City Cast Denver logo
Advertisement image
April 1, 2022

Rush Hour at Union Station

City Cast Denver

Rush Hour at Union Station

00:00:00
View all City Cast Denver episodes

Union Station is a mess. At least that’s what news outlets keep saying about the transit hub and fancy downtown hangout. In the last six months, complaints of violence, open drug use, and people sleeping in the public space have become the narrative of Union Station, painting it as a scene of constant chaos. At the beginning of 2022, Mayor Hancock responded by swarming the place with police — as a result, he said that DPD had made 700 arrests since January. 


The City Cast Denver crew hadn’t made a trek down to the shiny train station since before the pandemic, and knew it was time to see for themselves what was going on there. Host Bree Davies and producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon met up with Denverite reporter Kyle Harris — who has covered issues at Union Station extensively — for a walk around the downtown spot. They wanted to see for themselves what, exactly, was so concerning. 


Read more of Kyle Harris’s original reporting on Union Station for Denverite: 


We spent 18 hours at Union Station. Here’s everything we saw and heard.


A swanky Union Station high rise holds clues about how the rich and poor will coexist (or not) downtown


Denver police have arrested more than 700 people at Union Station this year — only a third for drug crimes


Just a note: Street sweeping starts today! Find out when to avoid that parking ticket in your neighborhood and more in today’s City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/


Say hello on Twitter: @citycastdenver


Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Hey Denver

Stay connected to City Cast Denver and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Latest Episodes

See all
October 11

‘Your City Could Be Better’: A St. Paul Cell Phone Ban Teens Might Actually Like — Presented By City Cast Denver

Another Denver school year has begun — how are cell phones being handled? In Minnesota, one high school is demonstrating that a strict no...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 9

A Cheesy New Ethics Complaint at DIA, CoCo Vote Veers Off Course, and Denver's Best PSL

It might not feel like it, but we are, actually, in the fall season! Contributor Michelle Jackson joins producer Olivia Jewell Love to ch...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 8

How This Election Could Change All Other Elections. Plus, ‘Love is Blind’: Where Are They Now?

It's election season, and those blue books are beefy this year! We’re going one by one through some of the thorniest ballot measures all...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 7

What Would You Name Dick’s Sporting Goods Park? Plus, Casa Bonita’s Wishing Well and Local Comedy Drama

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park may not be long for this world – well, the name anyway. For the first time in the Colorado Rapids soccer stadi...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 6

Harsher Fentanyl Penalties, Voter ID Requirements, and More of the Conservative Agenda on Colorado Ballots

The conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado brought a whopping eight initiatives to the ballot this year – that’s more than half of the 1...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 5

The DPS Board’s Half-Decade of Drama, Meet Your Soulmate, and Will a Chatbot Replace Denver's 311 Operators?

Denver Public Schools board member DJ Torres resigned last week, his reasoning being “too much of my time and energy have been consumed b...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 4

‘Your City Could Be Better’: This Basketball Court Is Saving Residents From Floods — Presented By City Cast Denver

When Denver looks for inspiration for the future, does it look to the Netherlands? That’s what designers and officials in New York City d...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 2

Privatizing the Trash, Drones Delivering Pasta, and How to PorchFest

Denverites already pay for trash pick-up, but what if that money went to a private company instead of the city? The city’s waste services...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
October 1

Will Denver Ever Say Yes to the Duplex? Plus, the Ethics Investigation Costing the City $800,000

A proposal to make sweeping changes to the zoning code was sent back to the drawing board by city council – signalling the end of a push...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 30

Your Guide to October 2026 in Denver

Fall is here — and we’re ready for the sweater weather, cozy vibes, and spiced everything! From finding the right craft meetup to enjoyin...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art