Denver, CO
Shutdowns coming as RTD launches major reconstruction of rail routes in central Denver
Regional Transportation District officials are launching a major reconstruction of light rail track in central Denver, starting in May with a $152 million first phase that will rework five segments downtown and lead to a shutdown.
Closures are planned starting May 26, when all D and H line trains will be rerouted to Denver’s Union Station. L Line trains connecting the 30th Avenue/Downing Station to the Downtown Loop will be suspended.
There will be no light rail service operating in the RTD’s central corridor through September 2024, RTD officials announced on Wednesday morning.
The project is unprecedented since the RTD began light rail service in October 1994. While RTD officials between 2012 and 2023 directed 17 projects in the central corridor to replace sections of curved rail, switches, crossings, signals and other rail infrastructure, a project on this scale has not happened before.
After the first phase of reconstruction is completed in September, officials said, work crews will pause until 2025 and light rail services will resume during the pause.
“Maintaining RTD’s assets and infrastructure is essential to preserving the region’s previous investments in its mass transportation system,” RTD general manager Debra Johnson said in a press release.
“Managing and maintaining assets in a state of good repair ensures the long-term integrity of the rail network for all individuals who entrust RTD to deliver them to their destinations.”
Several segments of track along the central 5.3-mile corridor between the Interstate 25/Broadway and 30th Avenue/Downing stations require a full reconstruction, which entails removing all current rail infrastructure, concrete, ties, and ballasts, officials said. Work crews also are planning to address drainage systems beneath tracks before rebuilding each segment.
Rail and street intersections to be reconstructed during the first phase are at 15th and Stout Street, 17th and Stout Street, 15th and California Street, 17th and California Street, and Broadway and Welton Street.
Denver and RTD officials have been discussing street closures and traffic detour plans. Vehicle drivers downtown can expect rerouting to merge traffic into single lanes or around intersections.
RTD’s bus routes that operate along 15th and 17th streets may also be affected temporarily during the reconstruction work, agency officials said. As light rail trains are rerouted to Denver Union Station, RTD officials are planning to temporarily reintroduce a free MetroRide service along 18th and 19th streets with multiple stops.
Starting in 2025, later phases of the reconstruction will begin. These include a second reconstruction in RTD’s Downtown Loop and work along Colfax Avenue. A fourth phase will consist of work along Welton Street.
“The agency is ensuring that its 30-year-old system continues to provide reliable service for at least 30 more years and beyond,” Johnson said.
Before the reconstruction begins, transit riders are encouraged to sign up for agency service alerts and can find project information at rtd-denver.com/railproject.
Denver, CO
No. 2 Arizona Puts Together a Dominating Effort in Win Over Denver
Fresh off an impressive 71-67 win over then-No. 3 UConn, No. 2 Arizona (6-0) traveled back home to square off against Denver in a late Monday night game looking to keep the train rolling after climbing two spots in the latest AP Poll.
One of the toughest things to do in college basketball when you have a young team with seven freshmen is to stay sharp and ready for these games against lower-level Group of Five teams when coming off the highs of back-to-back wins over highly ranked opponents.
Although Arizona has a lot of youth, the WIldcats have the right mix of veteran leadership and coaching that kept everyone on track against Denver. UA throttled Pioneers 103-73 to lock in the team’s sixth win of the season.
In the last game against UConn, Arizona saw freshman Brayden Burreis struggle with just scoring four points on 2 of 4 shooting from the field.
Against Denver, Burries found his groove again and dropped 20 points while going 7 of 13 from the field and collecting seven rebounds and four assists in his 23 minutes.
It was a game of the freshmen as forward Ivan Kharchenkov recorded a career-high 20 points while going an impressive 9 of 12 from the field. Meanwhile, Kharchenkov dropped two 3-point shots.
Another freshman that was able to have an impact on the game was forward Dwayne Aristode, who scored 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting. Aristode managed to collect five rebounds for the night.
It was one of those games where the starting lineup didn’t get as many minutes as they usually do given the way the game was getting out of hand early in the night.
