Years of declining ridership flummoxed leaders of metro Denver’s transit system, just as a staffing crisis routinely left buses and trains without operators — while financial pressures kept the agency from fulfilling key promises.
That was before the coronavirus pandemic broadsided the Regional Transportation District.
Ridership plunged, bottoming out at 30% of normal in spring 2020. And even as riders have slowly returned, recovery has been uneven. Buses attracted 56% as many riders in November as in the same month in 2019, before the pandemic, according to a Denver Post analysis of RTD ridership data.
Train service, representing billions of dollars of investment, is not recovering as quickly. While less commuter-heavy trains are performing relatively well, six of eight major train corridors that were open in late 2019 fell short of the bus recovery rate by at least 15%. Those low-performers ranged from the B-Line, at 37% of 2019 ridership, to the R-Line, at nearly 48%.
RTD at a Crossroads
A Denver Post series examines the ways the coronavirus pandemic has complicated and in some ways worsened old challenges faced by the Regional Transportation District:
Part 1: Pandemic’s “devastating blow” scrambles commute patterns, raising questions about RTD’s future.
Coming Monday: Large operator and staffing shortages keep RTD from restoring more service sooner.
Coming Tuesday: Agency faces big financial headwinds, but itap on a firmer footing than once feared.
— Full story via Jon Murray, The Denver Post
Special report: RTD faces future clouded by new commuting patterns, staff shortages and big questions about service
Five don’t-miss stories from last week
- Backlash against Vail Resorts growing among skiers and snowboarders across the country
- Broncos hire Nathaniel Hackett, task him with reviving franchise in general, offense in particular
- Firms chosen for $700 million I-70 expansion between Floyd Hill and Clear Creek Canyon
- Colorado relaxes proof-of-vaccination order for entry to some indoor metro-area events
- WATCH: Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon exits game after big hit from Bruins’ Taylor Hall
Photo of the week
See more great photos like this on
