Reimagining Transit in the Denver Region

John Aguilar reports on a new Regional Transportation District effort to revamp bus service in the Denver area as ridership declines in keeping with national trends.

According to Aguilar, "the Regional Transportation District will formally unveil a two-year effort — dubbed Reimagine RTD — to plan for the 'future of mobility' in metro Denver amid the rise of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft and the prospect of self-driving vehicles filling the streets one day."

"RTD, which turned 50 in July, has faced a steady stream of bad headlines in the last couple of years as it hit big delays in rolling out new commuter rail lines, raised fares to one of the higher price points in the nation and wrestled with a driver shortage that it’s still trying to resolve," according to Aguilar.

Aguilar quotes Ben Fried, a spokesperson for New York City-based TransitCenter, with additional criticism of RTD operations, saying the transit system has been allowing bus service to languish as it has expanded rails service around the region. Andrew Goetz, a University of Denver geography professor who specializes in transportation issues, on the other hand, is quoted urging RTD to partner with innovative transportation companies to maintain its relevance.