Colorado lawmakers have approved a major restructuring of the Regional Transportation District’s(RTD) governing board, arguing the changes will improve accountability and help address longstanding concerns about service and oversight across the Denver area’s transit system.
Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 26-150 into law, overhauling RTD by shrinking its governing board from 15 members to nine. The new board will consist of five elected and four appointed members, a change bill sponsors say will bring greater expertise, representation and efficiency to the transit agency. Board members also will receive three times their current compensation.
Before the reorganization takes effect Jan. 1, 2029, the law requires several actions by the current board. By the end of this year, RTD must contract for a paratransit service study to analyze service needs, costs, benefits and gaps in coverage. The study also will assess system performance and identify opportunities for collaboration with outside partners to address shortcomings. The assessment must be completed by June 30, 2027, and RTD must adopt a plan based on its findings by the end of that year.
Current and future boards also will be required to submit annual reports to the legislature by Jan. 31 detailing RTD’s budget, ridership, progress and future goals.
While the law does not provide funding for projects or services at this time, the board restructuring and required system assessment could help shape future decisions about transit improvements and service delivery in the Denver region.
Photo by Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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