RTD Accountability Panel Calls for Smaller Board and Structural Reforms

By Colette Bordelon | Denver7

DENVER — Over the course of roughly four months, where 12 meetings totaled to 43 hours, a group designed to hold a major Colorado public transit agency accountable produced 31 recommendations they presented to state lawmakers on Wednesday.

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) serves eight counties along the Front Range.

Problems like crime and drug use have plagued the public transportation system, which has also suffered from low ridership numbers.

“I believe in a robust, reliable, safe, environmentally conscious RTD system,” said Maria Garcia Berry, the Chair of the RTD Accountability Committee. “Right now, RTD has one of the lowest riderships of all its peers, and it’s not recovered from the pandemic.”

The RTD Accountability Committee stemmed from Senate Bill 25-161, which tasked 15 appointed members with developing recommendations intended to improve the agency. The work done by the current members built upon a previous committee’s work which was created in 2020.

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