GDT > RTD Rider’s Guide > Tips & Tricks

Some useful things regular RTD riders should know…

Night Stop

If you are traveling on a local RTD bus route outside the Downtown area bordered by 11th Avenue, 23rd Street, Speer Boulevard, and I-25 between the hours of 7am and 5am, you can request the bus driver drop you off at any safe location along the route.

The service is for unaccompanied (not including children), de-boarding passengers only. The driver will determine a safe de-boarding location and ask that you exit through the front door of the bus.

Union Station to Civic Center on Routes 0, 9, 10, 15 and 19

If you already have a pass, routes 0, 9, 10, 15 and 19 will speed you across Downtown from Union Station to Civic Center via 15th / 17th streets in half the time the Free MallRide takes. Together these routes combine to provide 17 buses an hour on this corridor, which is a departure every 3-4 minutes. Simply look out for departures on the screens or use the Transit app to track. (Note: Routes 10 and 19 serve the ‘Union Station Overground’ stops at 17th & Wewatta Street).

Airport Ticket Upgrades

If you have a 3 hour or a day pass and decide you need to go to the airport, there’s no need to by a whole new $10 airport day pass. Instead you can by an ‘Airport Upgrade’ from any RTD ticket machine by paying the appropriate fare difference. For example, a $2.75 fare can be upgraded for $7.25 and a day pass can be upgraded for $4.50. Discounted fares do not require upgrading as they are now valid to / from the airport.

Cheap Fares to the Airport on Bus Route 104L

Want to get to the airport for just a $2.75 fare? RTD’s bus route 104L picks up from Thornton Crossroads – 104th Station in the northern suburbs and because it’s not a SkyRide route, standard fares are charged. Thornton Crossroads – 104th Station has fast and frequent service from Union Station provided by the N Line which is also a standard fare. Total journey time is approx. 1 hour.

33rd and Oakland Street Transfers

If making a bus-to-bus transfer at Peoria Station and the connection looks tight, use the pair of stops located at 33rd Avenue and Oakland Street to transfer by simply crossing the road. Routes 37 (east of Peoria only), 45, 121 and 153 all stop there in both directions before going to Peoria station. Use the Transit app to track your second bus – hopefully this trick will buy you the few minutes you need to make the transfer.