Light Rail Prices In Denver: How Does Denver Compare?

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Thousands have flocked to the rails west of Denver to catch a ride on RTD's new W Line. It runs from Union Station to the Jefferson County Justice Center in Golden.

4 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Jodi Brooks heard plenty of questions about how just how much it costs to ride light rail in the metro area, so she crunched the numbers to see how it compares to other major cities.

A ride from Golden to downtown is $8 round trip per person, $4 each way.

The local fare for catching a ride on light rail in the city is $2.25, express routes are $4 and regional routes are $5, all one way.

In Atlanta, a local ride on the MARTA is $2.50 and it's $5 round trip any where on the line.

In Minneapolis, rush hour commuters pay $2.25 for a local ride and the price drops to $1.75 in off-peak times.

A comparable ride to the West Line in Minneapolis is Anoka to downtown. In Minnesota you'll pay $3 compared to the $4 here.

And Chicago Transit has a flat rate fare of $2.25. It's $2.50 to ride the Tri-Met in Portland for two hours, or you can buy a day pass for $5.

Some RTD riders say they really feel the pinch when they have to go from zone to zone and pay multiple times.

RTD told Brooks their fares are right in the middle of the pack nationally and are distanced based. That's true on both light rail and with the pricing setup for the buses.

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