Mobility Evolution Initiative

The RTD Southeast Corridor Line provides an alternative transportation option for people that want to travel north and south along the I-25 corridor, but destinations are limited immediately surrounding station areas. In many cases, there are few first and last mile options aside from driving a vehicle to or from the station. As a result of the inconvenience caused by the lack of modal options, most commuters and the traveling public continue to use vehicles over transit options. 

The vision for this work is to solve the first and last mile problem at Mobility Evolution Initiative (MEI) Stations through Smart Mobility improvements that enable newer, safer modal choices. The goals and values of this effort will lead to a solution that embodies and accomplishes project objectives. The solutions will focus on a seamless ridership experience that leverages the application of new technology solutions, including the assessment of electric, connected and automated mobility services. These solutions will include new modes and will bridge the gap between transit agencies and users through an integrated platform for service provision and use. Solutions will also be integrated into existing transportation infrastructure and be customer focused so that they are highly utilized by transit users, commuters, regional employers and residents.   

The Mobility Evolution Initiative process will include multiple phases. The first phase, Station Identification, involves evaluating all seven RTD stations to determine the most appropriate station to launch the new services. As you scroll down in this StoryMap, you will see a series of maps containing information that pertains to existing ridership, current and future population surrounding each station, parking conditions, existing infrastructure, amongst other data. Each map depicts existing conditions that assist in better understanding which stations are expected to have the highest rate of success in the deployment of first and last mile strategies. At the end of this phase, a map will display illustrating preliminary recommended technologies and the high-level areas of potential impact surrounding each station where all criteria are met for their safe and effective deployment. This map, along with information about preliminary next step recommendations for deployment, is the Phasing Roadmap that will lead into Phase II of this effort. Using the roadmap developed in Phase I, the goal of Phase II is to develop a solutions toolbox with a manual for each solution and strategy. The toolbox will cover high level ideas of cost, required infrastructure, operations details, and other pertinent information related to each solution. While developing this toolbox, the project team will engage stakeholders to confirm direction and gain further insight into which solutions will have the highest chance of successful deployment. Phase III will focus on creating a project plan and deployment strategy for launching the new service. 

These seven stations were selected because they are the stations on the Southeast Corridor Line that fall within Denver South’s service area boundary. In the remainder of this StoryMap, these seven study stations will be referred to as the MEI Stations (Mobility Evolution Initiative Stations). The MEI Stations, beginning at the Belleview Station and continuing southwards to the Sky Ridge Station, are all served by light rail lines E, F, and R.

Denver South works to provide a vibrant, innovative, and diversified economy in the Denver South Region. Denver South partners and collaborates with many jurisdictions within the Denver South Region. It is a major employment center, home to many large employers (including the Denver Tech Center) as well as entertainment and shopping destinations. A significant existing residential population, as well as rapid new residential development is also occurring in many of the jurisdictions within the Denver South metro area. Due to the number of employers, entertainment, shopping and residential needs in the area, congestion has steadily increased over the recent years. According to 2016 traffic numbers within the Colorado Mobility Report, Big Data for Better Performance, the I-25 Corridor between C-470 and Hampden Avenue is the 20th most congested corridor in the State of Colorado. The I-25 corridor is already built out to its fullest extents and further expansion of the roadway to reduce congestion is no longer a viable option.

Use the station links below or use the map to navigate to a closer view of each station. This information provides station context as well as the number of parking spaces and whether any bicycle facilities are provided at each station.

The Belleview Station is located at 4855 S. Quebec Street within the City and County of Denver, north of the Belleview and I-25 interchange. The station itself is located on S. Quebec Street and accessible via Quebec Street or Layton Avenue. The park-n-ride at this station has 59 parking spaces. There are 12 bike lockers and 12 bike racks.

Orchard Station is located at 5652 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard in Greenwood Village, north of the Orchard Road and I-25 interchange. The station is accessible off Greenwood Plaza Boulevard. This station has 48 parking spaces and six bike racks.

The Arapahoe at Village Center Station (Arapahoe Station) is located within the City of Greenwood Village at 8820 E. Caley Avenue. The Arapahoe at Village Center Station is configured slightly differently than the Orchard and Belleview Stations that precede it. Like Orchard and Belleview, the light rail platform for the Arapahoe Station is located on the western side of I-25, accessible via Fiddlers Green Circle. However, most of the infrastructure associated with the light rail station is located on the eastern side of I-25. A bridge over I-25 connects the Arapahoe Station to its associated parking. There are 871 parking spaces available at this station with 10 bike lockers and 22 bike racks.

The Dry Creek Station is in the City of Centennial located at 9450 E. Dry Creek Road. The station platform is located just south of Dry Creek Road and I-25. This station has 235 parking spaces and six bike racks.

