Central Park station (RTD)

Central Park is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) commuter rail and bus station on the A Line in the Central Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The station is the third eastbound station from Union Station in Downtown Denver and fourth westbound from Denver International Airport. The station is about 13 minutes from Downtown Denver and 24 minutes from Denver International Airport.

Central Park
A Union Station bound train at Central Park station.
General information
Location	8175 East Smith Road Denver, Colorado
Coordinates	39°46′13.3″N 104°53′29.9″W
Owned by	Regional Transportation District
Line(s)	East Corridor[1]
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	RTD Bus: 28, 37, 38, 42, 43, 65, 73, 88, 105
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	1,500 spaces
Bicycle facilities	8 lockers, 14 racks
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	April 22, 2016 (2016-04-22)
Passengers
2019	5,080 (avg. weekday)[2]
Rank	9 out of 69
Services
Preceding station RTD Following station 40th & Colorado toward Union Station A Line Peoria toward Denver Airport
Location

Central Park station is served by several TheRide bus routes and also has 1,500 parking spaces in a park-and-ride lot, the largest on the A Line.^[3]

History

The station is located near Smith Road and Central Park Boulevard in the redevelopment area of the decommissioned Stapleton International Airport. It replaced the Stapleton Park and Ride. The bus service to the station opened on September 13, 2015, replacing with bus canopies and paved lots, unlike the old area.^[4] Train service to the station on the A Line began on April 22, 2016.^[5]

Station layout

Side platform
Westbound	←  toward Union Station (40th & Colorado)
Eastbound	→ toward Denver Airport (Peoria) →
Side platform

The station has two entrances, both located on Smith Road. They both enter into the eastbound platform, requiring passengers on the westbound platform to cross train track. The station features a large bus bay and park-n-ride, both of which are separated from the train platform by Smith Road. There is no access to the station from the north.

Public art

Central Park station features the sculpture Balloon Man Running, commissioned as a part of RTD's Art-n-Transit program. The art piece was created by Sean O'Meallie and installed in 2016. It is 12 feet tall and sits on a 20 foot tall platform above the station's park-n-ride lot. The piece is said to represent the "anyman" running to catch a train, in addition to being a visual landmark within the station.^[6][7][8]