Fitzsimons station

Fitzsimons station is a Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail station on the R Line in Aurora, Colorado. The station is located along the north side of Fitzsimons Parkway along Sand Creek Park and serves the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus via a free shuttle bus.[2]

Fitzsimons
RTD light rail station
The station in February 2017.
Location2550 N. Fitzsimons Parkway
Aurora, Colorado
Coordinates39°45′17.9″N 104°50′25.7″W
Owned byRegional Transportation District
Line(s)
  R Line
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsTheRide buses
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Bicycle facilities12 bike racks
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Fare zoneB[1]
History
OpenedFebruary 24, 2017 (2017-02-24)
Services
Preceding station RTD Following station
Peoria
Terminus
 R Line Colfax
toward RidgeGate Parkway

The station opened on February 24, 2017, along with the rest of the R Line.[3] It was originally planned to be located further south on Montview Boulevard, closer to the campus, but was moved in 2013 to prevent vibrations from affecting research equipment.[4]

History

The station was one of two planned in 2001 on the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, an area that Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority developed into a campus anchored by the then University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. The second planned for the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center became Colfax station.[5]

The R Line was approved as part of the 2004 FasTracks ballot measure, which planned to build a light rail line along Interstate 225 in Aurora.[6] As part of the light rail line, a station at Fitzimons Commons near the Anschutz Medical Campus was planned along Montview Boulevard at Uvalda Street, and was initially named Montview.[7][8]

In May 2013, the University of Colorado requested that the light rail station be moved off of its campus due to concerns that vibrations and electromagnetic interference generated by trains would interfere with research equipment.[9] The proposed $20 million in mitigation would have included construction of a floating rail bed and replacement of new equipment in the research labs.[10] On June 25, 2013, the RTD Board of Directors approved the realignment of the light rail line onto Fitzsimons Boulevard, with a new station north of the campus connected via a shuttle bus.[4] The relocated station required the acquisition of land from Sand Creek Park, which underwent $3 million in renovations alongside light rail construction in 2015.[11]

The station opened along with the rest of the R Line on February 24, 2017, several months after its scheduled opening due to construction delays.[3]

Transit-oriented development

Fitzsimons station is located to the north of the Fitzsimons Life Science District and Fitzsimons Innovation District, a 150-acre (61 ha) transit-oriented development that surrounds the Anschutz Medical Campus. The city of Aurora plans to build housing, hotels and office space on the land between the station and medical campus, including redevelopment of the Fitzsimons Golf Course.[12][13]

A park-and-ride garage was proposed at the station in 2013,[14] but was not built with the station.[2]

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References
  1. "Rail & Flatiron Flyer Map" (PDF). Regional Transportation District. 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. "R Line Stations". Regional Transportation District. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  3. Paul, Jesse (February 23, 2017). "RTD R-Line begins service Friday to Aurora, Denver and Lone Tree — and you can ride for free". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  4. "RTD Board Approves Moving Planned I-225 Rail Station from Montview to Fitzsimons Parkway" (PDF) (Press release). Regional Transportation District. June 25, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  5. Leib, Jeffrey (January 7, 2001). "Planners outline I-225 light rail". The Denver Post. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  6. Whaley, Monte (July 24, 2012). "RTD approves plan to complete I-225 FasTracks by 2015". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  7. "I-225 Corridor". RTD FasTracks. Regional Transportation District. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  8. "Executive Summary". I-225 Light Rail Transit Environmental Evaluation (Report). Regional Transportation District. September 2009. p. ES-15. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  9. Whaley, Monte (May 30, 2013). "CU's Bruce Benson wants I-225 light rail to move to protect equipment". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  10. Whaley, Monte (June 9, 2013). "Proposed RTD route puts touchy equipment — and development — at risk". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  11. Mitchell, Megan (September 29, 2015). "Sand Creek Park sees changes in response to R Line stop at Fitzsimons". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  12. Johansson, Brandon (May 13, 2016). "Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority in Aurora eyes housing, hotels in place of bioscience, golf course". Aurora Sentinel. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  13. "TOD: Fitzsimons Station". RTD FasTracks. Regional Transportation District. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  14. Castellanos, Sara (September 19, 2013). "Aurora, CU talking parking around Fitzsimons light rail stop". Aurora Sentinel. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
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