The County Line Station is located at 8340 S Valley Highway Meridian, Colorado 80112. The light trail station is located on the west side of I-25 and can be accessed by a pedestrian bridge over I-25 that connects to a park-n-ride facility. The park-n-ride facility has 388 parking spaces and can be accessed via South Valley Highway and Inverness Parkway. The station can also be accessed from the west side of the rail line connecting rail users to the Park Meadows Mall.

Lincoln Station is located within the City of Lone Tree at 10203 Station Way Lone Tree, Colorado 80124. The station is located on the west side of I-25 and can be accessed by Park Meadows Drive and Station Street. There are two parking structures with a total of 1734 parking spaces for the station. In addition, there are 16 bike lockers and 8 bike racks.

The Sky Ridge Station is located at 9941 Trainstation Circle, Lone Tree, Colorado. The station is located on the west side of I-25 and can be accessed via Sky Ridge Avenue and Trainstation Circle and provides key access to Sky Ridge Hospital. At this point in time, car parking for park-n-ride services is not provided at this station. However, there are open parcels under development adjacent to the station that could provide parking. The station does have 10 bike racks.

Smart Mobility options such as autonomous vehicles (AV), connected vehicles (CV), electric mobility (e-mobility) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) are emerging technologies that can help provide additional solutions to the first and last mile trip problem. As Colorado’s population has grown it has become a major tech hub within the nation and is home to Panasonic and EasyMile. As a result, the region has been involved in the development and deployment of technologies and has created an accepting culture of emerging mobility technologies. Automated shuttles and other mobility technologies have been tested by RTD, DOT, the City of Centennial and the City of Lone Tree. Other municipalities have also expressed interest in exploring smart mobility solutions.

Smart Mobility Technologies under consideration are described in further detail below.

Autonomous shuttles are low capacity vehicles that have the capability to operate at SAE Level 4 automation. Level 4 is considered to be fully autonomous driving, although a human driver can still request control. Routes for these vehicles are planned and modified to provide adequate infrastructure for the vehicle to operate. These vehicles can operate without an on-board operator. Shuttles are currently being used for micro-transit services, operating routes under 2 miles, at a speed under 20 mph, with capacity to transport approximately 12 passengers.

• Micro-transit operations for first/last mile journeys
• Automated shuttles have also been deployed on private roads on campuses, airports, and bases
• Shuttles have been successfully tested in variety of environments and ecosystems
• Shuttle providers includes EasyMile, Navya, Local Motors, and May Mobility

MoD is the ability for riders to hail/request a transportation mode to complete an end-to-end journey. MoD can include transportation modes such as transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft, public transit options, or first/last mile solutions. While many MoD providers have been TNCs offering private rides, there has been significant public-private-partnerships to provide first/last mile journeys from transit stops, paratransit trips, or to supplement transit services during non-operational transit hours. Partnerships with transit agencies have been piloted with private partners including Uber, Lyft, Via, and Ford.

• MoD has been explored to provide first/last mile journey, provide paratransit trips, supplement transit trip operational hours, and connect transit deserts
• MoD could be a private partnership with a company such as TNC or transportation provider or could be operated by a public agency with their own fleet

Micromobility generally refers to shared, small mobility devices such as bicycles and scooters. Micromobility devices can be docked, with devices located and secured to a network of stations, or can be dockless, with devices available to pick up, use, and drop off within a defined service area. These devices can also be human-powered or electrically powered. Micromobility devices are generally provided by private companies operating in the public right of way, however there are precedents for public agencies managing and contracting out such services (for example Los Angeles Metro’s docked bike share program which is fully integrated with transit). 

• Micromobility devices can serve first/last mile or point to point trips
• Research from NACTO shows that annual or monthly pass holders are more likely to ride during traditional rush hour, suggesting commute trips, while day/single trip riders are more likely to travel midday or on the weekends and for longer periods of time, suggesting social, retail, or recreational use

The USDOT defines microtransit as, “a privately owned and operated shared transportation system that can offer fixed routes and schedules, as well as flexible routes and on-demand scheduling. The vehicles generally include vans and buses.” Microtransit builds upon the concept of Transportation Network Companies using on-demand dynamic route software, adding pooled rides in larger vehicles. Microtransit services can be provided by private companies, operated as part of the public transport system, or through a public private partnership.

• Microtransit can be used to provide service between zones (for example a residential area and an employment area), for point-to-point trips within a defined service zone, and for connectivity to and from fixed route, high-capacity transit
• Microtransit can be used to provide rides to populations who cannot access transit due to lack of service or mobility

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) integrates various types of transportation vehicles and services into a single mobility service via a smart phone platform. MaaS enables customers to access a variety of rides or vehicles they need where and when they are needed, rather than having to own separate vehicles or pay for individual transit rides. MaaS moves transportation from a commodity model to a service-based model.

