I still have my first bus pass. It’s on my wall, a symbol of the independence and freedom RTD gave me as a kid. I can close my eyes and trace the blue-and-white schedule pamphlets for the 38, 76, 44 and the D/C Line on the backs of my eyelids. I remember when RTD was the lifeblood of the region – you could live your life without a car. Now, most folks don’t believe that’s possible. But it was real. And it was here.
I’m a lifelong RTD rider. I’ve served on the RTD Advisory Board for Disabilities. I ran to represent Aurora on the RTD Board of Commissioners. I’ve organized as a disability and transit advocate. When the proto-version of Senate Bill 26-150 (Modernizing RTD), went through the legislature in 2024 and failed, I presented the case against it.
So yeah, at the risk of sounding self-important: My voice, and the voices of people like me, should have been included in any serious conversation about RTD reform…