A hybrid electric alternative powered fuel RTD MallRide bus is seen on the 16th Street Mall. (Photo courtesy of Rich Piellisch, FleetsandFuels.com)
I recently heard some foolishness about closing down the 16th Street Mall to buses and making it a pedestrian-only venue. As the director for Regional Transportation District who carried the new mall bus through to completion, I can t think of anything more ridiculous. The bus is the one thing that pulls the entire mall together. A person can get to any part of the downtown area and be whisked to their final destination by bus. This is the heart of the transportation district in Denver.
Our mall has inspired people from all over the world to come and see this design. People from South Korea, Mexico City, South America and others who are trying to eliminate their pollution have looked at this technologically forward-thinking mall design.
RTD can carry 84 passengers on an electric bus that has a small natural gas engine that only runs a generator. It was one of the very first in the country to do exactly what it is doing, which is to make getting around the downtown area feasible for thousands of people daily.
Don t start tinkering with a system that works.
Alan Fleming, Littleton
This letter was published in the July 31 edition.
Submit a letter to the editor via this form or check out our guidelines for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
