Could cheaper rides boost RTD ridership? CSI report encourages it
DENVER (KDVR) — The Regional Transportation District has some problems with getting people to get on board the transit system. A new report from the Common Sense Institute said the agency’s ridership has decreased while its budget has increased.
Fellows with CSI, a think tank focused on free enterprise, said RTD should take advantage of budget increases to get more riders on board.
Low ridership on RTD public transit
“I think for me, you know, I was really trying to look at if we are getting our return on investment that we’ve made as a region,” Kelly Brough said. The former Denver mayoral candidate is now a fellow with the institute and author of their latest report on RTD’s ridership.
“When compared to 22 other transit systems around the nation, our recovery has been much slower. So one takeaway is our ridership is nowhere near where we really need it to be, and for us to say this is really returning the value on our investment,” Brough said.
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The report finds that as of Jan. 31, fares only recovered 4.4% of RTD’s operating costs. RTD would have to nearly triple its ridership to recover 30% of its operating costs through rider fares.
RTD said it actually saw a 33% increase in ridership between 2021-22 and a nearly 6% increase between 2022-23. They acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic between those years meant lower ridership than normal.
The report also found RTD’s budget has been climbing as its ridership has fallen. Between 2019-22, ridership fell 46% while the operating budget increased 3%.
Brough said RTD should take advantage of the budget increases by making the cost of taking transit lower to attract more riders.
“I think we also need to make it way less expensive for people to ride and for employers, maybe, to buy passes. Like really inexpensive so whether you are a nonprofit or a for-profit employer or even government, you’re really saying, I’m just going to totally buy everybody a pass,” Brough said. “We had a law that required 30% to come from the fare bucks. You can see we have a long way to go to really increase our ridership. You can charge very little and get a lot more people to buy and probably do much better than we’re doing today.”
Brough noted recent efforts, like RTD’s Zero Fare for Better Air and Zero Fare for Better Youth initiatives, as examples of how to boost ridership. She urged the district to expand that concept.
“Free fares for our young people in high school and college in this region is probably a really good idea, not as a one-off or something to try, but permanently, where we are changing behaviors. Now they’re getting used to taking the train and the bus, and it’s not as intimidating. So I think we’ve got to help our young people really take advantage of the system,” Brough said.
Crime on RTD transit around Denver
Another big issue with getting people on public transit in Colorado is crime. The study noted Colorado Bureau of Investigation crime figures rose 53% between 2019-23. Brough said more people riding could discourage the increase in crime too.
“We absolutely saw a rise in crimes being committed on our trains. I think it makes sense why people feel unsafe is because there are fewer people riding and more crimes being committed. And so in New York City where everybody rides, and you’re often riding with someone you might not feel totally comfortable riding with — when there are 50 other people in that same car, you feel pretty safe still. So that ridership is contributing, probably, to our feelings of not being safe,” Brough said.
Legislative efforts around public transit
Colorado lawmakers explored and passed several measures centered around RTD this legislative session. The report notably references Senate Bill 24-230, which poses a fee on oil and gas producers to spur funding for rail improvements. It also details the progression of FasTracks, the overdue public transit rail service from Longmont to Boulder, with the report saying 78 of the 119 miles of the project are completed.
Other measures looking to boost funding for passenger rail in Colorado and transit near housing also passed this year. Brough said the localities will be key in finding creative and innovative ways to get people riding.
“I think it really requires that we figure out: How does local government, all those cities that are part of that Regional Transportation District, seamlessly work with RTD so that decisions being made about RTD, it’s the local community that is really figuring out how do I meet those trains and get you where you need to go at both ends? Because I think we are failing there still,” Brough said.
“One of the things that really helps is when you develop more densely around those stops and you have numerous housing options — from condos for sale to apartments I could stay in, to single-family homes within a mile of each stop — what you know is it starts to become the easier choice because I am close to the train or the major bus stop. And I think this is where we can help incentivize our local governments and make sure the state has been looking at how to do this, we are building those stops the way we need to,” Brough said.
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Brough also mentioned RTD governance. An effort supported by the governor that called for a restructuring of the board failed after getting pushback from community members.
“I appreciated the discussions at the Capitol. We don’t talk about this in the report, but you know, is the governing model working?” Brought said. “Is it incentivizing that local relationship, and are there models that would bring that local government closer to RTD?”
RTD responds
Although the report shows some critical areas where the district can improve, RTD seems to be welcoming of the report and some of the proposals made by its authors.
RTD told FOX31 in a statement: “RTD appreciates the Common Sense Institute’s focus on the agency’s operational environment, challenges, and opportunities. Many of the report’s recommendations closely align with efforts already underway by the agency to create a welcoming transit environment. RTD looks forward to partnering with the Common Sense Institute and other stakeholders and community partners to address challenges highlighted in the report while, at the same time, leveraging opportunities that support RTD’s customers, employees, and operational efficiencies.”
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