Route 7 Alternative Extension
1st Pic: Current Route 7 Allignment in Blue
2nd Pic: Proposed Route 7 Allignment by RTD (SOP) where trips would alternate between the orange and blue lines
3rd Pic: My proposed allignment
4th Pic: RTD (SOP) Proposed allignment zoomed in
5th Pic: My proposed allignment zoomed in
6th Pic: Walking distance starting from the middle between 120th and 112th on my proposed allignment
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In RTD’s System Optimization Plan (SOP), it States for the 7 Bus to switch every other Northbound trips to from Northglenn & 112th Station to Denver Premium Outlets. I strongly urge RTD not to do this. This extension must extend in a way that not only benefits the existing bus stops on Washington Street filled with residents and businesses, but this extension must also satisfy and compliment the N Line Train Line. With the planned SOP extension for the 7 to go to the Outlets at 136th Ave via Washington Street only. If this were to happen, N Line customers would still NOT be able to go any further north of 124th Ave Station via RTD Buses and must resort to private automobiles and/or other non-RTD transportation methods that people may not have access to, in order to travel any further north. Why? Due to there not being a transfer to the 7 that branches off to 136th Ave. I strongly urge RTD to rethink this extenion and instead follow the following proposed route, where the 7 won’t branch off and still have a consistent schedule throughout its length and will still be able to serve the Outlets on 136th via Washington & York. I highly advice to take this proposed route as a serious alternative to the SOP, as this is not a “fantasy” extension where we had infinite money; this is in all seriousness, a viable alternate.
Here is the alternative allignment I am proposing: All Route 7 trips will serve Northglenn & 112th Station, with RTD to decide whether the following extension should get 30 or 60 minute frequencies. The 7 would serve the Bus Gates at 112th Station, where it would later head north on to York Street, serving north up to the intersection of 120th Ave, and having 1 intermediate stop at York & Clayton. At 120th Ave, it would connect with the 120L, where the 7 would also turn west on to 120th Ave to head towards Washington, serving all existing 120L & 120 bus stops along 120th Ave between York & Washington (those being Steel/York, Claude, Race, Irma, Sylvia, and Washington). At the Intersection of 120th & Wash, it would turn back onto Washington to head North, following the rest of the SOP allignment.
Why should RTD look into such a wacky-zig-zag allignment? This isn’t just some allignment I chose because I “felt like doing it”. As previously mentioned, this extension should also compliment existing services, such as the vital N Line rail connection and the 120L Bus so riders could travel more up north from other services. Another vital reason is that this allignment could also work as a last mile connection for the N Line at 112th Station by providing York Street residents to finally have bus access north of the station. This will heavily be a game-changer for the Apartments on York & 120th Ave. Last but not least, another reason is that the 120 bus could finally get supplemental service from Wagon Road to York Street where busses on that portion run every 1 hr, where as the rest of that route run every 30 minutes during select hours.
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TLDR: An alternative to RTD’s System Optimization Plan (SOP), where the SOP recommends to extend the 7 to 136th Ave via Washington, while the alternative Im proposing serves the N Line station along its way to 136th Ave in order to make vital connections with rail so passengers could travel further north on the bus than the northest N Line station.
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Any thoughts and opinions? I already sent an email to RTD about this and I would like the public’s opinions. Thanks for reading.