Southeast Corridor commuters and transit advocates are rallying to try to save the light-rail G Line from getting the ax.

RTD has proposed eliminating the train that runs between Nine Mile Station in Aurora and Lincoln Station in Douglas County because of declining ridership and the need to trim expenses.

Cutting the G Line would save $252,000 out of a package of $7.2 million in rail and bus service cuts. If approved by the RTD board next month, the cuts would take effect in May.

Steve Hulsberg, who lives near Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, says his trip to work at the Inverness Business Park near Centennial would get significantly longer under the change.

RTD says former G Line riders would have only an extra four to 12 minutes added to their trips by having to transfer at Southmoor Station. But for Hulsberg that added time means he misses a bus connection at Nine Mile, turning his current one-hour commute to 90 minutes.

"It's a fragmented setup," he said. "It just adds more stress to the trip." He could make the 15-mile trip from home to work by car in 20 minutes, but prefers to use transit.

RTD spokesman Scott Reed said the agency needs to make cuts because of the worsening economy, which eats into sales tax revenue that subsidizes the service.

"It's the economic reality we're all facing now," Reed said. "G Line passengers will still be able to take light rail but will have to transfer at Southmoor."

The line was up for elimination last summer. But a blip in ridership back then and crowded rush-hour H Line trains leaving Nine Mile persuaded RTD to retain four morning and four afternoon G Line trips.

Now, with extra cars added to H Line trains, Reed said there should be enough capacity to handle the load.

Lauren Hayutin of the South I-25 Transportation Management Agency, a partnership of government and business organizations in the southeast metro area, disagrees.

"Three times we went out and counted G and H line riders and found specifically there's no room to accommodate those G Line riders on the H Line," she said.

Her organization has passed out fliers and set up a Web site, savethegline.com, with a sample letter for commuters to send to RTD to protest the cut.

flynnk@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5247