AURORA, Colo. — Plenty of push-back is expected on Thursday night when RTD holds the first of its public meetings on proposed cuts for its new R-Line.

The line runs through Aurora on I-225. It’s been in service less than six months. But RTD says it’s not meeting expectations for ridership, so cuts must be made.

According to RTD, ridership on the line is not even half of what it should be.  An average of only 41 passengers board per hour.

So, RTD wants to end weekday, off-peak R-Line service, south of the Florida Station to the Tech Center, and eliminate all weekend service on that stretch.

Aurora city officials say the cuts are premature and could affect some of the development, like apartments and shops, planned along the line.

“We’re building out a system that is forward thinking, we can add capacity as we grow, and it doesn’t make sense to open a freeway or train system at capacity. We want to be able to add as we continue to grow in the region, ” said Nate Currey with RTD.

RTD is also planning cuts in the W-Line out to Golden. That could happen next year.

The meeting is Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Aurora Municipal Building. The RTD Board is expected to make a final decision Oct. 17.