In an action that has garnered a bit of press coverage over the past few days, along with a rash of intense dialogue amongst those who are following the distribution of FasTrack resources, I joined with Director Noel Busck in introducing the Regional Equity Compact resolution.  I have attached a copy of the resolution below.  [...]

Chalk-up more forward progress by RTD’s Ad Hoc Eco Pass Committee toward a sustainable pricing formula for these pass programs. After years of acrimonious debate between RTD and advocates of the Eco Pass, a working group of representatives for RTD staff and other Eco Pass purchasing groups came together around a unified recommendation on the pricing formula for some [...]

Last week, it was my good fortune to help advance RTD’s move toward becoming a fully sustainable transit system.  Specifically, during debate over issuing the request for proposals for the East and Gold rail lines, I offered the Renewable Electrical Energy Source Amendment (the Renewable Energy Amendment).  The Renewable Energy Amendment requires the three consortiums of private entities that [...]

The current recession has placed a tremendous economic pinch on public agencies throughout the country, let alone the terrible impact it is having on individuals and families.  RTD is not immune and is watching as its main source of revenue, sales tax, plunges.  The most recent figures for November of 2008 show a nearly 10 [...]

In its efforts to shore-up RTD’s operations budget for 2009, RTD staff has recommended fare increases of roughly 14 percent on everything from cash fare rates to monthly pass prices. In addition, based on increased ridership numbers among those who use RTD’s unlimited access passes, such as the Eco Pass, RTD staff is proposing an [...]

In case you didn’t see these in the Daily Camera, both Steve Pomerance and Bob Greenlee responded to my opinion piece, “Rising Above the Transit Paradox.”: FasTracks derailed (Greenlee): http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/jul/13/fastracks-derailed/ Funding transit with market forces (Pomerance): http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/jul/06/funding-transit-with-market-02/ You will notice that Bob takes the opportunity to offer another criticism of the FasTracks program, tying the [...]

Many District O residents e-mailed me concerning the proposal to cut Route 201.  Unfortunately, only one of my fellow Board members joined me in opposition to the final package of staff recommended service cuts.  The Board approved the staff recommended package of service cuts that included the 201 while providing a reprieve for one route, the U, in the [...]

Everywhere I go these days, I am beseeched by friends and neighbors who ask me why, at a time when transit demand is rising, RTD is considering service cuts. Instead, shouldn’t RTD be increasing service? That certainly sounds like a logical model for meeting human mobility needs in the face of rising gas prices and [...]

Last evening, the RTD Board initiated the 2009 Budget Preparation Process.  As a charge to my fellow Board members, I offered the following thoughts: Tonight we embark on the long process for pulling together RTD’s 2009 budget.  We know the budget preparation process is always difficult, balancing competing priorities in an effort to best serve [...]

Every year, at this time, RTD commences its budget preparation process.   It is through the budget process that RTD allocates resources across its various transit activities, from bus and train operations to implementation of the FasTracks program.  Aside from a general fiduciary responsibility to ensure that RTD resources are deployed efficiency and effectively, it is through the budget process [...]