RTD faces tremendous financial, staffing and ridership challenges. How do you envision RTD’s role in the Denver metro region evolving to meet its transportation needs?
RTD has one of the largest service areas in the country for one transit agency. Our region is rapidly growing in disparate ways with varying densities. RTD should not go it alone. I believe RTD’s future must be shaped by building and fostering a spirit of partnership.
I am proud to represent District I, where Longmont pays for its residents to have free RTD local fares, Broomfield provides the Easy Ride service for qualifying residents, and Boulder County has financed Ride Free Lafayette. These are just a few successful examples of local transportation collaboration. We must celebrate and expand partnerships.
Do you support seeking voter approval for a sales tax increase to improve existing bus routes, with more frequency and dependability, and to create more new bus rapid transit corridors?
I support increasing funding for public transportation to enhance service and build bus rapid transit corridors.
Increasing sales tax is one way, although not the only way, to grow our collective investment. We must have a regional discussion about all options. Additionally, RTD should expand its partnerships to explore new ways to pool funding together with local partners.
Meanwhile, we need a sound foundation to build on. As Chair of Finance, it is my job to be a diligent steward of taxpayer investments and optimize the use of current funding. Over the past two years, we have financially stabilized RTD.
How high of a priority should RTD make finishing the remaining FasTracks rail expansions, including the train to Boulder and Longmont? And how should the agency cover those costs, which are estimated at $2.2 billion?
The path forward is through partnership and open communication.
During my term, I advocated for the cooperation agreement now in place between RTD, CDOT, and the Front Range Passenger Rail District to collaboratively explore ways to expand rail along the Front Range.
I championed the feasibility study now underway to model costs and ridership for a Northwest Rail peak service plan. While RTD may not be able to complete the line alone, we can share findings with partners to explore alternative operational models.
We must be innovative and publicly transparent to overcome the flawed financial plan of 18 years ago.
How should RTD restructure its fare system to be more equitable for low-income riders?
RTD recently launched a systemwide fare study and equity analysis. I strongly support our study goals to prioritize equity, affordability, and simplicity.
How we restructure fares must be directly informed by our customers. We collected extensive feedback in community meetings this year. Now, our team is drafting fare structures that will reduce the burden to low-income customers.
In the meantime, I am proud that our Board approved the implementation of fare capping, which allows low-income customers to benefit from day/monthly pass discounts without having to pay up front for a pass. We must support and pursue these types of improvements.
What should RTD do to improve safety and security on its buses and trains?
RTD must partner with other jurisdictions and community groups to achieve our safety and security goals. We should expand partnerships like those we have recently formed (e.g., Denver’s STAR program).
We should protect our customers by proactively deterring unwelcome activities at stations. For example, we must finish our overhaul of Denver Union Station ().
We should increase presence of trained safety and security personnel, which must always include a mental health component. In April, to become more proactive rather than reactive, RTD restructured its policing into four patrol-specific impact teams for bus, rail, community engagement, and mental health outreach.
How candidate order was determined: A lot drawing was held at the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office on Aug. 3 to determine the general election ballot order for major and minor party candidates. Colorado law (1-5-404, C.R.S.) requires that candidates are ordered on the ballot in three tiers: major party candidates followed by minor party candidates followed by unaffiliated candidates. Within each tier, the candidates are ordered by a lot drawing with the exception of the office of Governor and Lt. Governor, which are ordered by the last name of the gubernatorial candidate.
