This is such a nice benefit about downtown Denver. You can catch a free shuttle bus between the Union Station area and the Civic Center area, passing along about 1 mile of shops, restaurants and businesses in the downtown. We took it a few times and since the Union Station "terminal stop" was just 2 blocks from our hotel, this was a no brainer....that terminal stop was close to 17th St and Chestnut. Depending on the day of the week and the time of day, the buses can come as quickly as 5-6 minutes or 10-15 minutes apart. Due to construction nowadays on 16th St, the shuttle going towards Civic Center travels mainly on 17th St and the one going back to Union Station travels mostly on 15th St. All the shuttles are electric and they look like a regular bus, which stops at all stops along the route, so no need to ring a bell asking for a stop. read more

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Rode this while exploring downtown. Wish I would have done a better job of checking the map and finding out where I was and how to get around as I ended up walking quite a far distance in the heat and some areas that were not very clean or safe (crumbled sidewalk, broken chunks of side walk). Once I figured the map out this was a great bus to hop on and off. We rode the whole line from Union station to the stop closest to the capital and back. Buses come super frequently, are clean and were not super crowded, had a place to put luggage and made it easy to get around with out calling for ride share. Would utilize again if in the area again and I work on my map reading skills (which have always been terrible). read more

The 16th street bus is a great free option to get through downtown from as far up as where Union Station is to down to Broadway near the parks & monuments around the state capital area. 16th street itself isn't too much to brag about, a few restaurants and stores. But if you're staying anywhere near 15th to 17th street itself a quick walk over to grab a free ride. The bus covers about a mile and a half on 16th street and sees to come about every 5 to 10 minutes, it stops at every cross street along 16th street. It came in handy when I took the train from the airport down to Union station instead of walking a mile down to Tremont I just walked the next street over and took this for free. Side note with this being in downtown you may encounter some "unhoused" folks in the area so be aware of that. read more

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The free mall ride is an amazing option if you stay in Denver. We were able to use public transportation the whole time we were down here. The buses are easy to navigate. The buses were clean, and we never had to wait more than 1-2 min for a bus to stop. It's a very well staffed line with lots of buses. The only downside is that the drivers will not talk to you. On one of our rides, a person was passed out in the back. They looked like they could use a welfare check, and it didn't look like they were just sleeping. We tried to tell the bus driver so they could make sure they didn't need medical attention, but he wouldn't speak to us and waived us off. read more

Cannot emphasize enough how much I appreciate that Denver downtown has a free shuttle service that runs between the 10-12 or so blocks between union station and the south end of downtown. A bus comes about every 5 mins and stops on pretty much every block. REALLY helps if you're working or staying downtown and have bags/luggage etc or just need to move quickly between blocks. It runs right down most of the 16 st. Mall. There are even touch screen info boards at various stops of the mall ride, and signs at the individual stops so you know where to wait. Super helpful! read more

Crabby bus drivers & homeless hangout. I've often been starting to board a bus and the driver closed the door on me. Also, been onboard why people that are yelling at the air making me feel unsafe. read more

Need to get a lift between Union Station and the Colorado State Capital? Hop on the 16th Street Free Mall Ride. Easy to get to Union Station from the Denver Airport using the Denver Airport Rail. Nice to learn about the Free MallRide from the Hyatt Concierge. The free electric bus stops at each corner on 16th Street. There are luggage racks available as well. The buses run almost all day from around 5 AM to 1 AM. Nice to be able to hop on and hop off, especially after a long day spent exploring the parks, museums and shops in Downtown Denver. read more

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I love this! This kinda reminds me of the DC circulator. It's free!! It goes up n down 16th street. So many places to see. You can hop on and hop off in the front or in the rear! Save your coins or your energy, and enjoy the ride. The conductors are friendly and helpful. They love to help out of town peeps to navigate around downtown Denver. read more

