The MallRide
A free shuttle bus service, operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is known as MallRide.
From 1982 to 1999, the MallRide fleet used front-wheel-drive and right-hand-drive buses that were custom-designed and purpose-built. The right-hand-drive gives the operators better view of passengers entering and exiting the buses from the right-hand side and to watch out for the pedestrians. These buses can travel up to 25 mph (40 km/h) on the street and must deal with the 'wandering' pedestrians on the sidewalks who get too close to the buses.
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.
RTD went back to the drawing board and started the bid process anew. Many bus or heavy vehicle manufacturers rejected the RTD's exact specification due to the low number of buses to be manufactured and "unproven" hybrid technology (especially in the late 1990s and early 2000s). Only Neoplan and a startup company, Columbine Bus, submitted proposals. Columbine Bus was formed by two engineers with electric vehicle backgrounds. Although Columbine Bus won the $11.7M contract they were not able to secure the needed funds to go into production. In those years the investment community did not see any future in electric or hybrid-electric vehicle technologies. Columbine Bus was soon acquired by TransTeq, to build the hybrid-electric MallRide buses. RTD worked very closely with TransTeq with almost daily visits to the nearby manufacturing facility.
The second-generation MallRide buses are called EcoMark and use the 70 hp (52 kW) 1.6-litre compressed natural gas Ford engine that drives the generator on demand. The generator in turn provides the electrical power to the two electric motors. The batteries are recharged by both regenerative brake power and generator on demand. EcoMark MallRide buses have extra doors and more standing room than the first-generation MallRide buses. The operators continue to drive on the right-hand side as they did in 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.
Transportation alternatives to the MallRide on the 16th Street Mall include Pedicab Services and Horse Drawn Carriage.
Read more about this topic: 16th Street Mall