Still, point guard Jaden Bradley was able to score nine points and three assists while having zero turnovers.
Koa Peat recorded 12 points while going 6 of 10 from the field and grabbed three rebounds in just 22 minutes on the court.
Overall, Arizona shot 57% from the field and knocked down 12 3-point shots while holding Denver to 40% shooting on the other end.
In the paint, Arizona did what it has done all-season-long and dominated the low-post with 50 points and grabbed 50 rebounds. The Wildcats scored 16 second-chance points against the Pioneers.
With the bench getting more of a look, the Wildcats added 35 bench points with Tobe Awaka and Aristode being the main scoring options for Tommy Lloyd.
Arizona will play one more game this week as the team faces off against Norfolk State on Saturday with the game set for a 2 p.m. (MST) tip off and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Please be sure to share your thoughts on the game by clicking on the link to our X account.
Denver, CO
Cheapest gas prices in Denver hit less than $2 Sunday ahead of Thanksgiving weekend
Where to find the cheapest gas prices in Denver
DENVER (KDVR) — Gas prices in Denver are trending down just in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel weekend, with one station in the city even hitting less than $2 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy.
Just in the last week, gas prices in Denver have fallen 14.5 cents per gallon, hitting a $2.47 per gallon average Monday morning, Gadbuddy reported. That number is lower than the national average of $3.03 per gallon, and it is even nearly 30 cents lower than Denver’s average prices a year ago.
This is the lowest average gas price for this day, Nov. 24, in Denver since 2020, according to GasBuddy, and omitting the 2020 dip caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the last time Denver saw this or a lower average price on Nov. 24 was in 2017.
Monday’s $2.47 average price per gallon is also the lowest average so far this year.
Here’s where the cheapest gas prices were in Denver on Sunday and Monday:
- Shell, 7273 E. Evans Ave. – $1.94
- Sinclair, 2101 S. Holly St. – $2.03
- QuikTrip, 6477 E. Evans Ave. – $2.03
- Murphy Express, 4990 E. Evans Ave. – $2.03
- Conoco/7-Eleven, 7080 Tower Rd. – $2.05
The Shell station on Evans Avenue was also the lowest gas price in the state at the time, GasBuddy reported. the most expensive gas price in the city at the time was $1.35 higher at $3.29 per gallon.
Neighboring areas and the state as a whole are also seeing lower average gas prices.
Fort Collins’s average was $2.59 per gallon, down 7.3 cents from the week before; Colorado Springs had a 14.7-cent drop to an average of $2.49 per gallon; and Colorado as a whole had a 12.8-cent drop to $2.71 per gallon.
Denver, CO
Denver Public Schools swears in new board members, delays officer elections amid questions of transparency
Denver Public Schools officially has a new school board, but not a new board president or vice president, despite attempts to vote on leadership on Friday.
Four newly elected board members took the oath of office: DJ Torres, Monica Hunter, Amy Klein Molk, who won the at-large seat, and returning member Xóchitl Gaytán. The ceremony met the state’s 10-day requirement following election certification.
“We have a lot of staff gone for the holidays, and we also have board members traveling,” Gaytan said. “We were able to bring our new incoming colleagues together for this ceremony.”
But for some community members, the concern wasn’t the swearing-in; it was the plan to elect new officers. Under state law, school boards have 15 days after certification to select officers, which aligns with the already scheduled Dec. 2 meeting.
“There’s a lack of transparency from the top down in our world right now,” said Rosemary Rodriguez with EDUCATE Denver, a civic coalition for DPS students. “It’s really important that our trusted institutions, like our school system, be as transparent as possible.”
Torres said his focus is on rebuilding trust.
“Given the community feedback, and given that some of us are new to the role, if people feel we’re not being transparent enough, I felt confident saying: let’s pause,” he said.
A few board members were unable to attend because of the holiday. The board ultimately decided to hold the officer elections on Dec. 2, allowing the full board and community members to participate.
The district says this is one of the most diverse school boards in DPS history.
It includes leaders from Black, Latine, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and multilingual communities, reflecting the lived experiences of the students and families the district serves, the district said in a press release.
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