After acknowledging problems with bus and train service since the opening of southeast light rail, RTD officials will distribute discount coupons to riders of feeder buses that serve key southeast train stations.
The Regional Transportation District is taking the action to mend customer relations after admitting that many riders have experienced longer commutes since southeast train service started three weeks ago.
“Service may not meet your expectations nor our standards,” RTD says on the coupon offering 25 percent off the cost of a monthly transit pass or 10-ride ticket book.
The coupons will be handed out Monday afternoon at the Nine Mile and Lincoln rail stations to riders of 131, 133, 135, 139, 410 and 410Ltd feeder buses that offer local service to and from the stations.
The 130-series buses connect Aurora and Arapahoe County commuters with the southeast train at Nine Mile. That combination bus-train service replaced express bus trips to and from downtown Denver that many commuters used before southeast trains started running.
The 410 buses link Franktown and Parker commuters with the Lincoln train station. That new service replaced route “P” express bus service from those suburban communities to Denver.
Over the past two weeks, overly tight bus connecting times, frozen rail switches and train-auto accidents in downtown Denver have knocked trains and buses off schedule, leading to many missed rail-bus connections for commuters from Nine Mile, Lincoln, downtown and other locations.
“We sincerely apologize for inconveniences or delays this may have caused,” RTD said.
The agency also will be handing out free Starbucks cards to riders most affected by missed connections.
Today, RTD begins revised schedules on 130-series buses serving Nine Mile and 410 bus service to Lincoln that add time to the bus routes so commuters are more likely to make connections to and from trains.
RTD also released data showing that former riders of T and W express buses from the north metro area to the Denver Tech Center should experience roughly comparable commute times even though they have to switch to trains at Union Station.
T and W service was eliminated when southeast rail opened, and many former users of the express buses say their commutes have increased substantially.
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-954-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
