Getting around Aurora without driving everywhere can feel tricky. The city spreads across a huge chunk of the eastern metro area, sitting right between downtown Denver and the airport, while traffic along I-225 loves to crawl during rush hour. Most people default to driving for every errand. But honestly, you do not need a car for every single trip.
Once you see how the light rail lines, local buses, and paved trail networks link up, moving around Arapahoe and Adams counties gets much simpler. It also leaves more money in your pocket by cutting down on gas and airport parking fees.
Taking the Train: R Line, A Line, and Quick Airport Trips
The backbone of transit in Aurora is the light rail system. The R Line stretches for 22 miles along Interstate 225, connecting northern neighborhoods to job centers further south. It serves 19 stations, with 10 of them right in or right next to Aurora. That includes heavy-use stops like Fitzsimons, Colfax, Aurora Metro Center, and Nine Mile.
Electric overhead wires power these trains, which run every 30 minutes from 5:30 AM to midnight, seven days a week. Back in 2019, people took almost 1.95 million trips on the R Line. By 2024, that number settled closer to 1.26 million annual rides.
If you need to get to Denver International Airport, Peoria Station is the place to head. It works as a quick transfer hub, though you have to head up and across an overhead pedestrian bridge to switch between the R Line light rail and the A Line commuter train. That A Line train runs up to 79 miles per hour along its 22.8-mile track from Denver Union Station out to the airport terminal.
From Peoria Station, you can ride across that bridge and land at the airport in roughly 20 minutes, or head west into downtown Denver in about 25 minutes. Further northeast, 40th and Airport Boulevard Gateway Park Station gives you another fast connection to local commercial areas.
These stations do real work every day. Fitzsimons and Colfax drop you right off at the Anschutz Medical Campus, where over 25,000 healthcare workers, researchers, and students travel daily. Aurora Metro Center Station links up with nine different bus lines, offers 145 parking spaces, and gives you bike storage.
Further south, Iliff Station and Nine Mile Station feature large parking garages attached straight to regional trail systems, making park-and-ride commutes pretty straightforward.
Bus Routes and the New Colfax Rapid Transit System
Buses carry a lot of the daily load along the major east-west and north-south streets. Routes 15 and 15L run along East Colfax Avenue, forming the busiest bus corridor in the whole RTD network. Route 15 makes every local stop, while the 15L is an express version that skips smaller stops to move riders quickly between central Aurora, Anschutz, and downtown Denver. If you live or work near 17th or 20th Avenue, Route 20 links local residential streets to the main campus bus hub at Aurora Court.
Cross-town buses help you cross county lines without much hassle. Route 3 travels down Alameda Avenue to connect neighborhoods with services at the Aurora Municipal Center, stopping at the R Line along the way. Route 105 runs down Havana Street, while Route 483 picks up riders in Douglas County and Parker and drops them at Nine Mile Station.
Moving across county borders is usually the tricky part of local transit, but routes like the Flatiron Flyer FF5 bus take you straight from Anschutz to downtown Boulder without needing to transfer in Denver.
To speed things up along Colfax, crews are building the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit system. This project puts dedicated bus lanes right down the middle of the street from Union Station to Yosemite Street in Denver. Once the line crosses into Aurora, it transitions into side-running lanes operating in regular traffic all the way to Colfax Station at I-225.
Expect larger articulated buses, traffic lights that switch to green for approaching buses, and off-board ticket machines to keep boarding fast. To help shop owners while construction happens, the city set up a support program called the Fax Pass.
On-Demand Shuttles, Shared Mobility, and Local E-Bike Rules
When you live a bit too far from a main bus line or train platform, RTD’s FlexRide shuttles fill in the gaps. You can book these small on-demand shuttles using an app, a website, or a phone call anywhere from 30 days ahead of time down to 10 minutes before you want to leave.
Standard rides cost $2.75 for a 3-hour pass, $1.35 for a discount pass, and nothing for riders 19 and under. For riders with disabilities, Access-a-Ride provides door-to-door transit for $4.50 per local trip, assuming the pickup spot sits within three-quarters of a mile of a regular route.
Scooters and rental bikes have also taken root in local neighborhoods. Aurora approved dockless bike shares back in October 2017, putting over 250 bikes near spots like Del Mar Park, the MLK Library, and Aurora Central High School. In May 2021, the city allowed Bird to launch shared electric scooters.
During a 14-month stretch through August 2022, riders logged over 15,700 trips and covered 24,600 miles using an average daily fleet of 52 scooters.
If you ride your own electric bike, local rules set clear boundaries on where you can go. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes have motor limits capped at 750 watts and stop motor assistance at 20 mph. You can ride these on city streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, and multi-use paths.
Class 3 e-bikes assist up to 28 mph and are allowed on streets and paved trails for anyone 16 or older. But electric dirt bikes that lack working pedals or run faster than 28 mph are banned from public roads, sidewalks, and city parks.
Paved Trail Connections, Parking Rates, and Fare Discounts
Paved greenways offer a safe way to walk or pedal to transit stations without dealing with heavy road traffic. The Sand Creek Regional Greenway covers a 6-mile stretch in Aurora, offering dirt and paved trails running from Star K Ranch to Peoria Station.
The High Line Canal Trail runs for 11.3 miles through the city, connecting places like Expo Park, DeLaney Farm, and the Municipal Center. Then there’s Toll Gate Creek Trail, which travels 6.3 miles from Quincy Reservoir to DeLaney Farm, giving cyclists a protected path away from cars.
Further south, the Cherry Creek Spillway Trail links southwest Aurora and Cherry Creek State Park directly to Nine Mile Station. In southeast Aurora, the 8-mile Aurora Reservoir Loop connects nearby homes to the Southlands shopping district.
If you drive to a station, Park-n-Ride lots at Aurora Metro Center and Nine Mile Station are free for the first 24 hours if your car is registered inside the RTD service area. After the first day, parking costs $2.00 a day. Vehicles registered outside the district pay $4.00 per day starting on day one.
Paying for trips across the region is straightforward once you know the numbers. Fares are $2.75 for a 3-Hour Pass, $5.50 for a Day Pass, and $10.00 for the airport train. If you use a contactless card or the MyRide app, the system automatically caps your fare at $5.50 a day or $88.00 per month.
Young people 19 and under ride for free under the Zero Fare for Youth program, while the LiVE program gives income-qualified adults a 50 percent discount on all fares.
Navigating Aurora without relying entirely on a car comes down to using the right mix of routes. Pairing a short bike ride along a trail or a quick FlexRide shuttle with the R Line or A Line trains makes getting across the eastern metro area far less stressful than sitting in highway traffic.
Automatic fare capping keeps your monthly costs predictable, and free youth passes mean families can travel without buying extra tickets. Whether you commute daily to Anschutz or catch an early flight at DIA, these connected transit choices give you simple, budget-friendly ways to get where you need to go.
