JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Tired of traffic jams and parking headaches on the way to Red Rocks Amphitheatre or Jefferson County’s popular trailheads? Well, county leaders announced a new shuttle service that’s free for the public.
The seasonal shuttle is expected to launch Memorial Day weekend in 2026 and it will operate on weekends and holidays through Labor Day.
“It’s a connection piece,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr to FOX31. “It’s the ability of someone from downtown Denver being able to use public transportation to get all the way to Red Rocks and all the other amenities that are out here in this valley.”
The shuttle will depart from the RTD station in Golden and make six stops between Golden and Morrison, all free of charge. Planned destinations include Dinosaur Ridge, Matthews/Winters Park, Red Rocks Trading Post, downtown Morrison and the Morrison Natural History Museum.
Kerr said the initiative is aimed at easing congestion and improving access to outdoor destinations.
“We know this isn’t going to fix everything,” Kerr said. “But we know we’re going to be able to relieve some of the congestion that people experience when they’re trying to get in and out of the valley.”
RTD Board Chair Julien Bouquet said the program marks an important step toward improving public transportation access to the outdoors.
“A program like this is going to be awesome for people to ride our rails and then hop on a shuttle,” Bouquet said. “They might never have to get into a car to get from point A to point B, to point C and D.”
Environmental and community advocates also praised the shuttle as a way to improve equity in outdoor access.
“I have friends who I grew up with from the inner city in Denver who still have never been to Red Rocks,” said Ean Thomas Tafoya, Colorado state director of GreenLatinos. “This is an equity issue that we are finally getting a handle on.”
The pilot program is expected to run through 2028 thanks to an $840,000 grant from the Regional Transportation District.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
