It’s now even easier to get around the Union Station district in Downtown Denver.
The long-planned mall shuttle stop near 16th Street and Wewatta aligned with the commuter rail platforms has opened. New MallRide signs were just installed and the shuttles are now stopping at this location.
This new mall shuttle stop is an important component of the Denver Union Station Master Plan’s pedestrian flow network, as shown below in the pedestrian flow diagram from the 2008 Denver Union Station Master Plan Update document:
The new mall shuttle stop is directly in line with the center of the commuter rail platforms behind the historic station. A pedestrian passageway between the Hotel Born and the Continuum Building and a wide pedestrian-activated signalized crosswalk on 16th Street allow pedestrians to move directly between the 16th Street Mall and commuter trains.
This new stop also shortens what was a considerable distance between the last two stops along the Mall’s northern end. Prior to this stop’s opening, the distance between the Wynkoop Street stop and the end-of-the-line stop by the light rail platforms was 1,600 feet. The distance between mall shuttle stops throughout the rest of downtown is about 350 feet. This new Wewatta stop is 450 feet from the Wynkoop stop and about 1,150 feet to the Chestnut Pavilion. Even though the transit infrastructure in the Union Station Transit District opened in 2014, implementation of this new stop took a while due to all of the construction in the area.
The new Wewatta MallRide stop is great news for Denver pedestrians and transit users, making the Union Station area even more accessible and convenient to everyone.
Thanks for this!
Do you know why pedestrian access is prohibited just east of this? The area between the Thirsty Lion Building and the office building next to the Born looks like a normal path for peds. But there is a gate and signage that prevents it. I’m guessing there’s a good reason, but it seems counter intuitive.
That’s the entrance to the underground parking for both buildings and space for delivery vehicles. That being said, I think blocking it off entirely to pedestrians is overbearing.
Extremely poor design, as the architects/planners didn’t foresee this being a natural pedestrian path from the train platform to points south and west.I used to just go around the gate, but nowadays they have two gates that touch and usually a security guard milling about. Put up a cement wall if you don’t want pedestrians to use it.
Actually, I believe the plan envisioned this space to be for vehicle access to the garages but also for pedestrians. I believe it is the building owners/management of the Continuum/IMA buildings that have decided to prohibit any pedestrian access with gates and fences. I quite pissed about it.
Great news. I went to dinner at 16th and Wewatta a few weeks back and took the mall ride, I got ready to get off after the Wynkoop stop and then the bus kept going, and going, and going. I like to walk but I had a reservation.
Are there any plans to have another stop between the last two stops again in the future?
Not that I’m aware of.
Ken,
In the vein of Union Station district transportation options, per the Denver Union Station Master Plan, what the status of the bike station?
“Space will be provided on site for a bike station,
which will be equipped with secured bike parking,
bike repair, bike accessories, and changing stalls.
It may also include amenities such as bike rentals,
restrooms, and a café or snack bar. The bike station is
intended to be a private concession, and is therefore
contingent on a commitment of ongoing operating
funds from an as-yet-undetermined source. InvertedU
bike racks and bike lockers will be provided
at key locations around the facilities for easy and
convenient bicycle parking.”
It seemed like this was all set to go back in 2015 with an opening date in Q2 2016, but it’s been total radio silence since then. What gives?
Paul, IIRC, the bike hub was an initiative of the Union Station Neighborhood Company via a non-profit org created for that purpose but for various reasons, probably financial, they haven’t been able to make it work. I’m not sure what the status is. No word on this in several years it seems. Disappointing certainly. I’m not sure why the city isn’t pushing this more. Maybe they are… I don’t know.
I wish the city had thought to add bike lanes to wawetta st. Trying to negotiate 5 lanes of traffic, especially when coming from the cherry creek trail feels incredibly unsafe. It is unfortunate that a neighborhood built from scratch over the past 10 years is so poorly planned for bicycle access, especially when it is the multimodal hub of our city.
I agree. I’m planning a post on that exact topic.
Unfettered access for killer buses is aoeed, but access for peaceful bikes and assuming scooters too banned keeping people away from the mall. Only in Denver does a company have a monopy on access. Lame.
It’s great that this is open but, it seems odd that the stop isn’t a little farther up at the corner, similar to all other mall ride stops. That would seem to be more intuitive if riding to access the Pepsi Cerner, DaVita, or other destinations beyond Union station.
The stop is placed to be in direct alignment with the center of the commuter rail platforms.