help with downtown to tech center commute (Denver, Littleton: live, costs)

[martyman19828]

I just started a job just off of dry creek rd & I-25. I will be moving a block from the downtown Union Station in a couple weeks. I noticed the three zone pass is 100 bucks for the ~45 min trip. I am trying to decide if this is economical to ride the light rail or drive the 16 or so miles. My decision will be made mostly by the rush hour traffic times in the downtown area and through the tech center. Can anyone tell me the times during the day that traffic starts to crawl north and southbound? I have to be to work at 730am. Will I miss the traffic if i decide to drive I-25?, or would that be wishful thinking. Any alternate routes? Is highway 85 (sante fe) any better? Thanks much!

[TinajaCo]

Traffic is generally not bad southbound in the mornings, especially with T-Rex recently wrapping up. But, I (luckily) do not have to take I-25 regularly so I don't know that I'm the most-qualified person to help you make your decision there.
I can, however, speak for Santa Fe Drive, which I commute down every day (except I go from south to north). There is added volume southbound in the mornings, but really very little. Most people are heading north in the morning, south in the afternoon, so you would be going against the trend, which would be to your advantage. But, Santa Fe would drop you well west of your destination, and you'd spend a good 20 minutes at least commuting east towards the DTC, and I know eastbound traffic through Littleton can get backed up in the morning. There are alternate routes, such as Broadway, but again that would drop you west of Dry Creek and I-25.

My recommendation would be to try driving it for a bit and see how it goes, and compare time and cost and make your decision based upon that. There are definite pluses and minuses to each alternative, and I think it ultimately comes down to your personal preferences.

[2bindenver]

a hundred bucks, a "one seat" trip & all that extra time to read or ???

no brainer!

I like Tokyo Joes at Dry Creek & Yosemite for a cheap quick meal.

[powers64]

I live and work downtown near Union Station, but I frequently drive to the tech center for business. I agree with TinajaCo that the southbound commute in the morning is not bad at all.

It is the return commute in the afternoons that is the killer. I-25 narrows down to 3 lanes at about Broadway, so it causes terrible traffic northbound in the afternoons. I would say it is easily worth the $100 bucks to avoid the afternoon traffic.

Good luck with your new job!

[winglady]

I don't mean this as a derogatory comment about martyman, but just as a general observation about tens of thousands of people in Denver.

There are 2 major business centers in metro-Denver: downtown and DTC. So, why is it that it seems like most people who work downtown live near DTC and most people who work at DTC live near downtown? And they all fret about their commute and the heavy traffic and the pollution and transportation costs in Denver?

What's wrong with this picture?

[martyman19828]

Choice maybe?
Somehow you got the idea that i was "fretting" about my commute and expenses, I advise you to please read the original post again for clarification about my purpose for posting.
Each place has different things to offer; if people want to deal with their commute then that is their problem.
So go find a post where someone is complaining and express your opinion, because you won't find it here.

[winglady]

Originally Posted by winglady

I don't mean this as a derogatory comment about martyman, but just as a general observation about tens of thousands of people in Denver.

As I tried to make clear, my comment was not meant to be directed at you, martyman. That's why I said it was about the "tens of thousands"...

Sorry if you thought I was putting you down in any way, or saying that you were "fretting". That was not at all my intent.