New proposal aims to bring public transit to Red Rocks Amphitheater

DENVER — How about catching a public bus to Pink Rocks? Consider it or not, public transportation isn’t even an choice to the world class live performance venue, however it might be coming quickly.

Whereas Pink Rocks Amphitheater provides some wonderful views and spectacular exhibits, what it lacks is accessibility to all.

“It might be good to take some public transportation to the live shows,” mentioned a customer named Linda who lives in Denver. “Save on fuel, save on time spent in site visitors,” mentioned one other customer to the park named Carl who lives in south Denver.

“I believe that’s an enormous a part of Denver’s points, typically,” mentioned Sarah Papsun, a DU grad pupil who was visiting the park for the primary time since transferring to Denver. “I believe the shortage of public transportation is one thing that actually doesn’t permit individuals who shouldn’t have entry to vehicles the flexibility to discover their very own metropolis and personal state.”

Due to that, a gaggle known as Transit 2 Pink Rocks, which is spearheaded by present mayoral candidate Ean Thomas Tafoya, is hoping to lastly carry public bus service to the world-class amphitheater.

“Folks don’t have entry to this wonderful out of doors fairness,” mentioned Tafoya who has served on the Denver Parks and Recreation board.

Tafoya has been engaged on this subject for years, together with current involvement and help from each the governor’s workplace and the City of Morrison. He believes now could be the time to lastly make it occur.

“It’s about multi-modal targets,” Tafoya mentioned. “It’s about accessibility for individuals who don’t drive. It’s about local weather motion and it’s about public security for all of the folks coming right here. The town makes cash on promoting liquor after which tells everybody to get on out of right here and again on the roads.”

The price of public transit to Pink Rocks might be sponsored by occasion ticket gross sales. Parking at Pink Rocks is already sponsored and baked into the worth of each ticket. The venue seats just below 10,000 folks. Hypothetically, if it had been $0.50 cents per ticket, that may generate $5,000 per present for public transit, not together with what town would cost per bus ticket.

“This place generates thousands and thousands of {dollars},” Tafoya mentioned. “There’s undoubtedly sufficient cash right here to subsidize public transit.”

“I’d like it,” mentioned a customer who didn’t want to be recognized for this story. “We’ve employed non-public buses earlier than and yeah, they’re costly,” mentioned one other particular person visiting the amphitheater this week who additionally didn’t want to be recognized for this story.

What’s nonetheless unclear is how typically bus service to Pink Rocks would function, however Tafoya mentioned there’s definitely loads of ‘around the clock demand.

“We all know folks need to be right here at dawn,” Tafoya mentioned. “We all know folks need to be right here at sundown. We all know individuals are leaving right here at midnight and employees are leaving later at night time than that, even. Public transit creates fairness for them.”