
RTD's Top 10 List for 2020
Here's a look at what RTD was able to accomplish despite a tough year full of challenges and loss.

Stop Requested : Eldora Mountain Resort
Tucked away in the Rockies just west of Nederland, lurking in the shadows of the Arapaho Peaks, is Boulder’s home ski area – Eldora Mountain Resort. Just a quick 40-minute bus ride through the scenic Boulder Canyon on the Route NB, Eldora is the closest ski area to Boulder and the northern suburbs of the Denver metro area.

Everyday hero at RTD!
On Wednesday, Nov. 11, General Repair Mechanic Albert Morgan was on a service call when he witnessed an elderly gentleman trip and fall into the street. Albert immediately went to this man’s aid, helping him up and across the street to a safe place, and made certain that the man was uninjured.

100 light rail vehicle operators receive accident-free driving awards
This year we are recognizing all operators who have consecutive years without an accident. There are 100 LRV operators who have gone at least one full year without a preventable accident, with Operator Robert Dennis as the operator with the longest record at 21 consecutive years.

RTD honors veterans
Happy Veterans Day! This day provides an opportunity for each of us to reflect on and show our gratitude to the women and men who have given of themselves to defend our nation’s independence and freedom as Americans.

RTD safety programs available for transit customers traveling in darker months
The end of daylight savings time means different things to different people. To some, it simply means an extra hour of sleep. To others, it signals the onset of colder, shorter days.

Planning an event during a pandemic: thinking outside of a 12-by-12-foot box
When COVID-19 shut everything down, the event industry felt the shutdown deeply. Literally overnight, events were illegal, and any kind of gathering of over 10 people was strictly regulated. During this period of uncertainty and shutdown, RTD spent months planning a milestone event — the

Stop Requested – Northglenn•112th Station
Places are reopening their doors, and we’re slowly navigating our way back to the way things used to be. We’re looking for new places to eat, new places to recreate and new places to safely connect with each other (at a distance, of course). So grab your phone, purchase a ticket, hop on a bus and/or train, and explore the best that our metro area has to offer. This is Stop Requested!

RTD looks to its partnerships to define a shared future for the region
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on RTD’s financial outlook and, subsequently, our ability to provide the same service offerings we have in the past.

529 Bus Operators Receive Accident-free Driving Awards
Each fall, operators who have gone 16 consecutive years without having an accident are recognized at RTD’s annual employee awards ceremony. Twenty-three bus operators were recognized in 2019.

RTD kicks-off Rail Safety Week to remind people to be safe around trains
Safety is a core value at RTD, for ourselves and those in the communities we serve. Although we work hard to make safety a part of everything we do, there are ongoing instances of unsafe behavior near our rail system.

RTD’s suicide prevention campaign expands the agency’s mental health support to the community
With suicide being the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, most of us have been touched by this tragedy in some way or know someone who has. We may have lost someone close to us or been moved by the loss of someone we may have never met.

RTD Citizens Advisory Committee welcomes new members
The Regional Transportation District (RTD)’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) recently welcomed five new members. The 17-member CAC is comprised of residents from around the region, representing a wide variety of backgrounds, interests and professional experiences.

Refresher training keeps RTD operators ready for interactions on the road and with passengers
Since April 22, RTD’s Bus Operations Training division has trained more than 920 bus operators on the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) training and Smith System of driving.

Using Real-Time Data to Improve Your Commute
As we get our region moving again, transit riders are looking for the best options to plan their daily commute, while remaining safe. This leads to the question, “How is RTD improving its methods of delivering real-time information to better serve its riders?”

Face coverings: the simple and important tool we can all use to protect one another
RTD passengers are required to wear face coverings on buses and trains and while waiting or using stations and stops, unless they have a disability that inhibits the use of a face covering.

RTD celebrates 20 years of connecting downtown and southwest Denver by rail
In 1994, RTD’s first rail line—the Central Corridor or “D Line”—opened in Denver. The D Line originally connected 30th · Downing Station to I-25 · Broadway.

New electrostatic cleaners make sanitizing easier for RTD
In March, as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic grew, RTD, like other businesses and government entities, scrambled to source personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, like Clorox wipes.

When the “End of Line” is the beginning
“End of Line” sounds like something you’d expect to hear from a train operator once you’ve reached the final destination, but, in this case, it symbolizes a beginning.

