Lakewood resident David Corboy estimates that he uses RTD three to five times a week, but he tries to ride his e-bike as much as possible, because buses in the area can turn a fifteen-minute trip into an hour-long journey.Corboy has a faster alternative in mind, and it’s slowly gaining steam: a tram or Bus Rapid Transit line along Wadsworth Boulevard that would have its own lane to avoid traffic and would stop at more frequent intervals.The idea came to him after sourcing suggestions on the r/Lakewood and r/Denver Reddit pages, asking the online communities for general solutions regarding Lakewood’s current public transit.“My goal was to get the idea that already had the most community support,” Corboy says. “I’m a huge proponent of public transit, and I wanted to find what would be both the quickest way to make it happen and what would be the path of least resistance for public transit up and down Lakewood.”Once the concept of a dedicated transit line along Wadsworth emerged, Corboy got organized. He encouraged people online who’d supported the idea to email their Lakewood city councilors, and started a petition in August 2024 asking for a tram line or BRT on the stretch of Wadsworth that is in Lakewood.The petition, which has already garnered more than 400 signatures, cites American Public Transport Association data showing that BRTs deliver faster service in other places around the country. Additionally, the petition notes that tram lines in Portland, Oregon, were found to have cut down city emissions after helping people make the switch from car travel.“By using public transit, we can not only enhance accessibility for those most in need, but also contribute to vital environmental goals, reducing traffic congestion, and decreasing air pollution,” Corboy wrote in the petition. “It’s time to put our community’s needs and values into action. We ask the Regional Transportation District (RTD) to consider our request seriously and move our city one step closer to a sustainable and inclusive future.”Testimonies under the petition come from multiple people who say they commute along Wadsworth daily and wish there were a different option other than getting in their car. Corboy says the amount of public support so far shows that people are willing to get involved and consider public transportation if they feel listened to.“People want to get out of their cars and hate being stuck on I-25,” he adds. “This is something that is vastly wanted, but there’s a feeling of hopelessness from the community because of how long RTD has been a mess.”Corboy cites light rail slowdowns during the mishandling of safety upgrades as an example of why people have been turned off by RTD. But he wants to show there are still steps RTD can take that build trust and public enthusiasm, seeing this project as one such possibility.RTD conducted a Regional BRT Feasibility Study around metro Denver in 2019. Wadsworth was not identified as a top corridor for BRT, though two of the identified corridors — Alameda Avenue and 38th Avenue — would have a stop on Wadsworth as the end point of each avenue’s possible BRT line.Corboy says that right now, he and his wife can use the W Line to get to Denver Nuggets games or other events downtown, but they still have to figure out a way to get to the rail line. That would remain the case if transit along Wadsworth stayed the same, even if other transportation lines were built to connect to Wadsworth.“It would be nice if we could take a tram right to the light rail station,” he says.Through spokesperson Tina Jaquez, RTD says municipalities or CDOT have typically taken the lead on BRT projects, like the East Colfax BRT currently under construction in Denver. Building the East Colfax BRT is projected to take until 2027, with the goal of providing traffic-free fast transit. However, local businesses are worried about surviving the construction.Stacie Oulton, manager of public information for the City of Lakewood, says the city’s transportation engineer isn’t aware of any BRT discussion, and that the Denver Regional Council of Governments had only considered Alameda in Lakewood in a July 2024 update on BRT.Corboy’s city council representatives, Rebekah Stewart and Roger Low, both responded to his emails, saying they were interested in the concept but that RTD and the Colorado Department of Transportation would need to be involved, too. Stewart tellsthat she is encouraging constituents to reach out to RTD, but she has just been sworn in as a state House representative, with a special election to fill her council seat set to take place no later than March.According to Corboy, he has been in touch with newly elected RTD boardmember Brett Paglieri, who will represent the Lakewood area in question. Paglieri was supportive of the idea when they talked, says Corboy, who is encouraged by the fact that everyone seems committed to furthering the discussion.Jaquez says that