ARVADA, Colo. – About every thirty minutes, the familiar ringing bell fills the air across RTD’s Gold Line as it rolls into the Olde Town Arvada station.
When the G Line first entered service in 2019, it ran every 15 minutes and small business owners in Arvada were banking on the brand new service to bring new customers into their front door, in some cases, just steps away from the platform.
Long before the first passenger ever boarded, the G Line was shrouded in controversy, complaints and delays.
Beginning service in April 2019 was a huge milestone for the voter-approved project, which was scheduled to open years earlier. Just as the train found its rhythm and passengers started enjoying its 8 stops, the world threw an unexpected curveball and the G Line once again had to hit the brakes.
For years, Denver7 extensively covered the issues facing the G Line and we talked to Olde Town Arvada business owners who shared fears of skyrocketing rent due to its arrival. In some cases, business owners saw their rent increase just in anticipation of the line opening, long before the first trip ever left Union Station.
That was in 2019, so what has happened since?
This week, through Denver7’s Your Voice project, which is our ongoing initiative to listen, engage and dive deeper into important issues, our journalists have been reporting on different topics impacting Arvada.
As someone who depends on my bicycle and public transportation to get to every destination (you can watch my series of On Two Wheels stories for Denver7 here), I wanted to talk to Arvadans to learn more about how the G Line changed their community.
In listening to Arvada residents, I wanted to find out:
- Did Arvada business owners see more foot traffic in their shops?
- How do Arvada residents feel about the G Line now?
- Has it brought growth, if so, how?
- What other issues has the G Line brought to Arvada?
- What’s next? What does the future of G Line look like?
‘I’ve always wanted to be known as the ‘Cheers’ of the coffee shop’
For over 16 years, Debbie Hansen has helped Arvadans get their caffeine fix. Her coffee house, La Vita Dolce, is a staple of Olde Town and has sweetened life for both locals and visitors who return year after year.
“Come in and we know your name, we know your drink. I love it and I wouldn't change it for anything,” said Hansen.
Denver7 first chatted with Hansen in January 2019 who at the time said business owners were told “you’re going to get a lot of people”.
I asked her what actually happened in the years since.
“We didn’t see the increase in customers but a lot of events changed that,” said Hansen. “They’re like, people will be pounding on your doors to come in, but no.”
Hansen said Olde Town Arvada businesses felt the squeeze of fewer new customers at the same time rent went up, even before there was a paying customer on the G Line. Despite those challenges, Hansen can still find the good in the Gold Line and hopes some day to see it expand.
“I think it’s great – being able to move around easily. My kids use the G Line and for 19 and under, it’s free to ride,” added Hansen. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t stop in Olde Town Arvada, I mean, we look great!”
What happened to the promised customers to Olde Town Arvada businesses? I took that question to RTD”s Brandon Figliolino, who is not only the agency’s community engagement manager, but a longtime Arvada resident.
“I am particularly fond of the G Line. I live 10 minutes away from the Olde Town Station, so I’m a regular customer,” said Figliolino. “The Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 impacted transit across the nation, and in particular, remote work has lingered quite a bit more. Well before the pandemic, there was very little opportunity for people to work from home and now there are fully remote jobs.”
The data shows just how many fewer riders take the G Line today compared to the initial forecast.
“When RTD first launched the G Line in 2019 they were expecting ridership to be around 9,000 boardings on an average per weekday. Right now, we're sitting at about 3,000 boardings per weekday,” said Figliolino.
Those numbers place the Gold Line near the N Line’s 3,600 average weekday boardings and while it’s still far below what was hoped for, there are bright spots for the G Line.
“On Saturdays, it’s about 2,700 boardings per weekday and so it's pretty consistent between Monday through Saturday,” added Figliolino. “I think that's a good indication that people are still utilizing it for both business trips during the week and also recreational trips.”
If you’re curious, it should come as no surprise that RTD’s A Line is the busiest with around 16,800 boardings on average each weekday.
For Hansen, who also takes the G Line, it’s still a positive having light rail not far from La Dolce Vita Coffee House.
“It didn’t get a fair shake. COVID changed a lot of things,” she said.
'It opened a couple years late'
Beyond the idea of enticing new customers to established shops, there are signs in Arvada that the G Line has spurred positive change, beginning with greater connectivity to other Denver metro communities.
“I think the biggest impact for us is that we have it – that has set us apart from other suburbs and other communities outside of Denver that do not have this access,” said Jean Gordon, Director of Visit Arvada, who joined me on the G Line platform.
“The development we've seen around the train has been incredible," she said. "Looking behind us, we have two full-service hotels, our Marriott and our Hilton Garden Inn."
Gordon said convenience is a big draw as she’s hopped on the G Line from Olde Town Arvada to Union Station to grab lunch, pointing to the covered parking structure nearby offering 600 free spots.
Despite the challenges, Gordon believes in the future gold the G Line can bring to Arvada.
“25% of all city services are paid for, on average, by sales tax. Residents, for sure, come out and patronize but we all know how (much) we spend on vacation or even in a town that’s not your own. I’ll call somebody in Wheat Ridge or Lakewood a tourist. I’ll take you all day long,” said Gordon.
As she looks ahead to the future, Hansen can’t help but feel the pain experienced by some Arvada business owners.
“Looking back, it opened a couple years late. We got the G Line open – everything was running – then COVID hit. I do think some rents and some businesses, especially along Grandview (Ave.) were probably increased preemptively. They simply couldn’t afford it and I think things have leveled out by now.”
