RTD would no longer run bus routes through the Federal Center in Lakewood, under a proposed bus-service plan that will be presented to agency directors today.
In September, Regional Transportation District bus rider Deborah Davis was arrested by federal police after refusing to show identification at a Federal Center entry checkpoint.
Federal officials said the ID checks were a necessary security measure, but Davis, and supporters who rallied to her defense, contended the checks infringed on her freedom and did nothing for security.
In December, the U.S. attorney’s office decided not to prosecute Davis because of an apparent problem with the way signs outside the Federal Center referred to the identification requirement.
Davis did not work at the center but, like many commuters, took a bus that traveled through the facility, which has one of the largest concentrations of federal employees in the country.
RTD attempted to resolve the dispute in a way that would allow buses to continue passing through the federal campus, but inconsistent enforcement of the ID requirement made the bus service unpredictable for commuters, agency spokesman Scott Reed said.
The plan RTD directors will consider today calls for three routes that pass through the Federal Center – the 3, 5X and 100 – to no longer travel onto the property but serve it on the periphery.
Two RTD bus routes that terminate in the Federal Center, the GS and 14, will continue to travel onto the property without change, said Tony McCaulay, RTD’s assistant general manager for customer service.
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-820-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
