Reporting by Rebecca Powell, Fort Collins Coloradoan / Fort Collins Coloradoan
If you want to take a ride on Front Range Passenger Rail’s Colorado Connector train, assuming it does come to fruition, it could take you to some popular destinations.
The district expects the rail line to be an enticing option for Coloradans to get to sporting events and entertainment venues in other metro areas or for weekend visits to see family, like a grandchild away at college.
That destination might be Coors Field, which is just a short walk from Denver’s Union Station.
But in other cases, you’ll need to catch an additional ride or use a bike, for example, to get to your final destination.
If you want to go to Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, it’ll mean hopping on a bus from Boulder’s planned station at Boulder Junction to downtown for the final leg.
Read on to see how the train could connect to some of the most popular destinations in each city where it plans to stop.
Simply step off the Colorado Connector to get to these 3 attractions
Louisville’s historic downtown: This walkable area of Front Street, with its popular restaurants, ice cream parlors, shops and farmers market, is steps away from the proposed station.
- Downtown Loveland: The proposed Colorado Connector station sits in Loveland’s downtown district. It’s a three-block walk to Fourth Street, the site of many seasonal festivals. Shops, bars and restaurants are sprinkled throughout, alongside the Rialto Theatre and five art galleries that showcase Loveland’s identity as a hub for artists.
- Denver’s LoDo: Union Station is in the heart of lower downtown, a 29-block section of restaurants, bars and shops, along with Coors Field. Union Station is blocks away from places like Larimer Square and the 16th Street Mall promenade. However, RTD’s 16th Street FreeRide travels 17 blocks from Union Station to Civic Center Park and the state capitol building. The bus can also get you closer to places like the Colorado Convention Center and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
More travel will be required for these destinations
- The Denver Zoo, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver International Airport: RTD has bus routes that go from Union Station to the first two destinations, for a fee. Its A Line light rail train runs from Union Station straight to DIA for $10.
- CU Boulder: The university is about 3 miles away from the planned Boulder Junction station. RTD operates a bus loop that connects Boulder Junction to CU and Folsom Field, along with places like Pearl Street Mall, 29th Street Mall and Fox Theatre. Fares are charged.
- Old Town Fort Collins: Visitors coming from the south who want to experience the inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street will need to board the free MAX bus for a 10-minute ride.
Delve into more details about each station location, including how they connect with common destinations and other trail and transit systems.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan.
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