Denver, CO
DIA braces for 100 million travelers a year after record-high holiday travel
Denver International Airport broke a record over the Labor Day period – screening 428,182 passengers over six days to board flights — the latest in a year of records at a U.S. air transport hub built to handle far fewer people.
DIA managers saw the Labor Day surge as a test run for a fast-approaching future bringing 100 million travelers a year, anticipated as early as 2027, five years sooner than previously projected. That would double the capacity DIA was built for when it opened in 1995 with 33 miles of runways and taxiways on 53 square miles northeast of Denver. They’re focused on a race to clear major hurdles for handling that many people pressing to get to where they want to go.
Two days before the surge, the airport’s internal rail system broke down, shooting white sparks as electric currents arced, forcing emergency track repairs and messing up weekend plans for travelers who had to book and re-book flights missed while stuck in terminal crowds. However, the trains ran on their regular 2-minute intervals over the next six days, ferrying 955,000 passengers mostly without problems, though a software glitch on Aug. 30 caused a six-minute shutdown.
Waiting
Here are the average and maximum wait times travelers at DIA faced in 2024 (Feb. 6 through Sept. 10), according to data provided to the Denver Post.
– A-Bridge: average 6.93 minutes, maximum 16.32 minutes
– West checkpoint: average 4 minutes, maximum 28.66 minutes
– South checkpoint: average 11.47 minutes, maximum 26.40 minutes
Beyond train woes (a new train car is scheduled to begin service this month), Transportation Security Administration wait lines loom as an intensifying challenge. DIA officials claimed an average wait time between 7 and 11 minutes around Labor Day with a maximum wait of 39 minutes.
Airport chief executive Phil Washington called DIA’s performance over Labor Day “a good test for the 100 million” but added he’s far from comfortable.
“The crowds are getting to be more and more, increasing out here. I’m never really satisfied with how we are processing people through,” Washington said.
“People are prioritizing travel all over the world and we are one of ‘those’ airports,” he said. “We could have improved on the Labor Day period. But we did get folks through with that average wait time between 7 and 11 minutes.” Moving people quickly through the airport, he said, is the current top priority.
The record number of passengers cleared for flights around Labor Day reflects a steady post-pandemic increase that puts DIA on track to reach 82 million passengers by the end of 2024, up from 69 million in 2019.
The 428,182 passengers around Labor Day exceeded the record set in 2023 of 422,992 by 1.2% and the previous 2019 record of 408,424 by almost 5%, according to TSA passenger-screening data. Those numbers don’t include travelers connecting from one flight to another in DIA and those arriving to stay in Colorado.
Hurdles for handling 100 million
The increasing travel through DIA is driving a race to complete large-scale construction projects launched five years ago to expand the airport’s operational capacity.
DIA’s Great Hall under the signature tent-topped roof, conceived in the early 1990s as a place for people to be together as travelers arrive and depart, will be devoted to the nation’s post-9/11 terrorism security priority. DIA officials say the overhaul will be done in 2027 after a restructuring and budget increase from $770 million to $2.1 billion.
A key hurdle will be ensuring the best possible customer service amid construction disruptions, Washington said, referring to the internal trains, baggage-moving systems, and communications to reach drivers approaching on Pena Boulevard.
DIA workers face another major challenge in maintaining existing escalators, elevators, and moving sidewalks – ensuring “a state of good repair” to handle 100 million people, Washington said. More than 300 conveyors move people in DIA.
A third main hurdle requires “maintaining our pace” on other construction projects, including the addition of 11 aircraft gates on the C Concourse and the implementation of faster security screening systems, he said. An east security checkpoint, bringing 17 new passenger screening lanes, is scheduled to open by August 2025.
DIA’s federally run security systems have been able to process 150 travelers an hour per lane. The latest 17-lane west checkpoint, and the new east checkpoint, are designed to screen 240 travelers an hour per lane. DIA officials before Labor Day expanded access to an online reservation system that lets travelers at the west checkpoint “skip the line” by making appointments for their screening. They’re mulling whether to use a reservation system at both checkpoints in the future.
