The Denver Post

Why are local leaders asking residents, businesses to oppose cuts to RTD service?

- Julie Patterson is a senior communicat­ions strategist for the city of Aurora. By Julie Patterson YourHub Contributo­r

Aurora is facing significan­t and disproport­ionate cuts to transit service with the latest proposal from the Regional Transporta­tion District to address its shortage of transit operators.

While the city supports equitable, temporary RTD service reductions, the Aurora City Council at a Feb. 10 study session agreed to oppose any service cuts for the R Line and bus routes 153 and 157.

All of the proposed changes for Aurora will negatively impact the community, but these in particular will disproport­ionately impact Aurora’s residents and businesses and undermine mobility freedom.

City leaders are urging residents and riders to voice an opinion about these proposed reductions by attending an RTD public meeting, emailing the RTD board or faxing comments to RTD.

No other light rail line is being targeted for such drastic cuts in service. Reductions to the R Line represent 90% of the “systemwide” light rail service cuts proposed by RTD, although the R Line had the highest ridership increase — 6.2% from 2018 to 2019 — among all the light rail lines. No reductions are proposed for the A, B, E, F, G, L and W lines and the C Line would receive additional weekend service, despite an average decrease in ridership of 2.9% on all light rail lines from 2018 to 2019.

The new southeast extension that opened last year to serve empty fields surroundin­g Lincoln and RidgeGate stations will still stop every 5 minutes on average while passengers going to the Anschutz

Medical Center and elsewhere in Aurora will have to wait for 30 minutes.

Cuts to bus routes 157 (to be eliminated) and 153 (frequency reduced to every 30 minutes) will negatively impact the Community College of Aurora, Buckley Air Force Base, Hinkley, Gateway and Smoky Hill high schools and the city’s other transit-dependent residents.

RTD will receive public comments through March 5. The RTD board will hear public input results and vote on the recommende­d plan March 24. Service changes will go into effect May 17.

Aurora residents and businesses are asked to attend a meeting, send an email or fax a comment to 303399-2227 by March 5.

Upcoming public meetings on the proposed RTD changes:

• Wednesday, March 4, 6 p.m., Montbello Public Library, 12955 Albrook Drive, Denver

• Thursday, March 5, 6 p.m., Parker Town Hall, 20120 Mainstreet, Parker

E-mailed letters may be sent to RTD board chair and directors representi­ng Aurora:

• Angie Rivera-Malpiede (chair): angie.rivera-malpiede@rtd-denver.com

• Shontel Lewis, District B: shontel.lewis@rtd-denver.com

• Claudia L. Folska, District E: claudia.folska@rtd-denver.com

• Bob Broom, District F: bob.broom@rtd-denver.com

• Ken Mihalik, District G: ken.mihalik@rtd-denver.com

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