Definitely take advantage of this if you're visiting the Downtown Denver area. It makes getting around super quick and easy! read more

Can people really complain about FREE? Of course they can, but let's face it no one has to ride it :) I love the convenience of the free mall ride if I'm headed someplace on or near 16th street. It picks up at civic center station downtown and ends at union station, just over a mile away. All along the way it stops at *almost* every street. So depending how many are running at the time and where you're headed, it's true, it "might" be quicker to walk. But, if you're tired of walking, have a long way, or catch it in perfect timing, it's really helpful! The driver is behind glass for their safety. Not sure what's gone on in Denver, but it's been in the news (even in my hometown of Milwaukee, WI) that (sadly) bus drivers have at times been victims of violence! read more

16th Street FreeRide - Inside looking out during the holidays in December - Public Transportation Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The FreeMall Ride came in very handy in the afternoons and evenings that followed hours of exploring downtown or seeing a Colorado Rockies game. It saved us time and money. Operated by the Regional Transportation District the FreeMall Ride is a free bus service that travels all 18 blocks of the 16th Street Mall between Civic Center Station at the southeast to Union Station at the northwest. It has followed this very downtown route since 1982. It is a downtown route that follows the designated 16th Street Mall bus lanes. Within a distance of approximately one mile, it connects to the vicinity of Larimer Square, D&F Tower, Denver Pavilions, Skyline Park, Union Station, Tattered Cover Bookstore, the Millennium Bridge, and the 16th Street Mall businesses. The FreeMall route is also a vital connection to Denver Public Transit. From Union Station it connects to five light rail lines. At the crossroads of California and Stout Street it connects to four other lines. What I appreciated about the Denver FreeMall Ride is that I was able to sit down and relax after hiking along the South Platte River Trail and Confluence Park. If you are unfamiliar with Denver, Confluence Park and the South Platte River Trail are part of the urban greenbelt south of the 16th Street Mall via the Millennium Bridge. Walking on these walking paths in the summer especially can make you tired to the point of wanting to take Lyft the last mile. Thanks to the Denver FreeMall Ride north of the Millennium Bridge we were able to relax after the hike. This worked out so much to our benefit that a few days later when we hiked Cherry Creek Trail to the South Platte River Trail, we'd take the FreeMall Ride back. We also took advantage of it after the two Colorado Rockies games. Getting on the FreeMall Ride is as easy as taking a picture of the D-E-N-V-E-R sign in the Pavilions. Every 16th Street Mall intersection features a FreeMall ride bus stop. Because the city blocks are relatively short, there is never a far walk to a bus stop. Because private motor vehicles are prohibited from driving on the mall, the busses cruise along the designated bus lanes causing them to be generally on time. I am impressed by the frequency that the busses operate. They seemed to show up every five minutes from mid morning to late evening. When a bus seemed to be taking a little longer, we'd just walk up a scenic downtown block to the next stop. As far as comfort, the vehicles weren't exactly Cadillac comfort to put it nicely. Nevertheless the busses themselves weren't exactly uncomfortable. However, when they were near capacity, I'd be left on my feet again. The majority of the time I was fortunate to find a seat. Speaking of the bus, I did like the feature of the robo voice announcing the street names of the approaching bus stops. The FreeMall Ride is an advantage to the Downtown Denver local and tourist. My suggestion is to use the FreeMall Ride towards the end of the day after making the most of it walking the 16th Street Mall, hiking in the nearby Greenbelts, seeing a Colorado Rockies game, or exploring the streets and attractions of Downtown Denver. read more

I like free things that are useful and this fits the bill! The buses run frequently during the day so if you miss one another will come along quickly. The stops are well marked and it's so easy to use, even a tourist can do it! I was able to pick it up right by Union Station and take it to the street my hotel was on and it was super easy. Buses are easy to enter and leave. There is a large transient population in Denver and these folks make use of this free service just like everyone else and I could tell it made some of the tourists uncomfortable when one of these individuals plopped down in a seat right next to them. I ride the E train every day so I encounter that a lot but for people who aren't used to mass transit, it may be a wake up call. Not saying that is a bad thing at all...it's good to "pop the bubble" that some people live in. Service starts early and runs late, so if you're downtown having fun, no need to rush, you can still hop on the bus. read more

