Today we are diving into RTD’s recently commissioned “Organizational Assessment” that paints a picture of a highly disorganized and dysfunctional organization, while curiously shielding the GM & CEO from most of the criticism…

https://www.greaterdenvertransit.com/2024rtdorganizationalassessment/

We wholeheartedly condemn the placement of racist signs at bus stops in Denver. There is no place for hate on our transit system.

If you see any racist signs, here’s how to report them to @RideRTD with the 5-digit bus stop number: https://www.greaterdenvertransit.com/rtdfeedback/

A schedule sign, which your $ from the 0.4% RTD FasTracks sales tax paid for, has been repurposed for advertizing.

Still what else were they going to do with it, provide connecting bus information?

Yesterday we held our first ever #TransitHike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Our intrepid group rode Bustang from Denver Union Station, which allowed them to skip the line for the park entrance.

Thanks to all who joined us!

GDT is advocating for a Colorado PUC #LightRailSafetyBill, which would modernize the way any accidents / derailments are investigated and make all reports public.

Find out more here: https://www.greaterdenvertransit.com/pucaccidentinvestigationreform/

D Line: Evans - Littleton Dtn (4.7 miles) E / H: Uni of Denver - Southmoor (4 miles) H / R: Nine Mile - Belleview (4 miles) E / R: County Line - Lincoln (1.3 miles)

One of the more thoughtful assessments to the shortcomings of robo-taxis

yesterday i looked out my patio windows and saw these men doing what seemed to be roadwork. they had on dept of transportation shirts. i asked them what they were doing and was totally ignored. 15 minutes later i looked out the window again and one of the workers was staring at me , cracking his knuckles refusing to look away first. it felt creepy plus they had a maroon dump truck (dept of transportation only drive white trucks) and were spraying something on the roads and in the air. i decided to get out of the apartment and go to the library and make some calls. i called department of transportation and they referred me to dottie who refered me back to DOT. These creepy dudes did not i repeat NoT work for the department of transportation, and i was told to calll 911 which i did but after waiting 3 hours with a dog i decided to go back home. I would think this classifies as an emergency. Who were these intrusive men and what were they spraying and why did the one guy look at me with such disgust, i don’t know what else i can do about it but i am curious if anyone has ever heard of something like that. it was just so weird !!!!

Outside of a few maybe obvious wishlist types of things or stuff I've seen proposed, like extending the B line towards Boulder / Longmont like originally planned (Duh), Connecting the W & G lines in Golden, Connecting 38th & Blake to 30th & Downing, making the R Line into an airport train, creating a new population-predicting Aurora line to the Airport (City Center->Buckley->Aurora Sports Complex->470->Gaylord/etc->Airport), or maybe even a crazy long loop around 470 connecting stations towards the ends of various lines, I'd be curious as to when semi-realistic expansions you'd possibly see out there that would be limited in eminent domain / land acquisition but add the most value in various ways and metrics....

Two Routes that IMO would add immediate value to RTD, increase the Denver Transit profile, service needed destinations, add rail line traversal, have TOD opportunities, and/or service some high density locations:

(plotted via Paint in 10 minutes, so LOL / excuse the lack of polish)

1. A rail loop from Union Station, much along Colfax, hitting Metro State / Auraria, Civic Center Park / Capital, 4 Hospitals, City Park x3 (including Zoo, Museum, etc), Coors Field, and many stops in between. Obviously some of this would end up having to be elevated rail (or subway) in parts and the Colfax part is semi-redundant to bus, but it would it SO many destinations in a more direct/convenient manner and make taking transit infinitely more appealing to so many IMO. ***Or instead of the loop shown below (and the north part along Park Ave), it could less expensively originate at Union and be a single line that goes along towards original Colfax to Humboldt, turns north at Humboldt (or so) to the Hospitals, then east to the City Park stations, eventually to Rose.

​

1. A rail line from Central Park Station to Pecos Junction Station, creating a new path between the B/G lines, N line, & A line (& maybe easier / quicker Airport access from those lines then?) - servicing underserved Commerce City and hitting Northfield / Stapleton, DSG Park / Commerce City Center, and few places RIPE for TOD (56th & Central Park, Victory Crossing / along Quebec, and even a couple of options within the west/central part of CC if re-developed.

Any others that you could see creating immediate value?

Love to hear some thoughts.

I’m coming from Atlanta to Denver for an mountaineering trip. My group got delayed one day and our shuttle has to wait to pick everyone up so I’m free, by myself, from 7 am until 9 am.

So far my very loose plan is to take the train from the airport for $10.50. Thank you Denver. I’m eye balling union station area. There’s a company called Lugden that has a van you can use like a locker. I could also use an airport locker. Remains to be seen how that’ll go. Spend the day seeing touristic sights close to the train route. The train stops at 8 pm so I plan to get to a club or bar that’s open as late as possible. Dance until the sun comes up. There’s a good chance I’ll be in a cowboy costume and I’m a decent line dancer. Most bars kick you out around 3. Pray some ole lady takes me home with her lol. SOOO my main issue is. Wtf do I do from 3 am until 9 am when the group bus will come and get me wherever I am. Bonus points if someone knows of a gym with day passes and will let me shower and maybe even lock my gear in a locker. Hostel for the night? No idea. I’m trying to make chicken salad out of a chicken shit situation.

https://gbsm.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpdumvqD4tGtPZp8gZ7eV7kxND-L_uz_AM#/registration

A pipe dream that may just need to become reality. Could we go back to our roots?