About this mall
The 16th Street Mall 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) long, runs along 16th Street in downtown Denver, from Wewatta Street (at Union Station) to the intersection of 16th Avenue and Broadway (at Civic Center Station).
A free shuttle bus service, operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is known as MallRide.
When the original fleet was beginning to age, Neoplan constructed a single left-hand-drive prototype bus with video cameras as a potential replacement. All of the MallRide operators refused to accept the left-hand-drive bus, citing more convenience and safety with right-hand-drive configuration.
Consequently, RTD was back to the drawing board and started the bid process anew. All but one of the bidding manufacturers rejected the concept to build the hybrid buses to RTD’s exact specification. As the result, RTD became the first public transportation authority to place an order with an engineering and manufacturing company, Columbine Bus, to build the second generation of MallRide fleet. The second generation EcoMark fleet uses a 70 hp (52 kW) Ford 1.6-litre compressed natural gas engine running on demand to provide the electrical power to two 200 horsepower (150 kW) motors as well as recharging the batteries. The company TransTeq was formed originally as a subcontractor to build the bus frames and this company eventually bought out the bus contract and took over the build and supply of the fleet in operation today. The operators continue to drive on the right-hand side as they did with the first generation.
MallRide stops at every intersection between Union Station and the 16th Avenue/Broadway intersection, with three stations—Union Station (at 17th Street and Wynkoop Street), Market Street (at 16th Street and Market Street), and Civic Center (at 16th Street and Broadway)—providing key connections to other RTD buses.
In addition, MallRide provides connections to light rail. Connections to the C Line and the E Line are at Union Station. Connections to the D Line, the F Line, and the H Line are at 16th/California & 16th/Stout stations.
MallRide service is provided very frequently daily, especially during rush hours.
The mall is home to many of the most popular shops, including Virgin Records Megastore, Niketown and Gap. The Mall’s delicious restaurants, including Maggiano’s Little Italy, Hard Rock Cafe and Rock Bottom Brewery, are all excellent places to take a break from a hard day of shopping. Several smaller cafes can also be found along the street, including Paradise Bakery, Suzy Q’s Deli & Frozen Yogurt and Good Times. For a unique outdoor shopping experience, 16th Street Mall is the perfect choice while visiting Denver.
