RTD now is charging bicycle riders $30 every six months to lease a bike locker at transit stations and park-n-Rides.The biannual cost for bike storage is on top of an initial $20 padlock fee that locker users also must pay.
The Regional Transportation District’s new pricing policy replaces one in which cyclists could renew locker leases every six months at no cost beyond the one-time $20 padlock fee.
RTD has 700 bike lockers at about 50 stations and parking lots throughout the area.
Genevieve Hutchison, RTD’s bicycle program coordinator, said the policy change is not a way to make more money but rather to give transit users a better chance at leasing lockers.
RTD sent a letter to locker lease holders advising them of the change, and warning them if they do not renew under the new terms when their leases expire, their locks will be cut off and the contents of the locker disposed of.
RTD officials were concerned that some of those leasing lockers were not using them but merely holding onto the storage space because it cost them nothing to do so after payment of the initial lock fee.
During a portion of Thursday’s afternoon rush hour at the Interstate 25/Broadway light-rail station, no one appeared to be using the 30 bike lockers at that location.
Many still bore the sign: “Purchase a non-refundable $20.00 RTD padlock and the lockers are FREE!”
Jenny Hall, who lives in West Washington Park and rides her bike to the station to take light rail, had locked her bike at a rack near the lockers.
She said she doesn’t need a closed locker.
Hall takes her bike seat with her on the train if bad weather is threatening.
Her boyfriend takes his front wheel along with the seat when he locks his bike at a light-rail station rack, Hall said.
“In fact, his car was stolen at the Alameda station,” she added. “He’s had better luck with his bike.”
Jeffrey Leib: 303-954-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com
Wait stations
RTD transit stations and park-n-Rides with the longest waiting lists for bike lockers:
Boulder Transit Center
Broomfield
Civic Center Station
Cold Spring
Littleton Downtown
Littleton Mineral
Market Street Station
Nine Mile Station
Oxford Station
Table Mesa
Union Station
Yale Station
Source: RTD
