Transportation
Metro Denver’s central location makes it one of the country’s most important transportation hubs, and Brighton is among the best situated of its municipalities. Brighton is served by five major highways and two rail lines and is just 15 minutes away from Denver International Airport (DIA). Plans are afoot to provide mass transit rail service from Denver within the next decade or two as part of the Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks program.
Highways
| Interstate Highways |
I-25: north/south access to Canada and Mexico |
| |
I-70: east/west access nationwide |
| |
I-76: access to I-80 (northeast) and I-70 (southwest) |
| Local Access Routes |
US 85: north/south access to Greeley and Cheyenne |
| Beltways |
E-470: eastern half of beltway system provides quick access to DIA (Denver International Airport), I-25, and the southern metro area. |
E-470, a 47-mile toll expressway around metro Denver's eastern edge, connected Brighton with Interstate 25 when it opened in 2003. Residents and business owners use it for quick access to DIA, Boulder County and southern metro communities. The Brighton Economic Development Corporation expects E-470 to bring strong economic development activity, especially adjacent to interchange locations.
Trucking
More than 160 motor freight companies provide trucking service to the area. Backhaul rates are competitively priced and remain lower than the national average.
Airports
DIA is located just 15 minutes southeast of Brighton. It is served by 30 passenger airlines, six of which fly internationally, and it boasts six runways, three concourses, four international gates and parking spots for 57 commuter aircraft. DIA's advanced design made it the nation's first airport capable of landing three planes simultaneously in all weather conditions, greatly reducing weather-related delays. It also is gaining stature as an air freight center. Now the nation's 17th busiest cargo hub, DIA is served by nine cargo-only carriers.
Rail
Brighton is bordered on two sides by major rail lines. To the east, Burlington-Northern runs east/west paralleling Interstate 76. Union Pacific operates a western line along U.S. 85 from Denver to Greeley and Cheyenne.
Fast Facts
- Denver International Airport was voted third best in the Americas and third best in the world among airports with more than 25 million passengers annually. (AETRA passenger survey, 2006)
- Denver International Airport was the nation's fourth busiest airport in March 2006. (U.S. Bureau of Transportation)
- Denver International Airport was the nation's sixth busiest and world's eleventh busiest in 2006. (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
- The nation's largest multi-modal transportation project, nicknamed T-REX, was completed under budget and nearly two years ahead of schedule in November, 2006. (Colorado Department of Transportation)
- Metro Denver's latest transit system project, FasTracks, is the largest one-time mass transit build out in U.S. history. (Regional Transportation District, 2006)
- Denver executives have the nation's fourth shortest commute time, at 35.3 minutes. (TheLadders.com, 2005)
- Denver is the fourth easiest city to escape for holiday weekends. (MapQuest Summer Survey, 2006)