Engineering Design and Review

Land development adjacent to RTD facilities or property is reviewed by RTD Engineering, which comprises several disciplines. These reviews ensure that planned development enhances the transit experience, safeguards public safety, and access while not compromising RTD’s normal Park-n-Ride, bus, and train operations or maintenance.

Engineering Design and Review Policy

Development submittals, including but not limited to: new or expanded development adjacent to RTD facilities (e.g., rail and bus corridors, tracks, Park-n-Rides, buildings, ROW, etc.) and development within RTD Station Master Planning areas, are to be reviewed by RTD. Submittals are typically made through the local jurisdiction with a referral for RTD review. Coordinate your work with the local jurisdiction and request that the local jurisdiction submit your plans to RTD.

Though submittals should come to RTD through the local jurisdiction review process, early design coordination between developers, utility owners, and jurisdictions should include RTD so that any needed changes to your design from RTD’s in-depth review may be incorporated in your preliminary design before causing significant delays or the need to resubmit.

Please direct submittals to RTD that do not require jurisdictional review or RTD-related land development questions to engineering@rtd-denver.com or call 303-299-2299.

Review Guide

Reviewers look at the following which includes, but is not limited to:

• Compliance with infrastructure design criteria and guidelines for RTD commuter rail, light rail, and bus
• Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design (2010 ADASAD) or most recent adopted version
• Compliance with FTA guidelines.

RTD Design Criteria

RTD has multiple design criteria manuals. Please contact RTD Engineering if you are uncertain which apply to your work or project. More than one may apply.

Among the many RTD criteria and requirements, RTD has specific concerns and procedures for some criteria, including but not limited to the design and construction of:

• Drainage Structures: RTD looks at direct and indirect impacts to RTD ROW and facilities
• Fences and Security: RTD is concerned with both physical aspects and impacts to visible corridors and sight triangles
• Transit Oriented Development
• Utility Design and Construction: In addition to the Engineering design review, RTD requires a separate design review process for utility work.

If any part of your work violates RTD criteria requirements, you MUST apply to RTD for a Variance Request.

Changes to RTD's Physical Infrastructure

RTD is in the business of moving people in a safe manner. Any construction that may affect a change, no matter how small, to RTD’s physical infrastructure will be carefully managed by RTD through a long multi-step process.

Changes to RTD’s physical infrastructure are taken seriously as even the smallest change may impact the safety of our passengers. Below is RTD’s multi-step process required to make any change to RTD’s physical infrastructure.

Please ensure you have explored all design options that do NOT require changes to RTD’s physical infrastructure before making such a request to RTD. Approval of your requested change(s) is NOT guaranteed.

RTD’s Multi-Step Process for Requesting a Change to RTD’s Physical Infrastructure: