Light Rail Questions (Denver, Highlands Ranch, Southglenn: relocation, real estate, trip)

[pianoteacher]

My husband recently retired from the Federal Govt. at age 55. We have decided to leave the suburbs of Washington, DC. After looking into several cities, Denver is at the top of our list of relocation sites!

The areas we are focusing on include Highlands Ranch and Parker in Douglas Cty and Littleton and Centennial in Arapahoe Cty. We want to be fairly close to your Light Rail as it looks like a great and easy way to get to the downtown stadiums, theaters, University of Colorado, Denver campus, etc.

Have several questions about the Light Rail -

1) How is the parking? Do the lots fill up early on weekdays ? On weekends before games? Is there any designated "short-term" parking? Is one "branch" busier than the other - Littleton/Mineral vs. Lincoln?

2) Are there any major safety issues - either on the Light Rail itself, or in the parking lots? We would enjoy taking it downtown to baseball games, museums, the theater, etc., and our college-age son would like to ride it to the University of Colorado, Denver campus.

Here in the Washington, DC area we rarely drive downtown - take the Metro subway when visiting the museums, etc. Hopefully we will be able to do the same in Denver with your Light Rail.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by pianoteacher

My husband recently retired from the Federal Govt. at age 55. We have decided to leave the suburbs of Washington, DC. After looking into several cities, Denver is at the top of our list of relocation sites!

The areas we are focusing on include Highlands Ranch and Parker in Douglas Cty and Littleton and Centennial in Arapahoe Cty. We want to be fairly close to your Light Rail as it looks like a great and easy way to get to the downtown stadiums, theaters, University of Colorado, Denver campus, etc.

Have several questions about the Light Rail -

1) How is the parking? Do the lots fill up early on weekdays ? On weekends before games? Is there any designated "short-term" parking? Is one "branch" busier than the other - Littleton/Mineral vs. Lincoln?

2) Are there any major safety issues - either on the Light Rail itself, or in the parking lots? We would enjoy taking it downtown to baseball games, museums, the theater, etc., and our college-age son would like to ride it to the University of Colorado, Denver campus.

Here in the Washington, DC area we rarely drive downtown - take the Metro subway when visiting the museums, etc. Hopefully we will be able to do the same in Denver with your Light Rail.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

The light rail has not extended on the southwest corridor to highland ranch. It will be one of the last lines to be completed under this current fastracks program. The expansion of light rail is in severe financial problems because of underestimates of cost. This extension may not be built???? At present, the best bet for commuter use in the buses that go into the highland park and ride at the end of Broadway.

Centennial has a number of lines, already completed on the southeast corridor so Fastracks problems have little effect for rail. It has the centennial station at Dry Creek with stations available close on Belleview and Orchard. In addition there are cross town buses to other lines and express buses.

Most of Parker is much farther out and the neareast rail station is at Nine Mile on Parker Rd. Far out areas of parker are not served especially well by bus.

Littleton on the Southwest corridor has a station in old town Littleton and on Mineral. It has good bus service and is close to the activities that interest you.

Downtown Denver is very well served by bus and rail and all attractions are near rail or on a good bus route.

With the fuel cost, all these lots fill up early and are inadequate to the demand. All lots are under stress. The best issue is to live walkable to a station, or near a good feeder bus route to the stations. There are no designated short term parking.

I am a frequent mass commuter user and I have been to all the station and used many of the buses at all hours. I have been here for thirty years; lived and worked in NYC and the Washington/Baltimore area. from my prospective, the buses and rail are very safe. Going to the Auraria Campus, downtown, is no problem and the same can be said for any area near DU on University.

The areas you have choosed to live in the Southern Metro area are the most safe areas. In addition, the commuter rail and buses that come from these areas in the south go through neighborhoods that do not have any outstanding reputation as being unsafe.

