RTD Prepares For Civic Center Station Makeover
DENVER (CBS4)- One of the busiest bus stations in Denver is about to get undergo a major makeover.
Civic Center Station, which sees about 15,000 people daily, is closed for the next year as RTD remodels the worn out stop.
"It's one of the most important facilities that we have," Nate Currey, spokesperson for RTD, told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "It connects the entire 16th Street Mall with the Union Station area. The cost of upgrading the current facility was about the same as a remodel, so we decided it might just be a good idea to tear this one down and start from scratch."
Over the next 12 months, crews will tear down and rebuild the station to create a bigger, cleaner and more functional stop.
"There's some design sensibilities that come with the new station," Currey said. "A new bridge is going to be constructed underground so that Broadway and Lincoln are connected so they don't have to keep going around the corner."
The makeover will have a similar look as Union Station with a lot of glass and a more open structure. Currey said that is an important feature for public safety.
"I think that everybody knows that the Civic Center Station is right in the middle of some not pleasant activity sometimes," he said. "So this station was designed with the idea in mind to have all glass, no room for people hiding or dark corners anymore."
During the closure, bus routes from Civic Center Station will be assigned temporary bus gates along Broadway and Lincoln Street.
Here's what RTD has planned:
Passengers using routes 90L, 122X, FF4, and R/RC/RX will board buses on Lincoln between 17th Avenue and Colfax Avenue.
Gates on Lincoln Street:
GATE A: 90L
GATE B: 122X, FF4
GATE C: R/RC/RX During the closure, bus routes from Civic Center Station will be assigned temporary bus gates along Broadway and Lincoln Street.
Passengers using routes 0L, 3L, 83D, 83L, 87L, 100L, 116X, CV/CS/CX, EV/ES/EX and P will board buses on Broadway between 14th and Colfax.
Gates on Broadway:
GATE D: 0L, 3L, 83D, 83L, P
GATE E: 87L, 100L, 116X, CV/CS/CX, EV/ES/EX
Passengers on routes 16 and 16L will board Colfax Avenue between Lincoln and Broadway.
FREE MallRide shuttles will detour from the 16th Street Mall with the final stop at Broadway/Colfax and resume travel at Court. FREE MetroRide passengers will board at the existing stop at 16th Avenue and Broadway.
Civic Center Station is closed beginning July 3. The multi-million-dollar project is being paid for by RTD funds, according to Currey.
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now anchors CBS4 Weekend Morning News and reports during the week. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.
