Rio Grande Plan gains steam as way to bridge historic east-west divides

What began as a citizen-driven vision for generating more access across the city has turned into a fully fledged commitment to bring transit lines back to the historic Rio Grande Depot — with organizers hoping it becomes the city’s main transit hub once again. The Rio Grande Plan aims to reduce railroad crossings, increase connections between the east and west sides of the valley, and take steps towards a comprehensive downtown rail transit network. It would do this by creating a train box, moving the railroad underground.

Since its initial proposal in 2020, the Rio Grande Plan has gone through extensive studies and research on cost, feasibility, and impacts, and has garnered a great deal of support. Now, there’s talk of trying to complete the project ahead of the Winter 2034 Olympic games.

Photos by David Ricketts, West View Media