Overall, “it is like remodeling your house while you still live in it,” Washington said. “We cannot close this place down.”
Rising demand for DIA
Denver airport’s busiest days
The heaviest travel is concentrated during summer months, according to the latest single-day numbers provided by DIA. The busiest days for passenger screenings to fly so far in 2024 are as follows:
– July 7: 93,591 (a DIA record)
– July 21: 89,421
– June 30: 86,941
– Sept. 2: 86,726
– August 11: 86,519
– July 28: 86,242
– July 14: 86,125
– July 22: 85,580
– Aug. 4: 85,485
– June 23: 85,304
Airlines’ commercial decision-making is driving the expansion. DIA officials this year announced a 13-hour nonstop route to Istanbul, the longest flight from DIA, opening access to Asia and Africa. They’re adding other expanded international flights this winter, including 14% more nonstop flights to Europe. Denver officials also are exploring more nonstop flights to Tokyo and a new direct route to Africa with a refueling stop between DIA and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In addition, DIA negotiators have identified “the three largest underserved international markets” in Rome, Italy; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Amsterdam, Netherlands, airport spokesman Michael Konopasek said. “Due to the large demand, these are all targets for new service. We continue conversations with airline partners for new and expanded service.”
“Our facilities have to be not just average. They have to be exceptional. That goes to our through-put of passengers. That goes to safety. That goes to our partnerships with airlines, who see us as a major hub,” Washington said. “We want to be the greenest, most efficient, and easiest to navigate airport in the world.”
Originally Published:
Denver, CO
Colorado weather: Record heat returns to Denver, northern part of state
Two more days of record-breaking heat are forecast for northern Colorado this week, including in the Denver area, according to the National Weather Service.
Earlier forecasts from the weather service projected 90-degree temperatures in Denver on Wednesday, which would have marked the city’s first of the year and earliest on record. The expected temperature high has since dropped to 88 degrees, which would still break daily and monthly heat records, according to the weather service.
NWS Tuesday forecasts:
- 64 degrees in Dillion, breaking the 63-degree record for March 24.
- 75 degrees in Evergreen, breaking the 71-degree daily record.
- 81 degrees in Denver, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 83 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 83 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 84 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 80-degree daily record.
NWS Wednesday forecasts:
- 69 degrees in Dillion, breaking the 62-degree record for March 24.
- 80 degrees in Evergreen, breaking the 75-degree daily record.
- 88 degrees in Denver, breaking the 75-degree daily record and the 86-degree March heat record. Denver has broken or tied the March heat record three times so far this month, according to the weather service.
- 89 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 87 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 78-degree daily record.
- 89 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 79-degree daily record.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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Denver, CO
Married couple stars on stage at Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ “Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors”
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is celebrating more than 100 performances of its hit comedy “Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors.” The show, which puts a funny twist on the classic tale of Dracula, is filled with comedy and romance, and that romance can be seen both onstage and off.
“It is a great date night. It is fast, it is fun,” said Marco Alberto Robinson, the actor who portrays Dracula on stage.
“People leave with a smile on their face, it is a good time,” said Adriane Leigh Robinson, an actress who plays multiple characters during the show.
The duo not only finds romance on stage in the production, but off stage, they are already in love.
“We are just best buddies,” Marco Robinson said.
“We are married,” Adriane Robinson said as she laughed.
The duo has lived in Denver for years and has enjoyed helping bring Dracula to life at the Garner Galleria.
“Dracula is a cult classic about a blood thirsty monster. But this is different, because he is not only blood thirsty, he is spicy,” Adriane Robinson said.
The other cast members of the production told CBS News Colorado they are confident both Robinsons are capable of starring on Broadway in New York. However, both said they have found a purpose and belonging in Denver and at the DCPA.
“We have found a super tight and loving community that we don’t ever want to leave,” Adriane Robinson said.
