It's the best free bus I've ever taken. Never too crowded, very frequent buses, and a+ drivers.

The mall ride is amazing and trolley-esque....and free : ) AND it carries you to and fro, up and down, back and forth, all day and some night, up and down 16th street--stopping on every corner. Every corner! Really, this is a great thing. Never will you wait more than 5 minutes for one of these merry buses AND your ride is assured to be filled with colorful memories. For instance, my last ride I remember well. One person--so agitated at the sublte congestion of the bus, in a huff, goes to another door. The guy next to me finds this so hysterical and...me too....ind of. Well, not that funny. I am forced into chatting with him the entire ride, "Would you like an apple?" Finally, he leaves but now I am squished up with some other dude, "Do you have kids?" He won't quit. Nice fellow though. Backs off when I tell him I'm a lesbian. read more

16th Street FreeRide - Public Transportation Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Stuck in a rut? Feel like your life is going in circles but not sure what to do about it? Stay on the Free Mall Ride for a few hours and exit the same stop you entered. By the time you get off, you will have had the opportunity to see your future, past, and a few alternate realities. After that, choose a different course or accept that you are on the right path. There, problem solved all due to a free ride and the many characters you will observe along the way. read more

Well, the ubiquitous shuttles that scoot here and there down the 16th street mall are great since they are free...which I suppose is their biggest perk, but also leads to one of their most annoying elements: uh, the people that are usually on them. In any case, don't try to get on when the doors or closing, believe me. Beyond that, the shuttles don't get any more than 3 stars from me since they seem to have that annoying habit of running down and killing people that accidently walk in-front of them. Maybe this is unavoidable when you mix heavy pedestrian traffic with that sort of carnival capitalist attitude that comes with 16 blocks of shops and high-speed vehicles, but what can I say? Be careful out there shop-till-you-droppers. read more

I have smelled some of the more offensive smells of my life while riding the free MallRide.... but it has also saved me from having to dodge several GreenPeace kids on my way down the mall. Worth riding if you have to get from one end to the other and don't feel like hiking the whole way; or if you're already used to all the "charms" of the 16th street mall and don't want to mess with the walk. read more

It's free, and a straight shot down the 16th St Mall from Colfax & Broadway to Union Station. You can catch two major light rail arteries halfway down the mall or regional buses at Union Station. This makes tremendously convenient movement downtown and easy connections all over Denver. The riders are hit or miss. That's all I'll say about that. read more

Best.Idea.Eva This service allows patrons to hop on & hop off at various locations at the 16th Street Mall. The service is free. It is kind of like your own personal designated driver with 50 of your close personal friends. I mean if you don't want to stumble from bar to bar. There is minimal wait time and the buses are family friendly. Reminds me of the buses that you take at LGA to go from terminal to terminal. Did I mention this service is free?? I highly suggest this mode of transportation! read more

Say you want some cookies at Santa Fe Cookie Co. at 16th & Court, followed by a beer at Wynkoop Brewing Company blocks and blocks away? The answer - the free mall ride. It is free, its easy to catch and it can get you one end of downtown to the other in no time flat! What is not to like? Well maybe the smell on a hot day, but beggars can't be choosers. It is a hit in my book. My tired feet love it! read more

Who doesn't love getting on a bus not knowing whether you are going to get stuck standing next to a good-looking business man, the woman who is flailing and carrying a rat on her shoulder, or the crackhead who is yelling out loud and then in your face? I know I do. You never know what kind of awesomeness you are going to experience on the ride, but without a doubt the MallRide will get you anywhere you want to go--along 16th St. read more

As far as use for its stated purpose, I don't think I've ever used the Mall Ride for shopping purposes during the summer (maybe a few times in the winter). The Mall's only a mile long, so it's not that hard to walk. However, the Mall Ride is excellent as an unofficial transfer, a bus that gets me from the RTD station to Capitol Hill to catch the Colfax bus or whatever bus I need. read more

