“If my generation embraces transit, Denver only gets stronger”

How one customer is changing the way people see RTD

When 22-year-old Manasi Mishra moved to Denver after graduating college, using public transit felt familiar rather than intimidating. She grew up in California, in the Bay Area, riding Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and attended Purdue University, where she relied on rides from friends and used transit during trips to Chicago. She has never owned a car and has “never really had the urge to buy one.”

In Denver, Mishra has continued that pattern. She takes RTD’s bus and rail services to work, dinner with friends, and to explore new neighborhoods. It has become such a normal part of her routine that she didn’t think sharing a short TikTok video documenting her trip on the Flatiron Flyer would attract attention. The video was simple: She and her boyfriend used the service demonstrating how easy it was to plan a trip from Denver Union Station to Boulder on the RTD Next Ride app. To her, it was just another day-in-the-life video she shared with her 18,000 followers. However, it caught the attention of lots of Denverites. Within three days, it surpassed 100,000 views and as of Nov. 13, now sits at nearly 146,000 views and 16,000 likes.

“I was not expecting that at all,” Mishra said. “Hundreds of people were commenting, thanking me for recognizing transit in Denver, and promoting the different routes. It surprised me how many people wanted positive content about RTD.”

Mishra’s intention wasn’t to go viral, but to show her appreciation for how convenient and reliable RTD’s services can be. “When I moved here, my biggest thing was to make sure I could take the bus or the light rail to work every day,” she said. “When I was apartment hunting, I was very intentional. If I was looking at an apartment and it wasn't near a bus or light rail stop, it wasn’t an apartment I could live in.”

The apartment she chose is directly across from a light rail stop and includes a RTD pass in the lease, which, as a recent graduate, makes a difference. “As a new grad settling into the city, this really helps a lot." Learn more about an RTD Eco Pass or Neighborhood pass here.

Not owning a car gives her financial freedom as well as peace of mind. “I save money on gas, and I don't have to deal with traffic. I get to zone out while listening to a podcast. Also, and people laugh when I say this, but it’s true—my car can’t get broken into or stolen because I don’t have one,” she said. “Taking transit takes that stress away.”

She also feels safe riding RTD. “Compared to the systems in Chicago or New York or even San Francisco with BART, it’s amazing,” she said. “It’s clean, and there are officers at the stations. People really underestimate having things like that.”

Mishra’s favorite places— like Sloan's Lake, Little Man Ice Cream, and dinner or happy hour on Broadway— are all along routes she takes regularly. Sometimes she swaps her usual bus for the train so she can walk from Union Station to work. “Since I’m new to working full time, I wasn’t sure how to incorporate an active lifestyle into my day,” she said. “This has been a really easy way to get steps in.”

One moment on a regular ride shifted how she understood transit’s deeper purpose. She sat beside a disabled retiree who told her the bus was his only way around the city. “That really stayed with me,” she said. “For some people, this is their only option. Taking transit isn’t just about me saving money—it’s about supporting a service my community relies on. I need to do my part, and I want other people my age to do theirs.”

Her friends were skeptical about riding at first, but after hearing her praises and seeing how easily she gets around, several of them started riding, too. “There’s a stigma that the bus is embarrassing,” she said. “It’s not. It shouldn’t be. It’s convenient, it’s accessible, and it can take you everywhere.”

Mishra’s video continues to spread across social media, drawing attention from people of all walks of life who hadn’t realized how far RTD can take them. Every time someone messages her saying they tried transit because of her, or thanks her for spreading awareness of how easy it is to use RTD services, she feels encouraged.

“It’s cool to know that something as simple as showing a trip to Boulder can change how someone sees the city,” Mishra said. “My age group cares about saving money, caring for the environment, and being part of the city. Transit lets us do that.”

And if young adults take advantage of the services, she believes Denver will benefit.

“If my generation embraces transit, Denver only gets stronger.”

Mishra has also unintentionally become an advocate for RTD. “People on the video were asking me to make more content about rides and routes, like I’m a transit influencer,” she said, laughing. “I guess maybe I am.”