RTD moved $4.5 million closer to dealing with a $23 million budget gap Tuesday by approving a large package of light rail and bus service.

Ten routes, including the G Line light-rail service between Lincoln Station in Douglas County and Nine Mile Station in Aurora, were eliminated. The Route U commuter bus from Pine Junction to the Denver Tech Center was eliminated, although the elected RTD board asked staff to explore alternate funding to restore it.

Those routes had been spared the ax last year when riders organized to try to boost ridership. But with RTD's budget problems worsening with the economy in recession, the bottom has fallen out of the sales tax subsidy that keeps RTD's routes viable.

RTD uses standard measures, including the number of passenger boardings per hour and the amount of subsidy per rider to rank the effectiveness of its routes.

Based on public input, several services planned for elimination were spared, although some will have less service.

The on-demand call-n-Ride services in Highlands Ranch, Parker and Longmont are bring retained. The Highlands Ranch and Parker call-n-Rides were restored. The commuter bus up Coal Creek Canyon was spared.

Several express routes were canceled, including 68X North Pierce Street, 108X Countryside and 199X Union. The 145X Brighton-DIA route will keep the four most productive daily trips. Local routes eliminated include the 24 Limited South University, 49 North Lowell, 125 Denver West, 465 South Yosemite and 38 Limited on 38th Avenue.