16th Street FreeRide - Public Transportation Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Free bus transportation to make sight seeing a breeze? Sign me up! Located on 16th street in downtown Denver, the MallRide will take you from Civic Center Station near the Capital building to Union Station. The bus stops at every block and can get you to must visit places like Larimer Square. It was nice to escape the heat, sit in AC and rest our feet to get to our next destination. I'd say the bus had less "sketchy" people as other reviewers put it than 16th street. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Very cool of the city to provide free transportation along this main drag in downtown Denver! My friend and I were touring the city, so had walked around where 16th Street Mall is and saw the bus, advertising its free rides. We decided to give it a try, since we wanted to get to Union Station. We found one of the stops and it was an easy process getting on since it's free! We just hopped on, along with everyone else and rode the bus towards Union Station, which is where most of the passengers got off at. Yes, you can walk the entire route, especially since it's flat, but if there's a free bus - why the heck not? In the early afternoon on a Saturday the mall ride was pretty busy, with a lot of passengers standing, but the ride goes by quickly. I would recommend taking this free mallride if you're in a hurry or just don't want to walk. No shame! read more

I love a free shuttle service! This one came in handy quite a lot when I visited Denver back in January, since it was occasionally snowing and/or raining for a lot of the trip. The bus especially came in handy when I had reservations for a restaurant and had to be there within a few minutes. The buses also came frequently, so even if I watched the shuttle slide away before I got to the stop, I didn't have to wait long for another one to come by. These air-conditioned buses are electric, with seats for almost 90 per bus, and dedicated wheelchair spaces. Their website lists this schedule: (pre-Covid) Weekly frequency: seven days a week Time frequency: shuttles run approximately every light cycle during rush-hours, and every 3 to 15 minutes all other times. Schedule: 4:59 a.m. on weekdays, 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays and 6:30 a.m. on Sundays/holidays; the last complete round-trip of the night starts at 1:19 a.m. from Union Station to Civic Center Station Stops: one end of Denver's bustling 16th Street Mall to the other; stops on every block between Civic Center Station and Union Station; a total traveling time of approximately 15.5 minutes Additional tips: Major connections for bus service can be made at the Civic Center Station and Union Station bus concourse. Covid-19 restrictions: RTD public transit, as critical infrastructure, continues to operate for essential travel. All passengers are required to wear face masks on RTD services. Capacity is limited to approximately 15 passengers per bus, 20 on larger buses, and 30 riders per rail car. If you are unable to maintain social distancing (6 foot spacing), do not board. Instead, wait for the next vehicle I couldn't find any schedule info during Covid-19 times, so I'm not sure how frequently that are operating on their current schedule. read more

This free bus was super helpful getting around downtown. Because of its central location, it was easy to use it to connect to other bus lines and Union Station. If you take it to Union Station, don't take it all the way to the stop called "Union Station" -- you'll end up a few blocks past the actual building. Make sure and get off at the exit for train line A. read more

I absolutely love free things, and I love free transportation even more. As a citizen from the city that ups its public transportation and parking meter rates as often as it possibly can, I really appreciate all kinds of free transportation. The MallRide leaves from the base of the Capitol at the beginning of the mall and drives up and down the mall all day. Though the mall is only one mile long, the MallRide stops at every block and allows passengers to get on/off as they please. No need to ring a bell, the bus will stop anyway! On those hot summer days, this really provides some much needed relief from the sun. Also helpful for those just a bit too lazy to walk from one end to the other if that's your destination. I don't know why so many people rate this so poorly. Sure, there are some colorful characters on the bus, but aren't there everywhere? I enjoy the guy who is singing or preaching on the bus - he adds a little bit of funny to my day and I like that. The MallRide buses were clean and comfortable, even when they were packed. The layout provides a lot of standing space so there isn't a ton of awkward touching (as there are on some older Chicago buses - ewww). I love the MallRide and I'll just take it back and forth the next time I come to Denver. read more