• MaaS can be used for nearly any transportation use case within the MaaS service area, for example:

-Transit trips

-Micromobility for point-to-point or first/last mile trips

-Car share

-TNCs

-Carpooling

The RTD First and Last Mile (FLM) Typology analysis is the first level screening of applicable smart mobility tools at each station. The stations have been evaluated using the typology analysis within RTD’s FLM Plan. The screening helps prioritize which stations are most applicable for smart mobility application investments and automated transit service deployment.

The FLM typologies were developed based on generalized zoning data from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). Typologies represent a range of transit frequency, residential, and employment density. The Urban Core typology has the most dense residential and employment density, as well as the most frequent transit service. At the other end of the spectrum, the Rural typology has low residential and employment density and less frequent transit service. The typologies help to define different transit contexts in order to better target the first and last mile recommendations made for each station. All of the stations within the Southeast Corridor Line are categorized as either Urban or Suburban Mixed Typologies.

The FLM Plan also has multiple overlays that represent additional contexts that may be applicable to station areas and influence the strategies used at each station. The FLM Plan describes a series of steps for conducting an FLM analysis and then how to apply appropriate strategies based on the station’s typology.

For FLM typology narratives for each station, please click on each station on the map.

Phase 2 is intended to determine the most appropriate locations for an initial deployment of FLM technologies in the Denver South TMA. To accomplish this, the project team developed an approach that is broken into three distinct steps:

1. Mobility Need: Step 1 is intended to evaluate the mobility need for FLM solutions around each of the stations. FLM solutions are typically the most successful in locations where there are high density employment centers, mixed-use development, and a significant number of people who make trips to and from the area. The Step 1 score takes into account six different evaluation criteria: RTD Ridership, Distance to Station, Land Use Mix, Employment Density, Population Density, and Modeshift Market (O-D).
2. Infrastructure Readiness: Step 2 is intended to evaluate the infrastructure readiness for implementing FLM solutions. FLM solutions are typically the most successful in locations with roadways that accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians, local transit, and create a well-connected network. The Step 2 score takes into account four different evaluation criteria: Roadway Width, Intersection Density, Parking at Stations, and Connectivity with Other Modes.
3. Technology Application: Step 3 is intended to evaluate the applicability of Autonomous Shuttles, Mobility on Demand, Micromobility, Microtransit, and Mobility as a Service at each of the stations. Since the nature of each of the five smart mobility solutions is different, each station received an individual score for each technology evaluated. The criteria for each of the technology scores varied and were determined by the characteristics of each of the smart mobility solutions.

After completing the three steps, each station received a composite score for each of the smart mobility solutions which was an average of the scores that were calculated in Steps 1, 2, and 3. The composite score demonstrates the overall applicability of the smart mobility solutions for an initial deployment at each station.

Step 1 evaluated the existing mobility need at each of the stations. This step is intended to demonstrate where FLM smart mobility solutions are likely to be used.

The following table outlines the evaluation criteria and weighting that was used to determine the station scores for Step 1.

If you would like to see the individual data sets that went into the Step 1 score, please click the button below.

Based on the analysis, Belleview and Arapahoe demonstrated the highest mobility demand. The high scores at these stations can largely be attributed to the high number of origin-destination trips traced near those stations as well as the significant amount of employment centers and mixed-use development.

Sky Ridge had the lowest Step 1 score. The lower score can be attributed to the vacant land near Sky Ridge station.

Step 2 evaluated the infrastructure readiness of each of the stations. This step is intended to demonstrate where the existing infrastructure is well-connected and low-stress for all transportation modes.

The following table outlines the evaluation criteria and weighting that was used to determine the station scores for Step 2.

If you would like to see the individual data sets that went into the Step 2 score, please click the button below.

Based on the Step 2 evaluation, Belleview, Arapahoe, Dry Creek and Orchard are the most ready for FLM solutions in terms of infrastructure readiness. These stations scored the highest because they had relatively high intersection density, strong connectivity to local transit and pedestrian infrastructure, and had narrow roads that would be comfortable for various modes of transportation.

County Line and Lincoln scored the lowest. The lower scores can be attributed to the land near the airport where there was low intersection density and limited opportunities for connections to other modes of transportation.

Step 3 evaluated the applicability of each smart mobility solution at each station. Automates shuttles was one of the mobility solutions evaluated in this analysis. The automated shuttle analysis is intended to determine potential stations that it would be easiest to initially deploy an automated shuttle.