The free mallride is amazing, the only bad thing is when you are walking a block behind and never seem to catch up to it. And there is no other bus shuttle in sight :( It would also be beneficial if they timed it with the RTD light rail, wouldn't it be nice if you got off of the 16th and california light rail stop and there was a shuttle waiting...but I guess I can only dream! read more

Who can turn down free transportation in downtown! If you're in downtown for business, restaurants, drinks, shopping, etc., then this service will be your best friend during the trip. 16th Street is not too long, but having the free bus is a bonus. At the beginning or end of each block, you will find that the bus stops for about 30 seconds for passengers to get on. If you've missed it, just wait for a minute or so and another bus will be right there to pick you up! They clean, plenty of seats, and never really too crowded. If only Downtown Los Angeles had this type of service! read more

Yeah. It's free. A free ride up and down the 16th Street Mall. Right there is good enough to make this a really cool service. The fact that it is within walking distance from my home makes it even more awesome. I can go to dinner, a game or a performance in LoDo and not pay a cent for parking or transportation. Does the MallRide get a little stinky from time to time? Sure. It's free, so Denver's transient population uses it to get around downtown, and many times they don't smell too wonderful. Does the MallRide get packed? You bet. After Rockies games, it is shoulder to shoulder in the bus. Do drunk people use it? Oh my word, yes. If you're looking for a quiet ride, Saturday night at 10 pm is a bad time to get on the MallRide. 70% of the people on that bus will be drunk. However, none of that outweighs the fact that this is a FREE service provided by the city of Denver for it's citizens. I think that is pretty incredible. read more

Free Mall Ride, that takes you up and down 16th Street Mall, as much as you'd like. No, it's not the cleanest. No, you're not always going to be able to find a seat. Yes, a decent percentage of your fellow riders will be under the influence of some sort of drug. Yes, it will be hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Welcome to public transportation. You stay dry, your legs aren't tired, and you can get to where you need to go quickly. Love the folks who are mad the guy next to them is stoned and won't give up his seat, or that the bus smells like body odor. PUB-LIC TRANS-POR-TATION. read more

I have a love/hate relationship with the Free Mall Shuttle. I love the access to be able to ride up and down 16th Street Mall. I also love the fact that the shuttle takes you to union station. What I didn't like was the cleanliness of the bus. Pack some hand sanitizer, you are going to need it! We used the Mall Ride several times since we didn't have a car. I love that Denver offers this service but the bus could be a little more maintained. Don't forget that hand sanitizer! read more

I love that there is a free public transportation system that runs through the Central Business District and into LoDo. With that said, there are still things about it that drive me nuts. YAY: - Frequent buses run from 7am until about 12am. - FREE! - Stops at every block. - No traffic! NAY: - Before 7am and after 12am you may have to wait a bit for the bus. - No shelters anywhere for the bus stops (only an issue when it's cold). - Because the doors open so frequently, it can be like a meat locker on the cold days. - The weird-ass people on the 16th St. Mall that use this as their personal _____. (Choose any of the following: "Toilet", "Sleeping Spot", "Restaurant", "Hang Out", "Narcotics Distribution Point") read more

This is a nifty little thing for the first time tourist to the Mile-High City. I am anti-driving, especially in a downtown setting. And I heard a person or two say that Denver isn't the most public transportation-friendly city in the US. Taxis are hard to come by and expensive. So, I was thankful to find out that there was a free shuttle service that ran up a central vein in the city and stops every street so that many tourist attractions are walkable. MallRide was my saviour after shuffling along the entire stretch of 16th in fake uggs. I was exhausted, but like a speeding bullet, MallRide was there to get me to my hotel without having to take a step more. This is a convenient way to tour Downtown Denver quickly and it will save you some money so you can eat at those trendy, over-priced restaurants in "historic" Larimer Square. =) read more

