The Regional Transportation District is getting ready to tackle a thorny question about the future of public transportation in metro Denver: Should RTD focus on serving the largest number of riders or the biggest geographic area?
That’s the challenge at the heart of the agency’s upcoming push to analyze how the transit system operates – a project called RTD Connect – and staffers will spend the next six weeks traveling across metro Denver to hear from community members, advocacy groups, government leaders and other stakeholders.
RTD’s Board of Directors got a preview of the project at a board meeting last week and will get an in-depth look at what it entails at a study session Tuesday afternoon.
Choosing a transit system that prioritizes serving the most riders would mean faster and more frequent service along fewer routes, project manager Doug Monroe told board members last week, and could also mean less pollution, less traffic and more walkable communities.
A coverage-based plan would focus on serving every person and every jurisdiction to meet “lifeline” needs for people who rely on public transit, Monroe said. It would mean basic service in as many places as possible.
“These two contrasting networks are really a values judgment for our constituents, our customers, our directors and stakeholders,” he said.
The push also comes as agency staff consider how to cut $20 million in routes and services starting in the spring to balance RTD’s budget deficit.
Staffers are set to present concept maps with coverage possibilities for the scenarios at Tuesday’s study session, with a draft plan coming out in the first half of 2027.
Agency officials will host in-person and virtual events across metro Denver starting this week through early November to hear what community members want. A public survey will also ask the public what RTD’s highest priorities should be and how the agency should balance ridership and coverage goals.
RTD’s Board of Directors had some hesitation about staff plans to get out into the community, particularly in towns and cities that don’t have much RTD service to start with but still pay taxes for the transportation system. Staffers said they will be in every city in the region over the coming weeks.
Director Michael Guzman called on his fellow board members to work together to find a clear direction for RTD, despite, he joked, it feeling like the worst kind of group project.
“We all have our own responsibility to do our part… and we still have to come back together and make these decisions,” he said.
RTD’s Board of Directors will meet for a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting at 3 p.m. The meeting is in conference rooms R, T and D at 1660 Blake St. and streamed online at youtube.com/@rtdmeetings.
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