16th Street FreeRide - Public Transportation Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Free transportation up and down the 16th Street Mall. Just hop on and hop off if you're too lazy to walk. Buses stop at every street corner. Runs constantly and there seems to be no AC in them so it can get kind of stuffy on warmer days. Great when bar hopping drunk, or in a food coma from eating too much at one of the restaurants on the streets here! Hey, it's free! read more

I usually see the mall ride when it is about to run me over. They will run you over by the way, it doesn't matter how much cleavage you have falling out of your shirt, how short your skirt is, or how many children you are babysitting for your brother. Smack, that bus will blow over you on a mission to the next corner. The bus goes to every corner and then leaves when the light turns green, this is why people warn about the closing doors... When that light is green, bus goes, and it really doesn't seem to matter how many people are trying to get on or off the bus, you are SOL if the light turns. Its true, why are Denverites so lazy, the 16th street mall is not that long, and although I value its existence in the winter, the summer is no excuse... Leave 20 minutes early and catch a walk... It might raise your heart rate. * Star one is for making out city look tourist friendly ** Bus dodging star two is for the fun game of trying to avoid the bus from hitting you when you cross the street *** Ding ding star three is for hearing the ding, but not sure where it is coming from **** Hey, that's money I didn't want to spend star four is for stopping at every corner and reminding me of things I certainly don't need to buy read more

16th Street FreeRide - Public Transportation Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The schedule (from their website): "Traveling from one end of Denver's bustling 16th Street Mall to the other, the Free MallRide runs seven days a week and stops on every block between Civic Center and Union Station. The Free MallRide starts running at 4:59 a.m. on weekdays, 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays and 6:30 a.m. on Sundays/holidays. Service continues throughout the day with the last complete round-trip of the night starting out at 1:21 a.m. from Union Station to Civic Center Station." What a great service. Takes right by restaurants, shops, theatre, galleries, various tourist attractions, and other businesses. They run very frequently so you don't have to wait long. Stops on every corner so very convenient. Clean. FREE! read more

It's free and fairly frequent. Not much else to say. The bus was clean and had a luggage rack, so one could catch it to union station to catch the train to the airport. It saves probably less than 20 minutes of walking, but that's a nice option to have, and I imagine it's even nicer in inclement weather. It's a nice option if there's one about to leave and you just want to hustle across 16th, like if you're a local or you've already walked 16th several times during a visit. It has to contend with pedestrians, but not other cars or traffic on 16th Street, and only needs to stop at red lights at intersections, so I expect it's pretty well spaced out and predictable in terms of timing. It gets decently crowded on a weekend moseying, but not uncomfortably packed. There's not a ton of seating so there's a decent chance you'll end up standing. read more

Park at the Denver Art Museum garage, tour the Colorado State Capital, Hop on the free MallRide bus at Civic Center Station ride towards Union station Get off the bus at 16th/Wynkoop St and camp inside the Tattered Cover Book Store Catch a baseball game at Coors Field and visit the original Blue Moon brewery. Drink a martini at The Cruise room then do some bar hopping in the LoDo district read more

An undeniably useful public service. Prompt during busy hours with plenty of buses. Expect a crowd and all of joys and quirks of the human population that are associated with public transport, but it's worth it. Those new to town or visiting should look for the tall narrow signs on the street corners of the 16th Street Mall as these are the bus tops. read more

