Downtown is the hub of the entire regional transportation system. The highways, light rail, bus routes and mall shuttles converge in Downtown to provide easy commuter access. The Regional Transportation District (RTD) serves locations as far away as Boulder and Parker.

Commuting Experience
45% of the Downtown workforce utilizes alternative forms of transportation to commute to work.

Parking
There are more than 55,000 parking spots in the Downtown area, with median rates of $6.00 daily and $120.00 monthly. Three-quarters of the blocks Downtown contain at least one form of off-street parking.

Highways
Downtown Denver is near the crossroads of three major interstate highways: I-25 (north-south), I-70 (east-west), and I-76 (northeast).

Light Rail
More than 33,000 people utilize the light rail system daily on weekdays, or 10 million annually. Trains run every five to fifteen minutes from six free park-n-Ride stations. The 16 miles of light rail service include 24 stations, with twelve Downtown stops. The $4.7 billion FasTracks plan will build or extend 8 transit lines over 12 years with a hub at Union Station. The Southeast Corridor (TREX) will begin service in late 2006, adding 19 miles of light rail to the system.

Bus Service
With more than 65 buses per hour during peak hours entering Downtown, the bus system easily services commuters from all parts of the seven-county Denver Metro Region. 63,000 people ride the Free 16th Street Mall Shuttle every weekday. The shuttle runs the length of the 16th Street Mall at frequent intervals, connecting two major transit stations and the light rail lines.

RTD offers many pass programs that can save employees money on their commutes, including Eco-Pass, Group ValuPass, monthly and multiple ride pass programs. Programs may be individual or employer-sponsored, and are flexible according to need. Other RTD programs include vanpool subsidy and group pass discounts.

Bicycling
There are 135 miles of biking and hiking trails within the metro area, many of which follow the area's natural river systems. Two of these rivers converge Downtown, making it possible to bike to work from almost any direction. To access maps of trails in other areas of the city, visit www.denvergov.org.

Taxis
There are three major taxi companies serving Downtown Denver:
Freedom Cab: 303.444.4444 Yellow Cab: 303.777.7777 and Metro Taxi: 303.333.3333. While Downtown is walkable and with the help of the Free 16th Street Mall Shuttle visitors can get around without the need of a cab, taxis serve as an option to get to and from Downtown from other parts of the metro, or as a way to visit other metro tourist attractions without renting a car.

Highways
Several stretches of highway into downtown have express HOV lanes for commuting convenience. HOV stands for High Occupancy Vehicle. An HOV is any vehicle with more than one human occupant. This includes carpools, vanpools, and buses. The term HOV often refers to HOV lanes, which are dedicated lanes on highways to be used exclusively by multi-occupant vehicles. The HOV lanes leading to Downtown are:

• I-25 between US-36 and Downtown and US-36 approximately between Federal Blvd and I-25. These reversible lanes that are open inbound to Downtown Denver 5am to 10am Monday through Friday. They open outbound from Downtown Denver from about 12pm to late evening Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.
• There are additional HOV lanes on Santa Fe Drive between Main Street in Downtown Littleton and I-25.

Downtown Denver is near the crossroads of three major interstate highways: I-25 (north-south), I-70 (east-west) and I-76 (northeast). To read more about parking in Downtown and to download the Parking Inventory, click here. For information from the Colorado Department of Transportation including statewide road conditions, travel alerts, and construction information visit www.cotrip.org.

Intercity Travel
Downtown Denver is easily accessible by rail and bus transportation from communities across Colorado and our neighboring states. Intercity buses on selected trips can drop off passengers in Lower Downtown at the Union Station or the Market Street Station on the 16th Street Mall, as well as at the Denver Bus Center (19th & Curtis Sts.). Day round trips may be made into Downtown Denver from places outside of the metropolitan area such as Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Fort Morgan, Glenwood Springs, Limon, Cheyenne, Fort Collins and Greeley. Bus schedules are offered at www.greyhound.com. Train schedules for intercity travel are available from www.amtrak.com. Downtown Denver's Union Station is also the starting point for the year-round services of luxury cruise trains and the famed scenic day trip --summer and winter-- of the Ski Train at www.skitrain.com. Additional travel options are provided by a variety of shuttle and transportation providers. For a list of transportation providers, visit www.flydenver.com. Many of the operators that service the airport also service Downtown.

Best Workplaces For Commuters
Offering innovative solutions to commuting challenges faced by employers and employees, the Best Workplaces for Commuters Initiative is a new business/government voluntary initiative advocating employee commuter benefits. Formerly known as the Commuter Choice Initiative, and established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), this Initiative helps employers address limited or expensive parking, reduce traffic congestion, improve employee recruiting and retention, and minimize the environmental impacts associated with drive-alone commuting. Participating companies earn the designation "Best Commuter Workplace"-a mark of excellence for environmentally and employee-friendly organizations. It provides the tools, guidance, and promotion necessary to help U.S. employers of any size incorporate commuter benefits into their standard benefits plan, reap financial benefits, and gain national recognition. Recently announced Workplace employers include: The Access Fund, Boulder Community Hospital, Colorado Lending Source, Utility Engineering Corporation, Bolder Calls, U.S. Geological Survey, Sybase Inc., Kutack Rock LLP, Architectural Energy Corporation.

To learn more about the Best Workplace Program in the Denver region, click here.

Follow the links below for more transportation information:

• Downtown Map - Landmarks, access points, street names.
• FasTracks Map - Shows the planned build-out of FasTracks including maps of the corridor routes.
• Transportation News
• Downtown Denver Parking News
• Downtown Street Construction and Closure Update