RTD annual customer and community surveys show strong gains in satisfaction with transit services

DENVER (June 1, 2026)––The Regional Transportation District(RTD)'s latest customer and community surveys show that satisfaction with the agency’s bus and rail services exceeds national averages in several key areas including community value, reasonable fare prices,and courteous and helpful operators. Findings also indicate improvement in perceptions of bus and rail services, with the largest gains in the timely arrival of buses (+15%), commuter rail (+10%), and light rail trains (+26%). Bus and rail customers report overall satisfaction levels at 26% and 31% higher than the national average, respectively.

RTD saw year-over-year increases in respondents perceiving the agency’s transit services support local business and provide regional accessibility to employment, medical, educational, and recreational destinations,as well as affordable housing.

RTD’s bus operations exceeded the national average for transit agencies in all 16 comparative categories, and rail operations exceeded the national average in 15 of the 16 comparative categories. A full breakdown of the survey results, including key takeaways, highlights, and historical data is available here.

“The surveys' results underscore the important role public transit continues to play in connecting people across the Denver metro area,” General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson said. “Throughout the past year, the agency has continued to advance initiatives focused on creating a Welcoming Transit Environment and improving the overall customer experience. It is encouraging to see these efforts reflected in the results, particularly as RTD continues to perform strongly in several key areas nationally. At the same time, the agency remains committed to building on this momentum through ongoing innovation and continuous improvement.”

Survey methodology

For the sixth consecutive year, RTD commissioned comprehensive surveys of its customers and the community to better understand the agency’s strengths and identify opportunities for improvement. In March and April, research firm ETC Institute conducted statistically valid surveys to assess perceptions, attitudes, and experiences, as well as provided comparative national data and benchmarks.The bus and rail surveys were conducted using a customer intercept method, which allowed researchers to gather immediate, real-time feedback from individuals using RTD's fixed-route bus and rail services. This ensured responses were provided by actual customers and that the data collected was proportionate to boardings across all bus routes and rail lines.Customers who use RTD’s Access-a-Ride and Access-on-Demand services, complementary paratransit service and supplemental premium service, respectively, were randomly selected to participate and were able to respond via mail, email, and text messages.To gauge sentiments toward RTD among community members, including non-customers,ETC Institute mailed surveys to a demographically representative sample of households in the Denver metro area.

Customer Excellence Net Promoter Score

An important metric derived from RTD’s annual surveys is a Net Promoter Score (NPS), a measure of how likely customers and community members are to recommend RTD’s services to others. It offers a simple but powerful indicator of overall satisfaction, brand perception, and customer loyalty, helping the agency track progress over time and identify where improvements may be needed.RTD’s 2026 combined NPS for bus, rail, and paratransit customers is +50— a 13-pointincrease from 2025 and a 37-point jump from 2024.

Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction results in 2026 improved over 2025 across key categories, reflecting strong public confidence in RTD’s services and the value transit provides to the community. Bus, rail and paratransit customers, as well as community members, reported high level of satisfaction related to overall service, safety, frequency of use, demonstrating continued progress in enhancing the customer experience.

Bus customers

• 82% of respondents are satisfied with RTD services; up from 76% in 2025 and 68% in 2024
• 71%rely on RTD’s services
• 90% agree or strongly agree that RTD provides value to the community
• 67% use bus services at least three days a week and 53% for their work commute
• 80% believe buses reach their destination in a reasonable amount of time
• 73% are satisfied with the frequency of service
• 73% feel safe and secure while riding the bus
• Bus services remained consistent or exceeded the national average across all 19 comparative categories
• Bus NPS is +46, a 20-point jump from 2025; the national average is -16

Rail customers

• 87% of commuter rail and light rail respondents report overall being satisfied with RTD rail services, a 12% year-over-year increase
• 65%rely on RTD’s services
• 93% agree or strongly agree that RTD provides value to the community
• 58% use rail services at least three days a week and 48% for their work commute
• 85% believe rail services reach their destination in a reasonable amount of time
• 77% are satisfied with the frequency of service
• 71% feel safe and secure while riding the train
• Light rail exceeded the national average in 16 of 19 comparative categories
• Rail’s NPS is +49, an 18-point increase from 2025; the national average is -3

Paratransit customers

• 87% of Access-a-Ride customers are satisfied or very satisfied, a 7% increase from 2025
• 84% of Access-on-Demand customers are satisfied or very satisfied, a 12% decrease from 2025
• Both Access-a-Ride and Access-on-Demand have an NPS of +57

Community

• 44% of respondents reported using transit primarily for social or recreational purposes, up from 35% in 2025
• 33% use RTD primarily to get to work, compared with 41% in 2025
• 86% report that RTD services are valuable to the greater Denver region
• 89% believe RTD provides options for those with special mobility needs
• 83% indicate RTD is valuable or extremely valuable at reducing pollution and achieving sustainable practices, for the third consecutive year
• 81% believe RTD is a safe transportation option
• 89% feel that RTD vehicles are mechanically safe 
• 81% believe RTD helpsreduce traffic congestion

All surveys were conducted in English and Spanish, with language assistance available in an additional 20 languages, and accommodations for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Surveys were administered to a representative sample of the customer and community population to ensure statistically valid results. More information about survey methodology and confidence intervals is available on RTD’s website. National comparative data was provided by ETC Institute based on household surveys conducted by the research firm in hundreds of cities nationwide.

RTD’s leadership team is analyzing the survey results to identify opportunities to support customers and enhance operations. The 2026 survey results were presented during RTD’s Performance Committee meeting this morning,and a recording of the meeting can be seen here.