RTD service cuts start Sunday

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to remove incorrect references to RTD’s University of Colorado A Line running to Boulder. 

The Regional Transportation District’s new service plan is set to take effect Sunday, April 19, and includes 40% cuts to service throughout RTD’s public transit footprint, including in the Boulder Valley area. 

“These are extraordinary times that we are living through and it’s unprecedented that the world’s economies are voluntarily shutting down to prevent the spread of this deadly virus,” said Judy Lebow, RTD director for District I, which includes Broomfield, Longmont and parts of eastern Boulder County, Wednesday during a webinar with RTD and Commuting Solutions leaders.

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With economies shut down, public transportation ridership has plummeted across RTD’s service area and RTD is struggling with cash flow. Before the COVID-19 crisis, RTD carried about 350,000 riders per day. Since mid-March, the daily average ridership is down to about 100,000.

“The bulk of our revenue comes from sales and use tax and from fares,” Lebow said. “Both are taking huge hits because of the pandemic. We will be watching these streams closely and have had to adjust our operations to comply with our revenues and our ridership.”

Under the new coronavirus transit plan, which will remain in place until September at the earliest, most bus routes will run on a Saturday schedule with decreased service frequency. 

Buses on the B Line, which runs from Denver to Westiminster and connects with the University of Colorado A Line, will run every 60 minutes rather than every 30 minutes.

The G Line, which runs from Denver through Arvada and Wheat Ridge and also connects to the CU line, will run every 30 minutes rather than every 15 minutes.

The A Line will not be affected by RTD’s changes. 

In some instances, stops at smaller communities further from the Denver metro area will be eliminated on certain days. In some cases, in Lyons for example, local governments are working on alternatives such as subsidized taxi services to connect riders to stops in larger communities and grocery delivery programs. 

The changes to the plan are “substantial and we want to make sure the community knows about them,” Commuting Solutions executive director Audrey DeBarros said.

While RTD’s financial position is quite dire, the federal government has pledged to lend a hand.

As part of the CARES Act stimulus package, RTD expects to receive $232 million to reimburse the transit system for the cost of protective equipment, cleaning supplies, employee salaries and operating expenses related to the coronavirus. 

Economics — a constant concern for the cash-strapped transit provider even in the best of times — wasn’t the only factor at play when RTD leadership decided last month to reduce service. Health of riders and drivers is paramount, officials say.

“Much of our efforts are taken up making sure people are safe riding the bus and our operators are safe driving the bus,” said Lynn Guissinger, RTD director for District O, which includes Boulder, Louisville and the foothills communities to the north and west. 

RTD has taken a series of steps to help slow the COVID-19 spread including providing workers with personal protective equipment, suspending fare collections, implementing rear-boarding, roping off driver’s seat to minimize potential contact with riders, ensuring riders are practicing social distancing, and working with law enforcement to prevent riders from sleeping on buses. 

“It’s not just RTD’s responsibility to keep the public safe,” Lebow said. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep themselves safe.”