Denver’s transit is refreshingly simple: one agency, RTD, runs every train and bus in the metro, and one payment method — a tap of your bank card — works on all of it. There’s a commuter train straight from the airport to downtown, and RTD is in the middle of a multi-year project to rebuild its oldest rail line, so a few downtown routes are temporarily shuffled.
The basics
RTD’s rail network combines light rail and commuter rail on shared color-and-letter-coded lines radiating from Union Station downtown: A (airport), B (Westminster), C (Littleton·Mineral, reinstated in 2026), E and R (southeast suburbs), G (Wheat Ridge/Arvada), N (Thornton/Eastlake), T (a temporary line filling in downtown), and W (Golden/Jefferson County). Three lines — D, H, and L — are suspended right now for construction (see the alert above). Alongside rail, RTD runs local and regional bus routes across the metro, plus dedicated airport (SkyRide) buses.
How to pay
RTD recently rolled out Tap-n-Ride, and it’s now the easiest way to ride:
- Tap a contactless bank card or your phone’s mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay) directly on the validator when you board a bus or enter a rail platform. No account or app needed — RTD bills your card once per day for whatever you rode.
- Use the MyRide app or MyRide card to buy a pass in advance, scan a mobile ticket, or link a Tap-n-Ride card to your account (useful if you qualify for a discount fare).
- Pay cash at a rail station ticket vending machine (bills, coins, or cards) or on the bus.
- Buy a ticket through the Uber or Transit apps — same price as buying it any other way.
There are no fare gates on rail — it’s proof-of-payment, so keep your tapped card, mobile ticket, or paper ticket with you; fare inspectors check at random.
Fares
RTD uses a simple two-zone system: Local and Airport.
| 3-hour pass | Day pass | Monthly pass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, Local | $2.75 | $5.50 | $88 |
| Senior (65+) / Disability | $1.35 | $2.70 | $27 |
| Youth (19 and under) | Free | Free | Free |
| Active-duty military | Free | Free | Free |
Any trip to or from Denver International Airport needs an Airport Day Pass ($10) instead of the local fare — it covers the rest of your travel around the system that day too.
The best part is fare capping: tap the same card or phone all day and RTD automatically stops charging once you’ve hit the Day Pass price; keep using it all month and it caps at the Monthly Pass price. You never have to buy a pass up front to get the discount.
Getting from the airport
Take the A Line train, which runs directly between Denver Airport Station and Union Station downtown.
- Time: about 37 minutes.
- Cost: $10 (Airport Day Pass — also good for local travel the rest of that day).
- How often: every 15 minutes from 6am–8pm, and every 30 minutes in the early morning and late evening.
Apps to download
- MyRide — RTD’s official app: buy 3-hour, day, or monthly passes, load a mobile ticket, and track your fare-capping progress.
- Transit — real-time arrivals and clear step-by-step trip planning across the whole RTD network.
- Uber — lets you buy the same RTD passes inside the Uber app if you’re already using it to plan a trip.
When it runs
The A Line runs 7 days a week, with trains every 15 minutes for most of the day and every 30 minutes early and late. Other rail lines and frequent bus routes run throughout the day, every day — check the specific route in the MyRide or Transit app, since schedules vary by line and several are altered by the ongoing rail construction (see the alert above).
Accessibility
All RTD buses have ramps or lifts, a dedicated wheelchair securement area, and priority seating near the front; operators are trained to assist boarding and exiting. For riders who can’t use fixed-route bus or rail service, Access-a-Ride is RTD’s door-to-door ADA paratransit service, covering anywhere within ¾ mile of the fixed-route network — reservations need to be made 1 to 7 days ahead, as there’s no same-day service.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap every time — including transfers — since there are no gates and inspectors check at random.
- Downtown, the 16th Street FreeRide shuttle is free, no ticket needed, running between Union Station and Civic Center Station every 4–12 minutes — a handy way to cross downtown without burning a fare.
- If you’re heading anywhere near the Downtown Loop, double-check your line: the ongoing rail reconstruction has D, H, and L riders on detours through at least early 2027.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement: riding without valid proof of payment can mean a fine plus court costs, and repeat citations can suspend your RTD riding privileges — fines are handled by the county court, not RTD directly.
- Forged passes are a felony under Colorado law, not just a fare-evasion citation.
- Altitude and weather: Denver sits over a mile high and gets sudden mountain-driven snow squalls, especially in spring — a fast-moving storm can slow or briefly suspend bus and rail service, so check RTD’s alerts if the forecast turns.