Latest news with #RegionalTransportationDistrict
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado disability advocates urge RTD to keep Access-on-Demand funding ahead of board vote
The Regional Transportation District board is scheduled to vote Tuesday night on changes to its paratransit program, which includes Access-a-Ride and Access-on-Demand, on which thousands of Coloradans with disabilities rely. Access-on-Demand is a subsidized, curb-to-curb service that uses third-party transportation companies. Under the proposal, RTD subsidies would drop from $25 per trip to $20 and would apply only after the rider pays the base fare of $6.50. RTD estimates the changes would save the agency $5.5 million a year, but disability advocates have raised concerns about potential cuts to a program they say has been life-changing. Chaz Davis is the youth director for the Colorado Center for the Blind and uses Access-on-Demand. "I use it every day. I have two kids. I come to work every single day, and it's essential for me to get around and go to the places that I need to go," he told CBS News Colorado. "It's not just about leisure or doing things that I want to do. It's about doing things I need to do to be a successful part of this society." Davis said the Access-on-Demand program is projected to come in under budget this year and that he and others want RTD to justify why cuts are needed. The meeting started at 5:30 p.m., and public comment on changes to the program was ongoing as of 7 p.m. You can watch that meeting here:
CBS News
06-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
16th Street Mall Ride in downtown Denver gets a new name
The free shuttle buses that run up and down Denver's 16th Street are getting a new name. RTD It's now the 16th Street FreeRide. The Regional Transportation District sent photos of what the rebranded buses look like. They say they are changing the name to match the new branding for 16th Street. Last month Denver city leaders announced that they are dropping the "Mall" from 16th Street after completing major renovations. While the shuttles have a new name, nothing else is changing. They will still be free to ride on and will be available seven days a week.
CBS News
06-06-2025
- CBS News
Blind Colorado woman attacked by other passenger while riding RTD bus in Denver
A Colorado woman who is blind and her seeing-eye dog were assaulted last month on a Regional Transportation District bus twice by the same woman. The suspect is still wanted by police. For the victim, Angela Stewart, being visually impaired has never stopped her in her tracks. CBS Colorado's Gabriela Vidal interviews Angela Stewart. She walks with her seeing-eye dog Dixie in the image. CBS "I've had low vision my entire life. I have a very rare eye condition that makes my retinas didn't form all the way," said Stewart. "That took my vision from like maybe 25% to 15%." Nearly every day after work in Denver, she walks along 16th Street with her German Shepard guide, Dixie, leading her to their RTD stop she takes to Union Station. "I don't let my disability or issues define who I am, so I'm going to take the bus because that's what I have to do," said Stewart. It's a route, however, that has now become a reminder of the one time she could not see danger coming. "I got on the shuttle like I always do, and there was a woman screaming on the bus at the bus driver," said Stewart. "My problem is, she's screaming and yelling and carrying on and I can't hear the bus stops." Stewart says she yelled back at the woman to be quiet, and admittedly may have replied to the woman in a negative way when she threatened to beat her up. "She came up the bus and she punched me in the face, and then she punched me again and she pushed me in the back of the bus," said Stewart. Video shared by RTD captured the whole altercation, which happened on May 29 after 4:25 p.m. Stewart is seen trying to defend herself as the female suspect punches Stewart and pulls her by the hair until other passengers tried to remove the suspect from the bus. RTD "I was just in shock that she actually came over and hit me," said Stewart. Moments later, the same suspect got back on the bus to pick up a red object on the ground near Stewart's legs, grabs Stewart by the face and shoves her against the bus seats before getting away. RTD "Maybe I shouldn't have said what I said, but I didn't deserve to get beaten like that," said Stewart. Stewart sustained bruises on her face and body from the attack. "I'm not going to let a situation like this intimidate me. I'm not going to live in fear because somebody hit me," said Stewart. RTD tells CBS Colorado the incident is still under investigation. DPD says anyone with information is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. "I can't fight back, except for this way," said Stewart, "Except for pressing charges and letting the police and the law do what they need to do." For now, Stewart is remaining a little bit more vigilant every time she and Dixie get on the bus. "I couldn't see her, but I could hear her. I could hear her voice, so if she gets on the bus all I can do is listen; listen for it and see if she's on there." Stewart hopes anyone who rides public transportation does their best to be careful to avoid something like this from happening. "Just be aware of where you are, and be aware that if somebody is yelling and carrying on, they might be violent," said Stewart. "Don't engage them."