'There’s definitely been positives and negatives to the G Line'
While perhaps not directly related to the G Line, I did hear from some Olde Town Arvada business owners who are still facing the challenges of increasing rent.
Sharon Hodge left her teaching career in Nashville to start a new life in Arvada sharing her special gift for helping animals and their owners in her shop, Pet Wants Arvada.
“I absolutely love this neighborhood. If I had to pick again and be anywhere around the Denver Metro area, this is where I would pick,” said Hodge. “Every business owner, all the people that work in this neighborhood – everyone has been so fabulous. I could not imagine being anywhere else."
She said some small businesses in Olde Town financially benefit from having multiple locations but she only has the one location, in Olde Town, which has become pricey.
“The rent here is just so incredibly high that it is very, very difficult for a lot of us, smaller businesses, to be able to do it month-to-month,” added Hodge.
'Kind of creates a disconnect between the G line and the town'
A couple of blocks down and literally steps away from the G Line platform, you’ll find a generous pour and your favorite red or white at Silver Vines Winery.
“We're a family-owned winery. We make all of our own wine, and I feel like we're really known for making approachable and very drinkable wine,” said Kristin Chayer, Owner and General Manager.
I asked her if the G Line has brought new business to her patio or bar.
“There’s definitely been positives and negatives to the G Line. It’s wonderful that it’s easier to access Olde Town from Denver and we’ve definitely seen our customer base grow as far as where people are coming from,” said Chayer. “But in the same respect – now Arvada residents can go downtown and in South Denver, so it’s kind of evened out – our customer levels and sales – because it's a two-way light rail.”
The question becomes what more can be done to entice Denver metro residents to hop on the G Line and check out what Olde Town Arvada has to offer.
Chayer has an idea.
“I would really like to see more activation on the RTD platform. We're not allowed to do anything on it,” said Chayer. “We hold a lot of festivals down here – and as businesses – we do a lot of different events and we're not allowed to do anything on the platform. It kind of creates a disconnect between the G line and the town.”
I asked RTD’s Figliolino about Chayer’s idea of better connecting what Olde Town Arvada businesses have to offer G Line riders.
“We would love to have a conversation. It’s important to note that the Olde Town Arvada Station is a joint partnership between RTD and the city of Arvada,” said Figliolino. “It's actually the city of Arvada that owns a majority of the plaza area and so they would be in charge of the permitting for the section that has the big planters and all those kind of amenities.”
He said RTD is in charge of the station and where people board the light rail.
“But RTD is definitely interested in having conversations. We obviously take safety as our number one priority and the delivery of transit services, but if a business owner or an organization wants to partner with us, they can definitely reach out. We've got a facility use permit on our website, and if they provide us with a proposal, we'd be happy to have a conversation.”
What next for the G Line?
When it comes to G Line's future, what's coming down the track? For years, Coloradans taking light rail have been wondering if the Gold Line would expand to, well, Golden. Hansen mentioned it in our chat.
"I'm excited for it when it expands out to Golden. I think that'll be really good," she said.
RTD's initial idea was for the G line to run to Golden. In fact, the Gold Line was first called the "Beer Line" because it would have taken riders past the Coors Brewery but the funds never materialized. Our news partners at CPR dove into the fascinating background.
The 2004 voter-approved FasTracks plan is what fueled the G Line as we know it today. As of now, RTD said there are no plans to expand the line to Golden.
Figliolino said RTD is focused on "enhancing" what riders experience on the line.
"Some of those that are slated for the G Line include upgraded personal information displays, so like large totem signs that have real-time information," he said.
To Kristin Chayer's point about as a business owner feeling a "disconnect" between Olde Town Arvada and the G Line, Figliolino said those displays could help.
"We think it will be a benefit to customers who are new to taking transit, but also could be an opportunity for us to work with businesses and the local neighborhoods to say, 'hey, look, the second Saturday Festival is happening' or 'the Jackalope Festival is happeneing here', let's put that advertisement on this display," he added.
Arvada
A streetcar named 'Golden' closed a chapter in Arvada’s transit history
As the trains come and go, most Arvadans told Denver7’s Your Voice they are glad the G Line is there and they hope more Denverites will take the short hop from Union Station to check out the unique, tight-knit community that makes up Olde Town.
“If you're commuting and you want a cup of coffee and a great croissant sandwich, we got you,” said Gordon.
Hodge, who said Olde Town Arvada still “feels like a hidden gem”, would love for you to see how Pet Wants Arvada can help take care of your best friend.
“We have no corn, soy, wheat, preservatives, dyes or by-products – which is really important for pets and pet well being,” she said. “Everything here is carefully curated from small businesses and all natural.”
Hansen hopes you’ll stop by La Dolce Vita for a fresh brew and snag a piece of her cinnamon coffee cake, her great-grandmother’s recipe.
All of those very unique offerings are just steps away from RTD’s G Line, a sort of rolling welcome mat to Olde Town Arvada.
While I was working on this story about the G Line, it was obvious business owners in Olde Town share something special with each other. Through the pandemic to other losses, it's not about competition, but lifting each other up. In the video player below, a story they wanted to share with you.
In these Denver7 | Your Voice stories, we want to hear from you about what matters most in your community. We hope to hear what makes our communities special, the challenges facing them, and everything in between. Have an idea or want to share your thoughts? Fill out the contact form below.
