[Colorado-Talk] RTD Update: Important Clarification on June Amendment + Tonight's Public Comment Strategy

[Tim Keenan]

Hi everyone,

 

Quick, important correction before tonight's meeting.

 

CORRECTING THE RUSCHA AMENDMENT

 

My last update, and ADAPT Colorado's newsletter before it, described
Director Ruscha's June amendment as also locking in Access-a-Ride service
areas for current customers when a fixed route gets cut. I've now pulled the
actual June 23 board minutes, and that's not accurate. The minutes are the
final word on what was actually voted on, and here's the full text of the
amendment as adopted, 10-5, with Director Guzman seconding:

 

"The service modification models exclude modifications to Access-a-Ride and
Access-on-Demand."

 

That's the entire amendment. There is no language in the minutes about
preserving service areas or eligibility for current customers when a fixed
route is reduced or eliminated. That broader assurance may have been said
out loud in discussion, but it was never made part of the motion, and it did
not get voted on.

 

Why this matters: the real, confirmed win is that AAR and AOD funding and
service hours are excluded from the 5/10/17.5/20% cut-modeling scenarios.
That's genuine and still worth thanking Director Ruscha and Director Guzman
for. But the bigger question, whether a current AAR customer keeps their
eligibility when the fixed route near them is cut, was never formally
addressed. That risk is still fully open, and it's exactly what we need to
raise tonight.

 

* * *

 

TONIGHT'S PUBLIC COMMENT STRATEGY

 

The Board meets tonight, July 28, at 5:30 PM at 1660 Blake Street to decide
which cut-level scenario to pursue. Specific routes won't be decided until
likely September, so tonight isn't the night to fight for individual routes.
Here's the angle:

 

1. Thank the Board, and Directors Ruscha and Guzman specifically, for
excluding AAR/AOD funding and hours from the cut models. That's real and it
matters.

 

2. Ask the Board to formally lock in Access-a-Ride service-area eligibility
for current customers, regardless of which cut scenario they choose. This
was not addressed in June, and tonight is the moment to put it on the record
before a scenario is adopted.

 

3. Reinforce the broader case: RTD should exhaust every other option before
cutting any service at all, especially if the agency wants voters to approve
a funding measure in 2028.

 

If you're able to attend in person tonight, thank you, truly. Your presence
in the room makes a real difference.

 

If you'd rather comment from home, you can register for the Zoom webinar
here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DzEw2DVSQeqvrC9OS-wy_g#/registra
tion

 

Written comment can also go anytime to RTD.Directors at rtd-denver.com
<mailto:RTD.Directors at rtd-denver.com> .

Thanks for sticking with me and raising your voice, however you do it.

 

 

Tim Keenan

State Transportation Chair

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado

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