Both have been in many productions at the DCPA, but added Dracula has given them an opportunity to explore a side of their relationship that they’ve never had before.
“It’s the easiest (to be romantic interests on and off stage),” Adriane Robinson said.
“It is super easy. We can come up with something at home and bring it in. It is nice to not be passing ships,” Marco Robinson said.
Both said they have an appreciation for the surrounding arts community in Colorado, and have loved being on the same funny production in Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors.
“We are putting roots down here, and regional theatre is super important. And, the Denver Center is doing some of the best of it,” Marco Robinson said.
Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors, plays at the DCPA through May 10. For more information on tickets, visit their website.
Denver, CO
Traffic, parking and transportation at Burnham Yard are focal points around Denver Broncos stadium plans
As the Denver Broncos design a new stadium for Burnham Yard, one of the most critical elements — with some of the highest potential for backlash from neighbors and the team’s fans — will be the plan for getting people to and from the site.
Questions about parking, traffic management, transit access and accessibility have emerged as major concerns for neighbors of the future stadium during early community meetings in west Denver organized by the city and the team.
“It is probably the No. 1 topic that we’re hearing,” said Troy Halouska, the vice president of the La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association.
Lindsey Noble, a resident of the neighborhood, said in an interview with The Denver Post that she and her neighbors were “pretty concerned about traffic and parking” from the events the new stadium would host — which the team has said would go well beyond Broncos home games.
“They (the Broncos) are creating these problems, and some of the solutions I have heard have to do with altering our neighborhood or changing streets,” she said. “These aren’t things we want.”
The Broncos are still early in the process of laying out plans for the abandoned rail yard as the team aims to build a stadium by 2031. The team has already released some transportation-related details, including proposed changes to street crossings with the Regional Transportation District’s light rail tracks, potential parking options for events, and plans for connections to existing pedestrian and bike infrastructure.
The team plans to build more than just a stadium, though. Alongside their home field, the Broncos want to create a mixed-use entertainment district that uses the space year-round. Like other modern stadiums, it would have restaurants, open space and, potentially, hotels or apartments outside the venue.
Officials with the Broncos say they have heard the worries from nearby residents about the massive development’s potential impact on their neighborhoods. They say they’re looking for ways to integrate the site into the community — without flooding nearby streets with thousands of cars and people.
Generally, the team plans to address those concerns by designing the site in such a way that eventgoers are guided in through the north and south ends of the site, rather than being routed through the mostly residential neighborhood to the east.
The site itself, once the rail yard is cleared, will be nestled between two rail corridors — freight lines to the west and RTD’s light rail tracks to the east. Entities connected to the Broncos have been buying up properties beyond the banana-shaped rail yard for the stadium and surrounding district.

A bit farther to the west of the site is Interstate 25, and the north and south boundaries are generally West 13th Avenue and West Sixth Avenue. An early conceptual plan the team submitted to the city shows how its designers plan to connect local streets through the site. One new street would connect West Eighth Avenue to Osage Street, for instance, incorporating city plans to lower part of Eighth’s current viaduct.
Josh Brooks, a principal at Sasaki, the architecture firm designing the site’s master plan, said during a community meeting in February that the team plans to design the area so that noise and visual impacts are pushed as far from the residential neighborhood as possible.
“Our intention is to ensure this is an integrated community, a mixed-use development that really serves as an extension of the city and becomes part of the shared memory of the community,” Brooks said.
One of the things that most attracted the team to Burnham Yard was its connectivity with other areas. Located near I-25, Sixth and Eighth avenues, an RTD station, walking paths and planned bike lanes, the site won’t need massive changes to help bring in visitors.
But that doesn’t mean the team won’t have plenty of work to do on that front.

During the February community information meeting at the La Alma Recreation Center, the Broncos conducted a quick survey of attendees to ask what their top concerns were. The most-selected item was “traffic congestion during games/events,” followed closely by “impacts to housing expenses.”
The design for the site will focus on connecting existing roads and pedestrian paths and easing those neighborhood concerns, Brooks said.