A reflection on inclusion
Hindsight is 20/20. In optometric terms, having 20/20 vision means you have perfect visual acuity and the ability to see the sharpness of objects. The term is used loosely for seeing things exactly as they are.

Juneteenth
Friday, June 19, marks Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.

RTD encourages cyclists to ride safely around transit during Colorado Bike Month
It’s no secret that Coloradans love the great outdoors. As the weather warms up, more people utilize bikes for recreation and transportation. To celebrate Colorado’s love of bikes, June has been designated Colorado Bike Month.

Second grade students develop socially distanced transit of the future
Public transportation exists as a means to ensure everyone has an equal chance of getting to their destination. It’s about making connections. This has always been its purpose, no matter what transit has looked like in the past. But, what will public transportation look like in the future?

RTD employee uses stay-at-home time to finish decades-long project
Safety Compliance Officer Matt Cross used his COVID‐19 pandemic stay-at-home requirement time to complete a decades-long project.

RTD employees take on new roles amid pandemic
Since COVID-19 hit, RTD is far from doing business as usual. The agency has had to adapt to the pandemic in creative ways. One way is having newly hired light rail operators clean light rail cars on the line.

To our riders: thank you
This last year has been difficult. Due to the operator shortage, we had to cancel trips often with little notice. This was a major inconvenience, particularly for light rail commuters. With the COVID-19 pandemic, ridership has declined 70%, necessitating a 40% reduction in service.

What Sustainability Means to Richard Rost
How many times have you been asked who you would pick to be stranded on a desert island with? Did you pick your closest friend or significant other? What about the person who makes you laugh the most? Odds are good that if you know Richard Rost, you would pick him.

What Sustainability Means to Tom Papadinoff
Colorado is susceptible to drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the longest consecutive period of recorded drought in the state took place between 2001 and 2009 when we experienced it for 395 straight weeks.

What Sustainability Means to Carly Macias
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) estimates that approximately 17.7% of the nation’s public transit fleet consists of electric hybrid buses. This is up from 4.9% in 2009.

Practicing safety is one of the ways to support RTD’s front-line employees
During a time when we are all doing our part and staying home, going for a walk can help keep us physically, mentally and emotionally healthy. People are taking to the streets all over the metro area to dispel their cabin fever and feel a sense of normalcy.

What sustainability means to Perry Edman
If there is somebody who will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, it is Perry Edman. Sustainability has always been a big part of his life, both personally and professionally.

What Sustainability Means to RTD
We’ve all seen the rotating image of what it looks like to transport 200 people. The image of nearly 200 cars on the road embodies gridlock. As the image rotates you see that the same amount of passengers fit on three buses or alternately one train.

I want to help the bus drivers
At a young age, children are taught the importance of kindness and compassion. A simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way.

RTD’s Service and Cleaning staff work diligently to keep employees, riders safe and healthy
Almost daily, RTD gets asked about the cleaning of our buildings, buses and trains in light of the coronavirus.

To Operators, with Love
Dear RTD Operators,
Today, March 18, is Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Words cannot express our gratitude for all that you do to reliably deliver riders to their destinations every day and night, but we’ll try.

Maintenance of Way employee maps his way to success
RTD recently held an Innovation Fair to celebrate employees that have come up with new and better ways to get their jobs done. Several innovations were showcased that improve operations and the service we provide to our riders.

RTD bus operators learn more about service animals
RTD’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) office within the agency’s Civil Rights Division partnered with Canine Partners of the Rockies (CaPR) to visit several bus divisions to demonstrate what a true, well-behaved service animal looks like.

RTD’s K-9 unit grows
RTD has added to its K-9 unit to enable more coverage of the agency’s morning and evening commute times. Meet Officer Corey Averill and Max. They join current RTD K-9 handler Amy Homyak and her charge, Thor.

Meet Thor, RTD’s K-9
Did you know that RTD has had a K-9 unit for almost three years? It’s headed by Transit Police Sgt. and K-9 Handler Amy Homyak. Her charge is Thor, a 5-year-old English cream golden retriever.

RTD’s New Year’s resolution rings like a transit revolution
From their Twitter feeds to their leather-bound planners, individuals and institutions are taking the turn of the New Year as a good time to reflect, recalibrate, reimagine.

Thank you RTD operators!
RTD bus and light rail operators do an amazing job transporting our passengers to their destinations, day in and day out. It’s a challenging job, but they do it well. And, our passengers appreciate it.