The following table outlines the evaluation criteria and weighting that was used to determine the station scores for the automated shuttle analysis.

If you would like to see the individual data sets that went into the automated shuttle score, please click the button below.

Based on the automated shuttle analysis alone, Belleview, Orchard, and Dry Creek have characteristics that would make it suitable for an initial deployment of the smart mobility solution. Sky Ridge scored the lowest due to the existing vacant land near the station.

The project team also calculated composite scores for each station which averaged the automated shuttle scores with the station scores from Steps 1 and 2. With the composite scores, Belleview scored the highest with Orchard, Arapahoe, and Dry Creek coming in at a tie for second.

Step 3 evaluated the applicability of each smart mobility solution at each station. Mobility on Demand was one of the mobility solutions evaluated in this analysis. The mobility on demand analysis is intended to determine potential stations that it would be easiest to initially deploy mobility on demand.

The following table outlines the evaluation criteria and weighting that was used to determine the station scores for the mobility on demand analysis.

If you would like to see the individual data sets that went into the mobility on demand score, please click the button below.

Based on the mobility on demand analysis alone, Dry Creek and Belleview have characteristics that would make them suitable for initial deployments of the smart mobility solution. Sky Ridge scored the lowest due to the existing vacant land near the station.

The project team also calculated composite scores for each station which averaged the mobility on demand scores with the station scores from Steps 1 and 2. With the composite scores, Belleview scored the highest with Dry Creek and Arapahoe coming in second and third.

Step 3 evaluated the applicability of each smart mobility solution at each station. Micromobility was one of the mobility solutions evaluated in this analysis. The micromobility analysis is intended to determine potential stations that it would be easiest to initially deploy micromobility.

The following table outlines the evaluation criteria and weighting that was used to determine the station scores for the micromobility analysis.

If you would like to see the individual data sets that went into the mobility on demand score, please click the button below.

Based on the micromobility analysis alone, Belleview and Arapahoe scored the highest which can be attributed to the amount of bicycle facilities near the station as well as the high intersection density in the area. Dry Creek and County Line scored the lowest because they had limited bicycle facilities on the east side of the I-25.

The project team also calculated composite scores for each station which averaged the micromobility scores with the station scores from Steps 1 and 2. With the composite scores, Belleview scored the highest with Arapahoe coming in as a close second.

Step 3 evaluated the applicability of each smart mobility solution at each station. Microtransit was one of the mobility solutions evaluated in this analysis. The microtransit analysis is intended to determine potential stations that it would be easiest to initially deploy microtransit.

The following table outlines the evaluation criteria and weighting that was used to determine the station scores for the microtransit analysis.

If you would like to see the individual data sets that went into the microtransit score, please click the button below.

Based on the microtransit analysis alone, Dry Creek and Belleview scored the highest for an initial deployment of microtransit which can be attributed to the high number of destination trips made near the stations and the existing FlexRide ridership.

The project team also calculated composite scores for each station which averaged the microtransit scores with the station scores from Steps 1 and 2. With the composite scores, Belleview scored the highest with Dry Creek and Arapahoe coming in second and third respectively.

Step 3 evaluated the applicability of each smart mobility solution at each station. Mobility as a Service was one of the mobility solutions evaluated in this analysis. The mobility as a service analysis is intended to determine potential stations that it would be easiest to initially deploy mobility as a service.

The following table outlines the evaluation criteria and weighting that was used to determine the station scores for the mobility as a service analysis.

If you would like to see the individual data sets that went into the mobility as a service score, please click the button below.

Based on the mobility as a service analysis alone, Belleview and Dry Creek scored the highest which can be attributed to the existing number of destination trips and FlexRide trips near the station as well as the connectivity to other modes.

The project team also calculated composite scores for each station which averaged the microtransit scores with the station scores from Steps 1 and 2. With the composite scores, Belleview and Arapahoe score the highest with Dry Creek as a close third.

The composite scores were calculated by averaging the individual scores from Steps 1, 2 and 3. Each station received a composite score for each of the five smart mobility solutions. These composite scores demonstrate the location where it would be easiest to implement the smart mobility solutions in the near future.

Based on these composite scores, Belleview, Arapahoe, Dry Creek, and Orchard all have strong potential for deploying smart mobility technologies in the near future.

While County Line, Lincoln and Sky Ridge scored lower than the northern stations based on their existing conditions, they still are viable locations for implementing smart mobility technologies and may score higher in the future as land to the south is further developed.

The information presented in this StoryMap will inform an implementation plan that will serve as the third phase of this project. The implementation plan outlines the details of deploying the smart mobility solutions, including proposing routes for an automated shuttle and defining steps that would need to be taken for a successful implementation.