The Broncos will work with the city in the coming months to develop a small-area plan, which will set out the design for the expanse surrounding the stadium site. While the stadium itself will be privately financed, the team has said, the city and state could be on the hook for infrastructure improvements nearby.
The city already plans to pay for improvements to two major road connections, the nearby Sixth and Eighth avenue viaducts, as part of bond projects passed by voters last fall.
Train crossings and transit access
One advantage of the Burnham Yard site is that it already has an RTD rail station next to it, making transit access easier. But the 10th and Osage station is accessible only from the east, with Burnham Yard west of the tracks. So it would need to be reconstructed to allow pedestrian access from both directions.
Working together with RTD, the Broncos are proposing changes to several light rail crossings. At 13th Avenue, the team has suggested a bridge for trains to pass over the street, with a place for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to cross beneath.

At 12th and 9th avenues, team officials are proposing a separated-grade crossing for cyclists and pedestrians to also pass underneath the light rail tracks.
Eleventh, 10th and 8th avenues would have at-grade crossings. Halouska, with the La Alma Lincoln Park Association, said residents would like as few at-grade crossings as possible to prevent collisions or other safety hazards.
Besides concerns about transit crossings, Noble expressed worry that there also might not be enough light rail cars on a game day to transfer everyone who arrives and departs that way.
A spokesperson for RTD said there was no one available to discuss the transit agency’s plans for the area.
“RTD is regularly meeting with the project team and other partners to provide feedback and ask questions about their proposed stadium plans. Specific information about any proposed changes to RTD’s services or operations is not yet available,” RTD’s Pauline Haberman said.
What about parking?
Other concerns about the plan center on where those who drive to the stadium will park.
Halouska said even when his group tries to host meetings about other topics, parking is the concern its leaders hear about the most from the neighborhood.
“The Broncos have said themselves they really want this area to be activated 300 days a year, and so folks in the neighborhood are very concerned about what kind of impact that will have on parking,” he said. “We really need more details from the team and the city.”

Team officials have said they plan to provide the same amount of parking at the new site as Empower Field has — which is roughly 7,000 spots. But instead of a stadium surrounded by surface parking, officials are proposing making use of parking structures and shared parking systems.
Noble said the on-site parking spots could make a big difference in the impact to the neighborhood.
The city could also add resident-only parking permit rules for the surrounding streets, much like a longstanding system in the Jefferson Park neighborhood around Empower Field.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the same system is possible for Burnham Yard, but it’s too early to know specifics of how it would work.
“We won’t begin designing anything until we understand how the site will work, where impacts could occur, and there’s a focused conversation on (residential parking permits),” Nancy Kuhn wrote in an email.
Halouska said that could help, but only if the parking permits are regularly enforced.
“Having the permits is a fine idea — though it does cost money to get a permit — but if it’s not enforced, then it’s kind of pointless,” Halouska said.
Bike and pedestrian access
It won’t just be public transportation and cars getting people to events or the new development. The Broncos also plan to build connections to surrounding bike and pedestrian infrastructure, like the South Platte River Trail and the bike lane along 13th Avenue, Brooks said.
There could also be a connection to the proposed 5280 urban trail, which as envisioned by planners would weave through several neighborhoods that include La Alma Lincoln Park, Golden Triangle, Capitol Hill, LoDo and Ballpark. The effort, led by the Downtown Denver Partnership, is not yet fully under construction. About a quarter of the plan is in “next steps development,” according to the DDP.
Noble said she hoped the team would find some ways to encourage people to travel to the stadium without driving.
“Really, I think incentivizing people to ride their bike and take public transportation is the way to go to mitigate the impacts,” she said. “Make it easy. Make it affordable.”
Officials say they will wrap up the community-informed small area plan, which will provide policy guidance for city decision-makers, by the end of this year. It will include resident feedback and ideas about housing, sidewalks, open space and grocery access, among other things.
The Broncos and the city plan to host their next community meeting in May.
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