Littleton–Downtown station (sometimes styled as Littleton•Downtown) is a RTD light rail station in Littleton, Colorado, United States. Operation as a light rail station began on July 14, 2000, operated by the Regional Transportation District.[4][5] The station initially saw service on the C Line and D Line, however C Line service ended in 2021. Today the station is only served by the D Line.
Littleton–Downtown | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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 The Littleton–Downtown station in Littleton, Colorado | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Littleton•Downtown | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 5777 South Prince Street Littleton, Colorado | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°36′43″N 105°00′54″W / 39.611993°N 105.014901°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Regional Transportation District | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Southwest Corridor[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform, 1 island platform | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections |  RTD Bus: 29, 36, 59, 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Open cut | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | 361 spaces[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | 28 racks, 12 lockers | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | January 1, 1872 (Royal Gorge Route) July 14, 2000 (RTD light rail) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2,867 (avg. weekday)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 24 out of 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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History edit
Denver & Rio Grande Depot edit
Littleton-Downtown station's depot opened on January 1, 1872 as a flag stop on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad's Royal Gorge Route. A wooden frame was constructed at the stop in 1873, with the stone building that still stands today being built in 1875.[6] Regular scheduled railroad service to the Littleton depot would begin in 1889. A separate baggage room was added in 1906, which was then connected to the main building in 1942. Passenger service to the depot ended in 1967.[7] The building was moved twice: first in 1984, and then again in 2000 to accommodate RTD service. The station depot is historically significant as one of a few remaining examples of small stone Victorian era train depots in Colorado.[8] Additionally, it is one of three RTD rail stations (alongside Union Station and Olde Town Arvada) to predate RTD passenger rail service. It is also unique as one of only a few RTD stations with a dedicated station building with heating and air conditioning.
Coffee shop edit
The station building began use as a coffee shop in 2000, coinciding with the beginning of RTD service to the station. The first coffee shop to occupy the building, Romancing the Bean, closed in 2020 due to the COIVD-19 pandemic.[9] In 2022, Nook Coffee began using the building with support from Littleton's City Council, but shut down in March 2024.[6][10]
Station layout edit
| Side platform | |
| Southbound | ← D toward Littleton-Mineral (terminus) |
| Island platform | |
| Northbound | → D toward 18th & California (Oxford-City of Sheridan) → |
Littleton-Downtown station has two platforms, one side platform for southbound service and an island platform for service in both directions. The station platform is located in the open cut Colorado Joint Line, necessitating the use of stairs or a ramp to access it. The station's park-n-ride, depot, and bus loop are located at street level and are accessible via South Prince Street. Additionally, the station is accessible to pedestrians and bicycles through the Little's Creek Trail.[11][12]
Public art edit
Littleton-Downtown station features a mural titled Seasons of Littleton. The art piece was created by Michelle Lamb and installed in 2000. At 40 feet wide and seven feet tall, the mural had to be installed on eight metal panels which are attached to the western platform wall of the station. The painting was inspired by the Robert McQuarie book Settlement to Centennial as well as photos from the Littleton Historical Museum. The mural depicts 50 historical structures, most of which are located near the station.[13][14]
References edit
- ^ "Southwest Corridor Light Rail Line". Regional Transportation District. March 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ "Alphabetical park-n-Ride List". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ^ "Rail Station Activity Analyzed" (PDF). Regional Transportation District (RTD). September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ Medina, Jennifer (July 3, 2000). "Train lovers hop on board new light rail". The Denver Post. p. B1.
- ^ "RTD: Southwest Corridor Light Rail Line" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
- ^ a b "Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Depot". www.littletonco.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ "Remembering Littleton's first railroad connection to Denver". KUSA.com. October 28, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ "Littleton Denver & Rio Grande Western Depot, 2199 West Littleton Boulevard, Littleton, Arapahoe County, CO". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ Medina, Jennifer (July 21, 2000). "Colorado News and Denver News: The Denver Post". extras.denverpost.com. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ "Getting Around Downtown Littleton", Littleton Downtown Development Authority, retrieved May 9, 2024
- ^ "What Makes a Successful Transit-Oriented Development". Kephart. November 7, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "Untitled in Littleton, CO". Public Art Archive. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "Art-n-Transit". RTD. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024.