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For the 17th year, RTD is partnering with Molson Coors to provide Zero Fare for New Year’s Eve, a program that encourages Denver metro area residents and visitors to welcome the new year responsibly. All RTD bus and rail routes – as well as Access-a-Ride and FlexRide services – will be provided at no cost to customers from 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, through 7 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1. |
| RTD is accepting applications for TAG program | RTD is seeking applications from organizations and government agencies that serve clients with immediate transit needs for a Transit Assistance Grant (TAG) in 2026. Eligible organizations can submit applications through Jan. 5, 2026. The program will assist qualified organizations that serve clients with immediate needs by providing grants in the form of RTD tickets. The agency has set aside $1 million for the TAG program to offer fares at no cost to grant recipients who must distribute fare payment media at no cost to their clients or constituents. | | |
Alive in the holiday lights: A look into what it takes for RTD to participate in one of the region's largest parades | | |
When it comes to parades around the metro area, few are more prestigious than the 9News Parade of Lights in downtown Denver. For over three decades, the Parade of Lights has been a staple of the holiday season. The event draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from across the region each year to watch and cheer as marchers walk alongside extravagant floats and vehicles. For a third consecutive year, RTD showcased its Winter Parade Bus, which was illuminated in bright holiday colors as it rolled through the streets with RTD staff and Board Directors.
For those attending the spectacle of the Parade of Lights, it may appear that RTD’s participation was as simple as stringing LED lights around the exterior of a bus and affixing big speakers to the front for employees to dance and cheer to the music as they march. For the Community Engagement team, which runs point on RTD’s participation in parades, that could not be further from reality.
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Creative Services explains how the holiday wraps were made | For RTD employees and transit enthusiasts alike, the holiday season doesn’t start until the annual special vehicle wraps are unveiled. The wraps, installed on one of the agency’s buses and a single light rail vehicle, signal the unofficial beginning of the holidays. The Creative Services team explains the work that takes place to bring a concept from idea to reality. |
| Every day across the Denver metro area, RTD employees are making lives better through connections. The agency is proud to spotlight our exceptional workforce who go above and beyond in their roles and embody RTD’s core values. Join us in celebrating colleagues who personify the values of passion, respect, diversity, trustworthiness, collaboration and ownership. | | FlexRide operator helps customer load heavy bags onto bus | I was picked up by FlexRide from King Soopers, and I had some heavy bags. The driver, Rose Bagwell, helped me carry my bags up the stairs, even though I initially said she could leave them on the ground. She insisted on helping me take my bags up the stairs anyway, and I really appreciate that. | | Bus operator coordinates to transfer customer to correct route to continue her trip | Please pass along my gratitude to my operator, Maxwell Taylor, who was driving the Route 204 south to US 36•Table Mesa Station on Dec. 2. He called dispatch and got the Route 206 bus that missed me at a crowded stop by King Soopers to wait for me at the next stop while he drove me over. | | Staff gather at Blake Street for final Dialogue with Debra of 2025 | | Yesterday, the atrium at Blake Street turned into an event hall, as General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson discussed the immediate future of the agency and reflected on the accomplishments of RTD staff during the final Dialogue with Debra session of 2025. Click below to view a recording of the session on the Hub. | | Welcome to RTD's newest employees | Twenty employees joined the agency at Monday’s orientation. Welcome to all! | | |
10 years
Michael Dearman
Train Operator
Timothy Bailey
Dispatcher
Cheryl Graves
Business Support
Vishnu Sarsam
Oracle Database Administrator
Brett Feddersen
Chief Information and Technology Officer
William Caspers
Bus Operator
Joshua Slack
Electro Mechanic LRV
Laura Mancha
Bus Operator
Elida Pinzon
Bus Operator
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15 years
Adam Barlow
Bus Operator
Laura Kessler
Undercover Ride Monitor
William Tate
Bus Operator
Victor Cruz-Pacheco
Street Supervisor
Garfield Martinez
Station Starter
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20 years
Caitlin Magee
Data Analyst II
Brian Wilson
General Repair Certified Mechanic
25 years
Fisseha Assefa
Bus Operator
Victor Bustamante
Distribution Clerk
Scottie Freestone
Bus Operator
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Best Dressed Operator of the Week: Antonio Medina | This week’s best dressed operator is instructor Antonio Medina from District Shops! Medina knows how to set a stylish example for his trainees. |
| From Information Technology: New WiFi networks are now accessible | | |
Getting online at RTD facilities just got much easier! Information Technology has activated new WiFi networks designed to make connecting faster, more secure, and less of a hassle for employees and guests alike.
RTD-issued laptops and computers will automatically connect to the new TransIT_Corp network, no passwords or logins needed ever.
Employees with RTD-issued cell phones and personal devices will be able to access the TransIT_Personal network by entering the following password when prompted: TransIT!D3pt
Those accessing the TransIT_Personal network will only need to enter the password once. After accessing the network for the first time, the device will be registered with the network and connect automatically.
The MOBILE network remains active for guests and other non-RTD employees, including vendors. To access the MOBILE network, enter the following credentials and accept the user agreement to connect:
- Username: limited
- Password: wifiuser
The old networks, SCRMBL and BRKRM, will be retired on Jan. 9, 2026.
The IT Service Desk is available for any questions.
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Hang out with Santa at Littleton•Downtown Station on Saturday | Everybody needs a bit of a pit stop on a long journey, including Santa! His elves let RTD know that he’s planning to take a breather at Littleton•Downtown Station Saturday, eager to take the opportunity to learn what everybody wants for Christmas. Stop by for a magical afternoon filled with photos with Santa, festive giveaways from his workshop, and plenty of holiday cheer. Click the link below to learn more! |
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Join Empower for one final retirement webinar in 2025 | |
Join RTD’s new Empower Retirement advisor, Abe Nabhan, for the last entry in the 2025 RTD Retirement Education Series, noon-1 p.m. Dec. 16. Learn strategies to navigate financial setbacks, such as budgeting tips, adjusting debt payment strategies, post-recovery preventative measures, setting up emergency funds, how to appropriate insurance coverage, and tips for paying down debts.
Click the link below to RSVP, and click here to set up a free consultation with Nabhan.
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| Jargon of the week: Express shuttles | Not to be confused with RTD’s express bus routes, such as the Route FF2, express shuttles are a temporary supplementary service that aims to increase service frequencies during disruptions by operating between a specific number of light rail stations. Express shuttles run in tandem with light rail service, usually in events where disruptions cause extended headways and less frequent trips for rail. A recent example of this was the express shuttle service offered on Saturday in response to the ongoing work to repair the Yale Avenue light rail bridge. E Line trains were operating on 30-minute frequencies instead of their usual 15-minute frequencies. Express shuttle buses were staggered to serve affected stations every 30 minutes, meaning there was an option for customers to catch either a train or a shuttle bus every 15 minutes to continue their trip. | | Today’s OneRTD Operator Graduation Ceremony is available on YouTube | Seventeen bus and six light rail operators graduated at the final OneRTD Operator Graduation Ceremony of the year, which took place today at Blake Street. Missed the ceremony and the livestream? Click the link below to view a recording. | | From Benefits and Wellbeing: Keeping holiday stress in check | | RTD has a number of solicitations currently underway at the agency or planned for the near future. To view and download current solicitations, see upcoming opportunities, and review pending and awarded contracts, follow the links below. | | | | Debra's Quote of the Week | |
"We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be."
— Jane Austen
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Need to report a concern with a vehicle, bus route, rail line or customer facility? Fill out the OneRTD Care Reporting Form by clicking the link below. |
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