Colorado's RTD offering bus, rail options for 4th of July weekend events

The Fourth of July weekend is approaching, and thousands will be attending concerts, fireworks, and drone shows. Many of these events are in downtown Denver, so expect traffic backups.

The Regional Transportation District says to use its services if you want to avoid it all. Many of the events this weekend include: 

• Friday, July 3: Fireworks display after the Colorado Rockies game. Sunset Cinema, a free, outdoor movie series held at Sculpture Park in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, followed by a drone show, and a free, indoor Independence Eve concert at Boettcher Concert Hall in place of the annual outdoor event at Civic Center, which is under construction this year. RSVPs are encouraged at artscomplex.com/events. RTD will be operating on a Sunday/Holiday schedule on Friday, July 3.

• Saturday, July 4: Fireworks display after the Rockies game, Ed Sheeran concert at Empower Field at Mile High stadium with a grand finale fireworks show, and Deadbeats Backyard Jamboree at the Tivoli on the Auraria campus. 

• Sunday, July 5: Don Toliver concert at Ball Arena. 

For all of these shows, concerts, and fireworks, RTD provides service on the C, E, and W lines, which connect to Auraria West, Empower Field at Mile High, Ball Arena, and Union stations, as well as on the A, B, G, and N lines, which also serve Union Station. RTD will add rail cars to the C, E, W, and N lines on Friday and Saturday, July 3 and 4, to accommodate expected increased ridership during downtown events, including the Rockies games with fireworks at Coors Field, and the Ed Sheeran concert at Empower Field.

Empower Field at Mile High Stadium: Several local bus routes are available to accommodate customers attending Friday's concert. Bus routes operating in the vicinity of Empower Field at Mile High Stadium include Route 30 (South Federal Boulevard) and Route 31 (North Federal Boulevard), as well as Routes 1, 15L, and 16.

RTD says the biggest thing is remembering that when you celebrate with an alcoholic beverage, use another method of travel.

"Transit is the right way to go if you are planning to go out and celebrate this weekend," Pauline Haberman, Project Manager of Special Projects, RTD. "If you want to drink, by all means, be safe out there because driving is not a good option for that."

To make it easy, use the RTD Next Ride app. You can type in Ball Arena or Empower Field, and the app will plan the rest for you.