Pro's: Free ride all the way up one side of the mall and down the other. Its great to avoid tons of walking, to avoid the Greenpeace and planned parenthood beggars, and to just ride around and people watch. Also, a new bus comes every 5 minutes or so. Con's: The SMELLS, in the summer it gets very hot and stuffy on the buses, the people can be very rude (think NY subway systems) or drunk or high or all of the above, and sometimes it can be very difficult to find a seat. read more

Nice of the city to provide a free bus along one of it's most frequent routes. There are LOTS of these busses, so rarely a long wait at all, and they stop every block , so you aren't running 2 blocks if you miss one. Other cities should take note. Well, San Francisco now wants to charge drivers to go on Lombard Street too. It's nice to see a city not motivated by greed. If this gets implemented back home, I hope tourists will take those thoughts into considerations, and visit this beautiful city instead. read more

Ridden in September, 2008. This is really a great service. If you're on the 16th street mall, jump on or off this bus at your leisure. It's really that easy. read more

Ok.. it's Free...props for that. Lunch time rush downtown and this thing is packed to the gills, and in the summer time...oh man alive is it ripe. However durning the colder months, it sure beats walking the mall in the cold.(but then the cold and flu season, and this thing is a shuttle germ capsual.) I still prefer to walk the mall when I get out of the office... but the Mall ride has come in handy many times! The dirvers must like me because they honk at me all the time... :-) I salute You Free 16th St. Mall Shuttle Ride Drivers. *Beep Beep* read more

I'd rather walk...that being said. If you need to get from one end of the mall to the other, it is a decent option. But, between the homeless, the hoodrats, the drunkasses, and the sour business people (and this is just at rush hour), I'd rather walk. Oh yeah and this one time, I actually got threatened...heehee yeah. I mean, it's only a few blocks...really. read more

Don't expect this to be a super comfortable ride all the time, but do expect to witness some real human treasures on every Mall Ride adventure. I've never really been able to figure out the rhyme or reason to the frequency of their busses... Sometimes, eastbound has busses waiting to pick up people on busy days, while westbound riders are left hanging. Other days, things seem to run more efficiently than a German making love. It's free, it gets you where you need to go, and... it's free! read more

The Free Mall Ride used to be wonderful. The Transients/Urban Travelers/Homeless have taken over this mode of transportation. The smell is so bad I had to get off on three separate occasions and just walk because I thought I might puke. I am handicapped and would still rather walk than be exposed to aggressive drunks, druggies, street dogs, carts filled with trash and horrible odors. Everyone should have the opportunity to ride the Mall Shuttle, even those of us that take a shower. I work in downtown Denver and used to take the Shuttle during lunch and I came downtown on Saturday around 1 PM and encountered the same issues. I walked back to Union Station from the Convention Center rather than chance my safety and health. read more

The free mall ride is an excellent way to view and get around the 16th street mall. I use it whenever im in the area as it is a benefit to the city of Denver as well as its citizens and visitors. You never know what you will see when you board the bus. Especially helpful in bad weather such as rain and snow since you dont have to walk down the street and get wet. It also a good way to people watch. Today I saw a man carry a Dyson vacuum cleaner, next time, who knows. :) read more

This Mall Ride comes through in the clutch. However, it is usually a cesspool of freaks, homeless people, schizophrenics, and much more at night time. read more

Thank you for saving my feet on certain days! Super big thank you on rainy days. And thank you thank you drivers for dealing with the downtown goons that have to give you crap day and night. Please know you do a great job and are appreciated :) read more

I take this a lot since I work in downtown. It runs from Civic Center Park to Union Station. Be careful when you go at odd hours because a lot of homeless people just stay on here for hours and it can get sketchy so be cautious of your surroundings. They do have plenty of seats on there and you can stand too since the ride is pretty smooth. read more

It is Free! Yay, for something in life that is free and does not require a tip! It gets you up and down 16th Street, so if you are parked in Cap Hill you can get to LoDo, or vice versa. We use it often when we are in Denver. Safe and clean too. read more

