Challenge Accepted: CU Student Visited Every RTD Station in a Single Day

Justin Bai, a 24-year-old Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Boulder, set off on August 24 with a very specific mission: to visit every single Regional Transportation District rail station as quickly as possible.

Bai doesn't drive, and his first experience with public transit in the area was riding the Boulder line known as The Hop. He says he loves exploring places by bus and light rail, and particularly appreciates the Zero Fare for Better Air initiative that's eliminated fares in August.

"I think a lot of people just don't realize the reaches of this system," he says. "Maybe the average person is familiar with the A-line, but I rode the entirety of the R-line today and I was just surprised at this kind of meandering route through Aurora. I became very familiar with the system, and now I feel like I can give anyone directions on the rail system."

It took him eight hours, thirty minutes and 34 seconds to stop at every station in that system. He left his house in Denver at around 6:30 a.m., started the clock at the Jefferson County Government Station, and was back at Union Station at around 4:40 p.m. Everything went surprisingly well, he says, with only a few stressful transfers and a couple of delayed trains.

"I found a lot excitement in the Central Business District loop," he recalls. "It was just like transfer after transfer, and it was really an adrenaline rush to catch one train after the other."

Bai journey was part of the RTD Rail Challenge hosted by Greater Denver Transit, a transit advocacy organization formed by Denver residents in March. "The serious side of the group is on RTD to fix connections and put information out," says co-founder Richard Bamber. "We campaign at the moment for e-bikes to be allowed on trains and busses. The other side of the organization is kind of like a transit supporters' club."

Greater Denver Transit created the challenge as a way to promote free rides in August and also emphasize how easy and convenient the RTD system can be. "It's a bit of fun and it's just another way to generate interest," notes Bamber, who's doing the challenge himself this week. "What we're trying to do is get the message out."

Denver's challenge was inspired by contests in other cities, such as the New York Subway Challenge and London's Tube Challenge. "I grew up in a village 25 miles southwest of London," Bamber says. "I would have died of boredom if it wasn't for the rail service. We would have been a disadvantaged community if transit hadn't been provided. It was the gateway to a lot of freedom."

After completing the RTD Rail Challenge, Bai doesn't plan on attempting any others. "I think Denver has a special place in my heart," he says. "I don't want to betray RTD."