Free Ride all along 16th street! Yes that's right, it is F-R-E-E!!! That alone gets 5 stars. This bus can take along quite a number of people and offers free rides all day long on 16th street. It is always on time and has been incredibly helpful to my husband and I during our Denver vacation. Truly an awesome idea whoever decided to start this service (especially for those visiting all the wonderful microbreweries in this area). If only Los Angeles could offer a free service like this. read more

This is all about experiencing Denverites...I like to get on and watch people! Sometimes smelling them is part of the experience both good and bad...hehe It's a great service, makes getting from Wynkoop to Katie Mullens quick and fun and it's FREE! read more

Just remember: It's Free, Free, FREE!!! Connect from Union Station to the Civic Center, the Free Mall Ride goes directly to over 10 blocks from Wynkoop St, to Curtis, California... you name it!! I love getting off on Stout St. or any similar block with a light rail next to it. The buses aren't so bad. Lots of available seating, standing areas, bars to hold onto, and decent people. The stops are decent, and the pace are decent too. I would take the Free Mall Ride upon getting off work and then taking the W line to the stadium. Very, very efficient! I love it. read more

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I'm a big fan of the FREE MallRide for a few reasons. 1. It's free. 2. It keeps you out of the elements on rainy/snowy/scorchingly hot days. 3. I can make it from my house to anywhere in LoDo or LoHi without a car if I'm willing to walk a little and catch this thing. 4. It makes going to Rockies games super easy. 5. People watching. I sometimes miss riding the buses in SF and when I do I just take a jaunt down 16th Street Mall. It's not quite the same, but it'll do in a pinch. read more

I have a love-hate relationship with the MallRide. At times when I am too tired and need to walk a long way, I hop on the Shuttle and ride to my destination. Convenient, yes it is. A feature I like is riding it at night. You're stuck on a bus with some drunk people who have very insightful things to say. A drunk woman once pointed out to me that we had the same winter gloves. I asked her if she got them from Target. She said no, "Nordstrom's." Which made me feel cheap. Then she invited me and my friends to go to McCormick's with her and her other drunk friends. Thanks, but no thanks, drunk woman. You're a peach. On the downside, I am a stickler for germs (with good reason. Who knows what kind of nasty, disgusting particles people have on their hands and then grab the rails? I saw a little boy pick his nose and then grab the pole WITH THE SAME HAND! I don't care how old you are. That's disgusting and should not be tolerated!) I always carry antibacterial hand sanitizer with me and put it on the second I step off the Mall Ride. I'm not a complete germophobe, but whatever. The other thing that bothers me is that it slows down at night. In the summer, not a big deal. But in the winter when you go out with friends in your cutest outfit and have to walk to get to your car or to the lightrail, get ready to freeze. I'm surprised I have all of my toes and fingers left. I hate riding it in the summer months becase people have some funky B.O, and they insist on crowding onto the bus and I can't get out. No thanks, I don't want to smell your stanky armpits. Maybe another time. So, I love you MallRide. I hate you MallRide. I just can't decide. read more

Genius! When you are stuffed full from all the eating, hop on the FREE BUS. They will drive your lazy butt back to your starting point. Minimal walking required. q: PS....Third Street Promenade in Cali, you really need to look into a Free MallRide system. Just sayin... read more

Fun, on time, very useful. Driver's are friendly and buses fun to try. Nothing beats free rides! Fun ride to experience! read more

The FREE MallRide is actually such a blessing because it takes you up and down 16th Street all day. It's super useful for when you've walked around for a long time and just want to be lazy and get on a bus to your destination. You don't even have to wait that long for one of these buses to come by! The only downside of it is the fact that seating is limited, but that doesn't matter because: 1) there's ample standing space if there aren't any seats left, 2) the ride to whatever destination you're going to will be quick, and 3) did I mention that it's FREE?! It's great for locals and tourists alike, so utilize it when you visit the area! Yeah, you get some sketchy people riding on it with you, but you really can't complain about such a wonderful service. read more