You really can't beat this deal! A free ride along the mall? Yes, please! The buses run a few minutes apart and stop and every corner allowing guests to hop on and off at-will for no charge. It's a great service that you should definitely take advantage of, especially if you're going from one end to the other. read more

It's a great service, but my pet peeve is having three mall shuttles in a row lined up behind each other. What the? On the other hand, what amazing and patient drivers who deal with scofflaws and business people, and who jump in and out to assist wheelchair-bound individuals onto the ramp. Three cheers! read more

Very cool concept, especially amidst the snow day. Im just shocked they dont clean it. Im actually appalled by that fact. I never thought i'd ever experience anything dirtier than a NY subway. But this beat it! Did they really think since its so cold my sense of smell would be frozen too? read more

I can't complain about something when it's free. The buses are clean. They run every five minutes, therefore there are no long waits. They get very busy at rush hour but they have made my life much easier. read more

I would love to give the free mall ride 5 stars, but you know it has very quietly run over people before, right? So for that, I dock a star. I don't believe it has caused fatalities like the much-more-dangerous-to-drunk-people light rail though. I work downtown and I usually walk everywhere, but there are times when I need a quicker ride if I'm running late, or my belly hurts too much to walk from overeating at an Indian lunch buffet. The variety of riders is always a treat but the time spent on this thing getting from point A to B is so short that it doesn't really matter who I'm shoved up against. Don't text anything personal or embarrassing on your phones while on this bus or we will all read it and tell our friends. I rarely ride at night or weekends with the bar crowd, though I did once ride on St. Patrick's Day which is probably the most entertaining night of all to be on the free mall ride. As an out-of-towner, Arj Barker mentioned this bus in one of his shows at Comedy Works a couple years ago and it just cemented how funny, unique and kind of bizarre this transportation option is. It's part of my weekday downtown Denver life - whether I need a ride or I'm just people watching - and I'm thankful we have it. ETA: I just rode the free mall ride to and from a haircut and had two men (total strangers) standing next to me waiting for it to arrive. They started talking, exchanged phone numbers, got on the bus behind me and then began showing each other photos on their cell phones of the marijuana plants they're each growing at home! Hilarious! Just another day in Colorado. read more

Can't really knock the free mallride. It goes the length of the 16th street mall all the way up to Union Station. Definitely an eclectic mix of riders... and odors... and levels of drunkenness. If you like to people watch this is the place to do it. read more

Kuddos for getting new buses super comfy. I enjoy riding the buses especially when the weather is bad or its really hot. They needed an upgrade and they got them. Friendly drivers! I also like how they have the map posted so you know where you want to get off of the bus also the have a string you can pull to have them stop. Although i would not want to ride in the back of the bus because it kinda swings out because of the accordion style connection . Still nice to get a free ride. read more

I use the shuttle all the time. Yeah it's crowded sometimes, so what. It works as advertised. There is a review here that says the shuttle isn't free. Yeah it's free, I don't pay when I get on, that's free right? Also, what's with the new shuttle voice telling us the streets and to use the hand rails when shuttle is in motion. What was wrong with the previous voice, this one sounds computer generated and herky jerky. Who's idea was it to change? My vote is to bring back the previous voice!! read more

Love the free Mall Ride on 16th street, so easy and convenient to use traveling around downtown Denver.

Need a free lift from Wynkoop St to Broadway that may have some loud kids, teenagers listening to music on speaker phones, old people that yell at the bus driver for going too fast, ex-cons that want to tell you how they didn't do anything wrong they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time or some businessmen that cut deals on their robot ear Bluetooth headsets? You are in luck because on any given day the Mall Ride will be waiting for you. read more

Its free. It smells of sweat, perfume, gastro-intestinal discharges, petchuli, feet, vomit, Ben-Gay, curry, something completely unidentifiable, and the shame of anyone who actually goes to 16th street mall. But, it is free, and until they start charging outright for the ride, I shall continue to let them bombard my senses with whatever odiferous offerings they will. read more