Denver RTD moves May service changes up to April as it deals with financial stress surrounding novel coronavirus pandemic

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver, Colo., will move slated service changes originally scheduled for April up to May following approval by the Denver RTD Board of Directors. The changes will bring a reduction to the agency’s bus, light rail and special services starting April 19, but will not impact the RTD’s commuter rail lines, which are operated by a contractor.  

“The current decrease in RTD ridership is unrivaled in the agency’s history, and by taking this action, we exercise responsibility and care for our employees and our customers,” said RTD Interim General Manager and CEO Paul J. Ballard. “This also allows us to continue to serve those who rely on us, including health care and food service workers and others who are critical to fighting this crisis, while also giving us flexibility to restore service as ridership returns.”

Denver RTD implements service changes three times a year and the current changes approved by the board will be in effect until Sept. 20, which is the agency’s next planned service change.

The agency has experienced a 70-percent decrease in ridership resulting from the spread of COVID-19. The initial changes shift most bus service to a Saturday schedule and light-rail service to a Sunday schedule as outlined in the May service change plan, which equates to a 40 percent reduction from current service levels.

The agency aims to retain its operations staff and will keep those not assigned to regular routes on standby. Denver RTD says this approach keeps the workforce intact for when service levels can be restored once the pandemic begins to abate.

Like other transit service providers, the financial impact will be severe for Denver RTD. While a small portion of the agency’s budget comes from fares, a larger portion comes from sales and use tax, which are expected to be down significantly with the shuttering of restaurants, bars, retail outlets and ticketed events.

“The issues, though, are far from unique to RTD and municipal transit,” said Todd L. Ely, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, and director of the Center for Local Government Research and Training.

Denver RTD has joined its peer agencies and the American Public Transportation Association in calls for the federal government to include emergency funds for public transit providers. While any federal funding won’t take the full financial blow faced by agencies, Ely says it would help “smooth current shortfalls.”

Senate leadership announced it had reached a deal on a stimulus package about 1:00 a.m. March 25; details on the deal are forthcoming and until legislation is enacted and the pandemic eases, Denver RTD says it will stay flexible in its response.

“At this moment, no one really knows how long the COVID-19 crisis will last, or the extent of the social and economic impacts,” said Pauletta Tonilas, Denver RTD’s assistant general manager of communications. “We continue to be nimble as we evaluate our overall operation and make adjustments as necessary because the only thing we know for sure is that things will continue to change and we must change with them.”