I think you best best to live would be Littleton or Centennial. I would not consider living in Parker as the best choice for a car free or a car less lifestyle. Both of these areas would be close to the amenities you seek and have excellent neighborhoods to live. Littleton is older on the west of Centennial, while Centennial extends east to newer areas. Some of these newer commuter areas, I would not consider the best for a mass commuter lifestyle--just like any large new developments. There are great transportation options in Littleton and you can find an nice home with newer properties toward the south near Mineral Station.

I like Old town Littleton station and it has good feeder buses from all areas including newer homes to the west, across the Platte in the Columbine Valley, which is in Jefferson County and is not the City of Littleton proper but unicorporated with the Littleton address.

There is a current large redevelopment of the old Southglenn Mall in Centennial on Arapahoe and University. Centennial is trying to develop a city center and this area has a bus transfer station. There is also major growth around the Dry Creek Station.

Livecontent

[David Aguilar]

I'll try and help the best I can... and if this doesn't help you, it might help somebody else.

1. Not all of them. I've never taken the line that goes to Lincoln further than the Southmoor station (I-25/Hampden). Out of the stations I've used, the Southmoor station along with Ninemile (I-225/Parker) usually have parking. However, the stations near DU usually do not. The trains going northbound are quite full throughout the morning, you might need to stand for the first half of the trip downtown.

2) The ridership in the morning/afternoon commute time is quite yuppified, no reason to fear for safety there. Late at night the trains are quite empty and usually sparsely populated with folks leaving the downtown nightlife, at night there's plenty of seating available, and you might be in a car all alone. I've never seen anybody particularly intimidating riding the trains.

You'll be able to use it exclusively if you live close to one of the lines. I don't live near one anymore, and it's cheaper for me to drive my hybrid downtown anyway.

[pianoteacher]

To livecontent and David Aguilar - Thanks so much to you both for your detailed and very informative replies! We really appreciate it!

Your Light Rail and bus system sound wonderful. What really appeals to us about Denver is how so many of your attractions are concentrated in close proximity to each other and to the Light Rail.

Thanks again for your prompt replies!

[2bindenver]

I live in HR - you can take the bus to the Mineral Station or the Call and Ride to the Lincoln Station - Mineral fills up as it is the last stop on the SE line. I have never experienced the Lincoln station lot full.

No "designated" short term parking.

I grew up in DC, been here for 19 years.

[pianoteacher]

2bindenver - Thanks so much for your reply.The Light Rail is sounding great! Good to know Lincoln's parking doesn't always fill up. (p.s. - Having lived in the Washington, DC area, you will especially appreciate one of the best features to us about Denver - the LOW humidity - so refreshing!)

[2bindenver]

Best things: No humidty, great views of the mountains, no bugs, less congestion

Worst things: no ocean, no lighting bugs, no crabs

I could be willing to trade real estate services for crabs

[Spincycle]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

Best things: No humidty, great views of the mountains, no bugs, less congestion

and microbrews (great beers).

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

Worst things: no ocean, no lighting bugs, no crabs

Can't find a good pizza like back east.

[pianoteacher]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

Best things: No humidty, great views of the mountains, no bugs, less congestion

Worst things: no ocean, no lighting bugs, no crabs

I could be willing to trade real estate services for crabs

We'll miss the ocean and the crabs (maybe there is a way to FedEx them overnight from Maryland's Eastern Shore!) - and our cat will miss watching the lightning bugs - but just the thoughts of summer days with low humidity and not having to swat gnats - or not regularly being stuck in horrific traffic gridlock - totally outweigh any negatives!!

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by pianoteacher

We'll miss the ocean and the crabs (maybe there is a way to FedEx them overnight from Maryland's Eastern Shore!) - and our cat will miss watching the lightning bugs - but just the thoughts of summer days with low humidity and not having to swat gnats - or not regularly being stuck in horrific traffic gridlock - totally outweigh any negatives!!

replace the lightning bugs with miller moths in late summer, and your cat will have a great time lol.

There are some food companies that do ship the food in dry ice containers, I bet there is one that would ship crab