This busline is super convenient if you're shopping on 16th St mall and need a ride back to the other side. It is free and only goes in one straight line. It can get crowded sometimes but generally you'll find space. It comes every 5 min or so and stops at each block. You cannot complain with free. read more

FREE = Greatest. Idea. Ever. Not only will you get to one place to another in a jiffy, you don't have to pay a pretty penny to get there (or an ugly penny for that matter)! I love going to other cities to discover their public transportation. That's because LA's bus lines are not the most convenient way to get around. This MallRide came very handy during my stay in Downtown Denver. The twinkly lights and lamps that decorated this street would have been a lovely stroll, but I don't think I would be able to survive the rough temperature of 45 degrees... :X Luckily, I was able to hop onto the MallRide and get to the many restaurants and shops on this street without having to freeze my way over there. read more

It's a bus, it takes you from light rail drop off to broadway and 16th. It goes back and forth all day long. You do risk being with stinky people, crazy people, or talkative people. But it gets the job done if you don't want to walk the whole way, need to stay dry or it's cold. Definitely use hand sanitizer if you touched anything but enjoy it for what it is! read more

Well, it is (in a manner of speaking) FREE. You can hop on and off at will. As a matter of fact, I wish fewer people would quit hopping on to take it only one or two blocks. It is a very convenient way to move several blocks on the 16th street mall. This is convenient if you have multiple destinations, you prefer parking at a particular lot, or you just want to play the part of a tourist. read more

Why isn't there one of these in every city??? I moved here from Philadelphia and I am trying to think of a reason why Philly wouldn't get one of these. Everyone is so appreciative, including me. Let's be honest sometimes our feet get tired or the weather doesn't cooperate and we need a lift. This is the perfect solution. :) read more

Suitable for three reasons: 1. Awesome for the newest drug-testing of "Airborne" and its effectiveness on the cold and flu. 2. Helps maintain your sheer laziness to walk a few blocks to get to another store, restaurant or your job. 3. It serves as a feeder bus. This way, you don't see people running in their suits and ties down the street, arms flailing and narrowly missing innocent by-standers, trying to catch the next Light Rail train at Union or California. That's because they're going to catch it via the MallRide, with you. You haven't seen Denver if you don't ride the MallRide. It'll give you a great idea of the kinds of bums we harbor in the city and how well our transportation system is relative to wherever you're coming from. read more

OK, lets get one thing clear. THIS IS NOT FREE. You pay with taxes my friends. Come on. That said, it keeps the mall humming along and amongst the plethora of goverment boondoggles, this one actually makes some sense and is enjoyable. Its usually clean and almost comfortable. read more

It's free, it stops at every corner, and it employs drivers who don't hassle the passengers or let themselves be hassled- even if the hassle happens to be a passenger with one foot on and one foot off the shuttle when the light turns green. I've seen some hilarious falls. Best way (especially if you're male) to handle the shuttle Bible-thumpers: Thumper: "Jesus loves you!" You: "Really? Me? Loves?" Thumper: "Yes!" You: "Are you sure?" Thumper: "Yes!" You: "Loves me... not just likes me, or really likes me, he loves me?" Thumper: "I'm sure- Jesus DOES love you!" You: "Oh... that's great!" Thumper: "Isn't it?" You: "Do you think I could call him sometime and ask him to dinner? Does he like sushi? Or is sushi moving too fast? Would he prefer a movie? Oh my God he's watching isn't he, is my hair okay? Do you have his number?" Thumper: *flee* read more

The Mall Ride is great if you use it at 8am, 12pm or 5pm. It is designed to get the average Denver Professional to and from the light rails. If you are like me and work funky hours, you know nights and early mornings, don't count on this tax-payed-for system. The "important" tax payers are all in bed, and at off peak hours the buses are too. But it is a great thing, and very useful for the vast majority of people who travel to downtown for work. It helps the average Joe, but keeps the abnormal Jane walking in the snow. read more