Quality of Life

The Quality of Life (QoL) Study is RTD's data-driven evaluation of progress toward meeting the FasTracks Program goals. The Study focuses on the “quality of life” in the context of those areas most affected by transit improvements and those specifically addressed in the FasTracks Plan: mobility, environment, economic activity, development, and land use. The four study goals are:

GOAL 1

Balance Transit Needs with Regional Growth

GOAL 2

Increase Transit
Mode Share

GOAL 3

Improve Transportation Options and Choices

GOAL 4

Improve Environmental Sustainability and
Public Health

Full Quality of Life Study 2020

Sustainability Report 2020

If you have any questions regarding the Quality of Life Study, please contact [email protected].

Infographic: Why is this important? 1.83 million jobs in Metro Denver in 2019. Rapid transit network has grown by 100 miles since 2012. 179,000 homes build in Metro Denver since 2009. 3,277,500 people in live in the Denver metro area - a 14% increase from 2010 to 2018

Infographic: How are we doing? RTD’s annual sales and use tax revenue was $659 million in 2019. 34,300 multifamily residential units near a rail or BRT station. 89% of the regional population live inside the RTD service area. Bus service accounts for the majority of service hours (71% in 2019).

Infographic: Why is this important? Daily vehicles miles traveled increased 18% since 2006. Congestion caused 77 millions hours of travel delay in 2018, that’s 40 hours per registered vehicle. Denver residents owned over 2.43 million vehicles in 2018, a 5.6% increase per capita since 2006. In 2017, there were 83.4 million daily vehicle miles traveled in the Denver metro region.

Infographic: How are we doing? 74 percent of regional commuters in the Denver metro drive to work alone. 1 out of 5 people traveling along the southeast and southwest corridors take transit in the morning. There we over 105 million boardings in 2019, a 21% increase since 2006. Since 2011, boardings at Union Station increased by 64%.

Infographic: The total time spend in congestion per day was 229,000 vehicle hours per day in 2018. The high frequency transit service area has doubled in size since 2006. In 2018, the majority of commuters drove less than ten miles to access a park and ride. The annual cost of congestion in 2018 was $1.6 billion.

Infographic: How are we doing? Access-a-ride boardings per hour productivity increased by almost 4% from 2018 to 2019. RTD’s transit service was on time 89% of the time in 2019. 43 boardings per hour on bus and rail service in 2019. In 2019, 23 FlexRide service areas covered 211 square miles.

Infographic: Why is this important? In the Denver metro region, the majority of green house gases are from the transportation sector. The Denver metro has higher asthma hospitalization rates than Colorado overall. The Denver metro region has been classified as a serious ozone non-attainment area by the EPA. 50% of green house gas emissions are from passenger cars.

Infographic: how are we doing? In 2019, over 240,000 tons of carbon emissions were avoided due to transit. 3,300 affordable housing units with a half mile of a rail or BRT station. Electric transit accounted for 43% of boardings on bus & rail services on an average weekday.