CO: Jeffco, RTD hope to test Red Rocks public transportation project this fall

A proposal to use shuttles to help expand RTD public transportation from Denver into the Jefferson County foothills — including Red Rocks Amphitheatre — is getting new life as backers look for $1 million in funding while planning a September pilot weekend.

Leading the push are Denver City Councilman Darrell Watson and Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr, who last year revived the long-discussed project they say will open travel to Jefferson County parks and public sites to all people — not just those with cars or concert tickets — while cutting traffic and harmful carbon emissions.

“We want to create an amenity that runs all day and into the evening,” Kerr said. He noted that the W Line RTD Light Rail service from downtown Denver’s Union Station to Jefferson County ends too early at night to help Red Rocks concert travel, at least for now.

“Jefferson County also has four different open space parks right in this area, the city of Lakewood has several, Denver has some, and all of these fit into what we’re trying to do,” he added.

Watson wasn’t available to comment for this story.

Under the proposal, concertgoers and other visitors would travel by light rail along the RTD W Line to its end at the domed Jefferson County Government Center in Golden. From there, vans or buses would ferry riders about three miles to Red Rocks and back.

Kerr plans to apply for a $1 million partner grant from RTD that would pay for the next three years of potential service. However, RTD has proposed changes to its operations over the last year that might complicate the service, The Denver Post has reported, including reducing hours due to low ridership.

“Even if we’re just talking about Red Rocks, you’ve got hundreds of employees out there every single day in the summer, and for the most part, they have to drive their cars out there too early or too late for public transportation,” Kerr said.

Denver has owned Red Rocks since 1927 and in 1941 opened the public amphitheater, which ranks among the nation’s highest-volume outdoor concert venues. Nearly one million people a year attend concerts at Red Rocks, and two million a year visit the surrounding park for hiking and picnics.

“We’re very much trying to get people from downtown Denver who don’t get into our mountains, even though they’re just 15 miles away,” Kerr said, noting a partnership with Boulder-based nonprofit GreenLatinos, which for the last decade has advocated for public transportation to Red Rocks and other mountain parks as a matter of social justice. “It quickly became apparent this wasn’t just about shows, but running, hiking, biking, and family activities at Dinosaur Ridge, Apex Park and for example.”

Despite not being able to run a pilot program this summer — Kerr said the elements didn’t come together quickly enough — he hopes to do a brief test in September with RTD’s blessing. He’s working closely with RTD and cities such as Lakewood, Golden and Morrison to make sure that all parties benefit from the direct and ancillary tourism spending, visits and environmental benefits of fewer car emissions.

After securing funding, Kerr is hopeful the program can be tested across three to four months of the 2026 Red Rocks concert season.

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