Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

Denver’s Revamped 16th Street Fully Reopens Saturday With Downtown Celebration

The $175 million redesign centers buses, replaces failing pavers and expands public space to improve safety and revive activity.

The Downtown Denver Partnership, the City and County of Denver and RTD will celebrate the completion of the 16th Street revitalization project on October 4, 2025, exactly 43 years after its inaugural opening in 1982. (Photo courtesy of Nikki A. Rae Photography)
Image

Overview

  • City, DDP and RTD will host a community event Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Market Street and Broadway with live music, scavenger hunts and $16 promotions.
  • The overhaul relocates bus lanes to the center, widens sidewalks, installs more durable granite pavers and creates larger seating and play areas after more than three years of construction.
  • RTD’s free shuttle, rebranded the 16th Street FreeRide, will return to its full route between Union Station and Civic Center Station on Sunday, Oct. 5.
  • DDP reports 2025 gains on the corridor with daily activity up 14% and unique visits up 11% versus 2024, even as downtown retail vacancy stands at 16% and office vacancy at 28%.
  • The corridor was officially renamed from 16th Street Mall to 16th Street in May 2025, and the reopening arrives 43 years after the original 1982 debut.