Denver highway conditions can be accessed on the [[Colorado Department of Transportation]] COtrip website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COtrip Traveler Information |url=https://maps.cotrip.org/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=maps.cotrip.org}}</ref>

===Mass transportation===
[[File:Denver Union Station Light Rail 2011.JPG|alt=|thumb|Denver RTD light rail and bus lines]]
[[File:Main Facade of Denver Union Station, December 2014.jpg|thumb|[[Union Station (Denver, Colorado)|Denver Union Station]]]]

[[Public transport|Mass transportation]] throughout the [[Denver metropolitan area]] is managed and coordinated by the [[Regional Transportation District]] (RTD). RTD operates more than 1,000 [[bus]]es serving over 10,000 bus stops in 38 municipal jurisdictions in eight counties around the [[Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area|Denver and Boulder metropolitan areas]]. Additionally, RTD operates ten [[RTD Bus & Rail|rail]] lines, the A, B, D, E, G, H, L, N, R, and W, with a total of {{convert|113|mi|km}} of track, serving 77 stations, 35 of which are located within the City of Denver proper. The [[D Line (RTD)|D]], [[E Line (RTD)|E]], [[H Line (RTD)|H]], [[L Line (RTD)|L]], [[R Line (RTD)|R]], and [[W Line (RTD)|W Lines]] are [[light rail]] while the [[A Line (RTD)|A]], [[B Line (RTD)|B]], [[G (RTD)|G]], and [[N Line (RTD)|N Lines]] are [[commuter rail]].

[[FasTracks]] is a commuter rail, light rail, and bus expansion project approved by voters in 2004, which will serve neighboring suburbs and communities. The [[W Line (RTD)|W Line]], or West line, opened in April 2013 serving Golden/Federal Center. The commuter rail A Line from Denver Union Station to Denver International Airport opened in April 2016 with ridership exceeding RTD's early expectations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Denvers-RTD-marks-A-Line-commuter-rail-ridership-growth--56571 |title=Denver's RTD marks A Line commuter-rail ridership growth |publisher=Progressive Railroading |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The light rail [[R Line (RTD)|R Line]] through Aurora opened in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/02/24/rtd-opens-new-light-rail-line/|title=RTD Opens New Light Rail Line|date=February 24, 2017|publisher=CBS Denver|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The [[G Line (RTD)|G Line]] to the suburb of Arvada (originally planned to open in the Fall of 2016) opened on April 26, 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/01/rtd-g-line-opening/|title=RTD: Long-delayed G-Line from Denver to Wheat Ridge will open April 26 |newspaper=Denver Post|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The [[N Line (RTD)|N Line]] to Commerce City and Thornton opened on September 21, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 22, 2020|title=All Aboard: RTD's N Line Starts Rolling From Denver To Thornton|url=https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/09/22/rtd-n-line-starts-denver-thornton/|access-date=October 13, 2020|language=en-US}}</ref>

An express bus service, known as the [[Flatiron Flyer]], serves to connect Boulder and Denver. The service, billed as [[bus rapid transit]], has been accused of [[bus rapid transit creep]] for failing to meet the majority of BRT requirements, including level boarding and all-door entry. A commuter rail connection to Boulder and its suburb of Longmont, also part of the FasTracks ballot initiative and an extension of the [[B Line (RTD)|B Line]], is planned to be finished by RTD, but no construction funds have yet been identified prior to 2040.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_32583756/rtd-recommits-completing-train-service-boulder-longmont-considering |title=RTD recommits to completing train service to Boulder, Longmont, considering interim plan |newspaper=Daily Camera |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> RTD is currently considering an interim commuter service which would run rush-hour trains from Longmont to Denver.

