RTD: More for Less

As the Rocky Mountain News article from a few weeks ago hinted at, RTD finally revealed proposals for its "5 percent cut in services," and all I can say is ouch! Right on the heels of a 14 percent fare increase, RTD wants to saddle its riders with significant service reductions on 48 separate routes, meaning more than 30 percent of all RTD routes will see some kind of service cut.

RTD is proposing to cut these routes all together: The G light rail line from Lincoln to Nine Mile, the 465 on south Yosemite, 410 in Franktown and Parker, the 75 on Mineral and Ken Caryl Avenues, the 125 in the Denver West area, the 49 in northwest Denver, CC in Coal Creek, the U which connects Pine Junction and Conifer with Denver, the 145X, 108X, 76X,  and 88X, which are all higher-fare express busses that provide quick connections with communities and a specific destination (the 145X connects Brighton with DIA). The 38 and 24 Limited busses are also being discontinued as are the Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker and Brighton Call-and-Ride Services. A lot of these cuts are unfortunately to areas on the fringes of RTD service coverage and represent a significant and sometimes complete loss of service (The discontinuation of the CC, for example completely gets rid of any transit service to the Coal Creek area, even though they will likely continue to pay sales taxes to RTD). 

The other proposed cuts range from slight to severe. Many bus lines are likely to lose whole parts of coverage or late night, weekend and/or midday service. 

One of the biggest proposed cuts in my mind is to the 1 bus on west First Avenue. RTD wants to discontinue the 1A service which provided a small detour on 5th avenue between Sheridan and Knox Ct. and allowed extra service for riders on the rest of the route. RTD also wants to reduce service to a half hour during rush hour and to an hour other times and simply discontinue several other trips during the day.  I ride this bus quite often and it always has riders: Students going to school, low-income workers going to their jobs Downtown or in Cherry Creek, families going to the two Denver Health clinics on the route. I once saw a teenage kid with what looked like a stab wound take the bus to the Denver Health Emergency Room. Basically it is a route filled with transit-dependent riders and RTD is proposing to make it harder for them to meet the basic transportation requirements of their lives. 

The 1 is just an example of what RTD is proposing. There are a lot of other large cuts, especially to a lot of neighborhood routes.

A note on the brochure reads, "Due to current economic conditions (sales tax shortfalls and fuel cost increases), RTD service adjustments may be more extensive than usual." That line right there shows exactly how RTD management is completely blind to reality. How on earth can they say fuel cost increases are to blame when diesel prices are at a three-year low? Yes, RTD is surely facing lowered sales tax revenues, but their own management apparently can't anticipate a bleaker economic picture even with all evidence showing exactly that. 

I understand that the economy sucks and RTD has to find ways to save money. But what I don't understand is why RTD riders have to always take a huge brunt of RTDs continual mismanagement and inability to forecast. Back in September, RTD decided to pay $3.10 a gallon for fuel in 2009. Now diesel prices are more than 80 cents a gallon cheaper, a more than 70 percent drop. I am not sure if RTD can get out of its fuel contracts or not, but they should if they can, because by the time these cuts go into effect, diesel prices could even be lower and one of the biggest stated reasons for the cuts non-existent. And while sales tax revenue is apparently falling, (despite the fact that Colorado's population itself is growing), the stimulus package in congress could start making economic progress in the Denver metro area. And certainly that fare increase is going to put millions of more dollars into RTD's purse.

We should not allow RTD's mismanagement to be at the backs of its riders. We need to make sure every single cut is met by a fight from its riders. That's why we need to go to every single public meeting RTD is holding and let them know what we think. That's why we need to write letters to the editor, tell other riders about RTD's plans and hold RTD accountable for its actions.

Here are the times and locations of every RTD public meeting. Please attend and encourage other riders to do the same.

Arvada
Arvada City Hall
8100 Ralston Road
Ann Campbell Room
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 7:00 p.m.


Aurora
Red Lion (formerly Radisson Hotel)
3200 S. Parker Road
Boulder/Parker Room
Friday, Feb. 6, 7:00 p.m.

Boulder
Boulder Senior Center
West Senior Complex
909 Arapahoe, Creekside Room
Friday, Feb. 6, 7:00 p.m.

Brighton
Brighton Recreation Center
555 N. 11th Avenue
Thursday, Feb. 5, 7:00 p.m.

Centennial/Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree
Cresthill Middle School
9195 Cresthill Lane, Cafeteria
Monday, Feb. 2, 7:00 p.m.


Coal Creek
Coal Creek Improvement Association
31528 Hwy 72
Thursday, Jan. 29, 7:00 p.m.

Conifer
Conifer High School
10441 County Highway 73
Thursday, Feb. 5, 7:00 p.m.

Downtown Denver
RTD Administration Building
1600 Blake Street
Rooms T & D
Friday, Jan. 30, 12:00 p.m.
and
Friday, Feb. 6, 6:00 p.m.

DTC
Hyatt Regency Tech Center
7800 East Tufts Avenue
Thursday, Jan. 29, 12:00 p.m.

Green Valley Ranch
Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center
4890 Argonne Way
Thursday, Feb. 5, 6:00 p.m.


Lakewood
Stein Elementary
80 South Teller Street
Friday, Feb. 6, 7:00 p.m.

Longmont
Longmont Senior Center
910 Longs Peak Ave.
Rooms D & E
Monday, Feb. 2, 7:00 p.m.

Parker
Parker Town Hall
20120 E. Mainstreet
Council Chambers
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 7:00 p.m.