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RTD to hold 3 public feedback sessions for proposed August service changes
DENVER (KDVR) — The Regional Transportation District is holding three public feedback sessions in June for its proposed August 2025 service changes. The public feedback sessions will be via virtual public meetings on June 16 and June 17, while an online dashboard will also be available through June 19, the RTD said Wednesday. Man sues RTD, Denver Transit Partners claiming negligence after being hit by light-rail train 'Customer and stakeholder feedback is important to ensure RTD provides an efficient and responsive system that serves community needs,' the agency said in a new release. Two of the virtual meetings will be held on Monday, June 16, while an additional 'Ask a Service Planner' virtual meeting will be on Tuesday, June 17. All of the meetings will be conducted via Zoom. The RTD says the proposed August service changes are developed to 'improve reliability and on-time performance of bus and rail services in response to community needs, traffic patterns, ridership trends, operational resources and to address seasonal adjustments.' The RTD proposed dozens of service changes, including: A service increase and route adjustment for Route 34 – Bruce Randolph A service increase for Route FF4 – Boulder Junction/Civic Center A service increase and change in schedule timing for Route LX2 – Longmont/Denver Express via CO 52 Denverites can see the complete breakdown of all the proposed August service changes online. Residents who would like to attend the virtual public feedback sessions can do so by following the instructions: Proposed August service changes public meeting on Monday, June 16 at 12 p.m. Zoom meeting link Meeting ID: 897 0825 9884 Passcode: 018293 Proposed August service changes public meeting on Monday, June 16, at 5:30 p.m. Zoom meeting link Meeting ID: 884 4229 3569 Passcode: 720109 Ask a Service Planner meeting on Tuesday, June 17, at 5:30 p.m. Zoom meeting link Meeting ID: 815 1477 9907 Passcode: 004016 If approved by the RTD Board of Directors, the proposed changes would go into effect Aug. 31. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
New RTD Police Chief shares 2025 plans to keep services safe
The Regional Transportation District, also known as RTD, says they are seeing decreases in its calls for service. New RTD Acting Chief Steve Martingano met with CBS Colorado to share their efforts to make RTD a safe option for travel. Martingano joined RTD in 2015 as a commander and was promoted to deputy chief in 2017. During his time at the agency, he has worked to modernize RTD's police deployment and response model by introducing sector policing. Steve Martingano RTD He also pioneered the first mental health co-responder unit in transit policing, a program that was later expanded to include outreach coordinators focused on the unhoused population. These efforts led him to co-found the National Transportation Vulnerable Populations Working Group. Martingano is also a subject-matter expert for the American Public Transportation Association, also known as APTA, peer review panels focused on policing and security. Under his leadership, RTD has implemented a four-step action plan focused on visibility, customer education, fare enforcement and technology. In March 2025, RTD announced a 50% year-over-year reduction in security-related calls for service across its service area as well as an increase in fare enforcement on the rail system. The agency also announced last week a 60% reduction in calls at Denver Union Station, following a three-year focus on the intermodal transit facility. RTD said the drop in crime related calls comes from new technology that was implemented in 2024. This includes live cameras on transit services and officers on platforms and trains patrolling. Officers can watch the live feeds through their laptops in their vehicles. CBS To reinforce community safety, Martingano has been at the forefront of expanding RTD's police department from five officers three years ago to nearly 100 sworn officers today. Currently, the department has 87 officers and is budgeted to hire 150 officers. Martingano said his biggest focus is having his officers keep developing relationships with riders and the community. If there is an incident, the officers can learn about it quicker through that trust. He hopes enforcement is the last option in any circumstances. "Hopefully, enforcement is the last option," Martingano said. "Sometimes, it is the first. Obviously, this depends on the situation, but we are hoping that law-enforcement actions are the last ones. We are able to build that trust in that relationship and have people understand how they should be acting on our RTD." RTD also has an app to report suspicious activity. It is their RTD Transit Watch app. This is text-based and will go directly to dispatch. They are a 24-hour a day, seven days a week service. To ensure more safety in 2025, the agency will be utilizing AI as a pilot program to help with report writing. This system will help jot down notes from their body cam to provide quicker results. Then, officers can focus on their patrols and not just administrative work. Martingano will be sworn in as RTD's new Chief on May 13th.
