Even as Colorado and the rest of the world shut down this spring in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Denverite Charles Stout kept riding the bus.
Specifically, he rode the 16 on West Colfax Avenue and the 31 on Federal Boulevard. And he wasn’t alone.
“There's been a couple of times I've been on a real tight one. [The driver] put the full sign up and wouldn't pick up no other people,” he said as he waited for his bus. “So having more buses running would be convenient.”
The Regional Transportation District intends to do just that. In April, the agency moved to a Saturday schedule — effectively a 40 percent cut across the system. Some weekday only lines disappeared, but the skeleton of RTD’s sprawling network remained intact. Ridership fell precipitously on commuter-focused routes but held relatively steady on certain corridors in Denver like Broadway, Colfax and Federal Boulevard.
Nathaniel Minor/CPR News
RTD staff have proposed a significant rebalance of its system so it can increase service on those routes, which they say serve many transit-dependent riders. Federal bailout money allowed for that to some extent this year, but there’s little hope more will come through for next year.
More frequent service would give passengers more space to stay away from each other on crowded lines. Stout said that could be a life-or-death change — he’s survived COVID-19 himself and is still dealing with lingering effects.
“I know someone who was on a respirator and luckily he came off of it. But he darn near died,” he said. “And I know other people who were on the death bed that survived it, luckily. So that ain't nothing to mess around with."
Extra buses on Colfax and Federal would come at the expense of less-used routes elsewhere. The proposal would suspend commuter buses between Evergreen and Denver, Conifer and Denver, Golden and Boulder, as well as reduce other commuter-focused services including light rail lines. More details are in this document.
Lynne Steketee was one of just two passengers on board the EV at its terminus in Evergreen on Monday morning. She just started riding the bus again a week ago and said RTD should try to save the route.
“This is a taxpayer-funded kind of service. I would hope that they would look at all communities, whether or not they are making money, as a public service,” Steketee said.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
RTD’s bus and train lines aren’t designed to make money. In fact, none do. They just receive varying levels of subsidies beyond fare revenue, with high ridership local lines being the least costly. But the pandemic and the carnage it wreaked on RTD’s budget — as well as the need for social distance — pushed the agency to make tough decisions about where to spend its remaining resources.
Just How Long Will Changes Last? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
RTD’s board of directors will vote on the changes this fall. In a discussion at a Tuesday board meeting, many directors said RTD should tell the public that they would only be temporary.
“So that the world knows that this is, again, another temporary service plan caused by the pandemic. It's not a permanent change to our service,” said Vince Buzek, who represents Westminster and nearby areas.
But it isn’t clear how long those changes will last. The agency faces a shortfall of $215 million in 2021, and, with no federal bailout on the horizon, plans drastic staffing cuts just to keep service levels steady.
With no coronavirus vaccine on the immediate horizon, downtown Denver staying quiet, and RTD’s revenues forecasted to take years to recover, one board director said the agency should not make any promises about when service would return to normal or anything close to it.
"How long does this go on before we just call it life?" asked board member Jeff Walker.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
The board has already pushed off a process that could have led to more permanent changes to the service map. “Reimagine RTD” was started in 2019 to get a handle on the agency’s existing budget problems and could have led to a similar move toward higher-density areas.
The proposed rebalancing changes would go into effect in January. RTD has proposed replacing some suspended routes with vanpools or even a voucher program for ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber. Sketekee said she might have to just drive to work.
"The bus has been riding up here for over 25 years,” she said. “I can't imagine it not being there.”
Charles Stout said he hasn’t had a driver’s license in nearly 20 years and will continue to ride the 16, 31 and other buses that take him where he needs to go. He’s trying to land a job in a warehouse, maybe as a forklift operator. As long as people wear masks and stay away from each other, he said he feels safe on the bus.
"If they weren't I'd be walking,” he said.
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RTD's Planned Pandemic-Era Revamp Would Be A Pain To Some, A Life-Saver To Others - Colorado Public Radio
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