The [[Colorado Department of Transportation]] runs [[Bustang]], a bus system that offers weekday and weekend service connecting Denver with many locations across the state, including [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]], [[Colorado Springs]], [[Fort Collins]], and [[Gunnison, Colorado|Gunnison]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ridebustang.com/routes-maps/ |title=Bustang Routes |publisher=Colorado Department of Transportation |access-date=December 1, 2019 |archive-date=November 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105231105/https://ridebustang.com/routes-maps/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Denver Airport RTD Station, from Westin Hotel.jpg|alt=|thumb|Commuter rail station at Denver International Airport]]

[[Greyhound Lines]], the [[intercity bus]] operator, has a major hub in Denver, with routes to New York City, [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]], [[Las Vegas]], and their headquarters, [[Dallas]]. Subsidiary [[Autobuses Americanos]] provides service to [[El Paso]]. Allied bus operators [[Express Arrow]], and [[Burlington Trailways]] provide service to [[Billings, Montana|Billings]], [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Indianapolis]], and [[Alamosa, Colorado|Alamosa]].

[[Amtrak]], the national passenger rail system, provides service to Denver, operating its ''[[California Zephyr]]'' daily in both directions between [[Union Station (Chicago)|Chicago]] and [[Emeryville, California]], across the bay from San Francisco. Amtrak Thruway service operated by private bus companies links the Denver station with Rocky Mountain points. In 2017 the Colorado legislature reinvigorated studies of passenger rail service along the Front Range, potentially connecting Denver to Fort Collins and [[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]], or further to Amtrak connections in [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]] and [[Trinidad, Colorado|Trinidad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2019/06/13/colorado-serious-look-passenger-rail-service-front-range/1442541001/ |title=Backers believe this Front Range passenger rail plan is the real deal
 |publisher=Coloradoan |access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref> [[Front Range Passenger Rail]] is a current proposal (as of 2023) to link the cities from [[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]] in the south, north to [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]] and possibly to [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Heins |first1=Nicole |title=Amtrak hopes to reduce I-25 traffic by creating a passenger rail along the Front Range |url=https://www.kktv.com/2021/04/13/amtrak-hopes-to-reduce-i-25-traffic-by-creating-a-passenger-rail-along-the-front-range/ |access-date=1 January 2022 |work=KKTV 11 News |date=13 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

At [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], Denver Thruway connections are made daily with the Amtrak ''[[Southwest Chief]]''. Additionally, the [[Ski Train]] operated on the former [[Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad]], which took passengers between Denver and the [[Winter Park, Colorado|Winter Park]] Ski Resort, but it is no longer in service. The Ski Train made its final run to Winter Park on March 29, 2009. The service was revived on a trial basis in 2016 with a great amount of local fanfare. Further development of a mountain corridor rail option, though publicly popular, has been met with resistance from politicians, namely the director of [[Colorado Department of Transportation]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.5280.com/news/magazine/2017/02/can-i-70s-mountain-corridor-ever-be-fixed|title=Can I-70's Mountain Corridor Ever Be Fixed?|date=February 15, 2017|work=5280|access-date=March 6, 2017|language=en}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=July 2017}} The Ski Train did return to service under [[Amtrak]] with the name "[[Ski Train|Winter Park Express]]" in 2017 and greatly expanded service for the 2024-2025 ski season, doubling capacity and increasing service to run Thursday-Monday during the winter ski seasons. The [[Colorado Department of Transportation]] plans to eventually expand service to [[Steamboat Springs, Colorado|Steamboat Springs]] and [[Craig, Colorado|Craig]] as part of the Mountain Rail project.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.codot.gov/projects/coloradomountainrail|title=Colorado Mountain Rail |publisher=Colorado Department of Transportation |access-date=March 12, 2025}}</ref>

Denver's early years as a major train hub of the west are still very visible today. Trains stop in Denver at historic [[Union Station (Denver)|Union Station]], where travelers can access RTD's 16th Street Free MallRide or use light rail to tour the city. [[Union Station (Denver)|Union Station]] will also serve as the main juncture for rail travel in the metro area, at the completion of [[FasTracks]]. The city also plans to invest billions to bringing frequent public transit within one-fourth of a mile of most of its residents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Moves: Transit |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/Denveright/documents/transit/Denver-Moves-Transit-Plan-2019.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513175909/https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/Denveright/documents/transit/Denver-Moves-Transit-Plan-2019.pdf |archive-date=2019-05-13 |url-status=live |website=Denver Department of Public Works |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref>

====Denver public transportation statistics====
The average amount of time people spend commuting on public transit in Denver and Boulder, Colorado—for example, to and from work, on a weekday—is 77 minutes; 31% of public transit riders ride for more than two hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 14 minutes, while 25% of riders wait for over 20 minutes, on average, every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is {{convert|6.96|mi|km}}, while 31% travel over {{convert|7.46|mi|km}} in a single direction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://moovitapp.com/insights/en/Moovit_Insights_Public_Transit_Index_USA_Denver_Boulder_CO-747|title=Denver & Boulder, CO Public Transportation Statistics|publisher=Global Public Transit Index by Moovit|access-date=June 19, 2017}} [[File:CC BY icon.svg|50x50px]] Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [[creativecommons:by/4.0/|Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]].</ref>

===Airports===
[[File:Denver International Airport terminal.jpg|thumb|left|Inside the main terminal of [[Denver International Airport]]]]
[[File:Denver International Airport Main Terminal.jpg|alt=|thumb|Outside view of the main terminal, DIA]]

[[Denver International Airport]] (IATA: DEN, ICAO: KDEN), commonly known as DIA, serves as the primary airport for the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]] surrounding Denver. DIA is {{convert|18.6|mi|km|0|sp=us}} east-northeast of the [[Colorado State Capitol]] and opened in 1995. DIA is the 3rd busiest airport in the world with 58.8 million passengers in 2021;<ref>{{cite web |title=The top 10 busiest airports in the world revealed |url=https://aci.aero/2022/04/11/the-top-10-busiest-airports-in-the-world-revealed/ |website=Airports Council International |access-date=6 September 2022 |date=April 11, 2022}}</ref> it had the 5th highest number of passengers in the U.S., 61 million, in the pre-pandemic year 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 10 Busiest Airports In The United States |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/busiest-airports-in-united-states.html#h_76256299224191615961355476 |website=WorldAtlas |date=March 17, 2021 |access-date=6 September 2022}}</ref> It covers more than {{convert|52.4|sqmi|1}}, making it the largest airport by land area in the United States and larger than the island of [[Manhattan]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Airport |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/denver-airport |website=Travel + Leisure |access-date=6 September 2022}}</ref> DIA serves as a major hub for [[United Airlines]], is the headquarters and primary hub for [[Frontier Airlines]], and is a major focus city and the fastest-growing market for [[Southwest Airlines]].

In 2017, [[Denver International Airport]] was rated by [[Skytrax]] as the 28th-best airport in the world, falling to second place in the United States behind [[Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport]]. Skytrax also named DIA as the second-best regional airport in North America for 2017, and the fourth-best regional airport in the world.

Three [[general aviation]] airports serve the Denver area. [[Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport]] (KBJC) is {{convert|13.7|mi|km|0|sp=us}} north-northwest, [[Centennial Airport]] (KAPA) is {{convert|13.7|mi|km|0|sp=us}} south-southeast, and [[Colorado Air and Space Port]] (KCFO), formerly Front Range Airport, is {{convert|23.7|mi|km|0|sp=us}} east of the state capitol. Centennial Airport also offers limited commercial airline service, on two cargo airlines.

In the past, Denver has been home to several other airports that are no longer operational. [[Stapleton International Airport]] was closed in 1995 when it was replaced by DIA. [[Lowry Air Force Base]] was a military flight training facility that ceased flight operations in 1966, with the base finally closing in 1994. Both Stapleton and Lowry have since been redeveloped into primarily residential neighborhoods. [[Buckley Space Force Base]] is the only military facility in the Denver area.