February 14, 2024

Downtown Boulder Station lobby to reopen Feb. 19

The interior of the station, located at 1800 14th St., was initially closed in January 2023 after methamphetamine residue was detected in the restrooms and found to have entered the interior ductwork elsewhere in the station. Remediation has made the space safe for use by employees and the public.

Barrier to entry: New shields aim to keep operators safe

Starting late last year, RTD technicians began installing safety shields made to withstand punches, kicks and attacks using blunt force objects. The shields are a major improvement over the in-house design engineered during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect operators.

Jaime Lewis nominated for District A vacancy

RTD's Administration Department to be realigned next month

In a memo sent to all employees Monday, General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson announced that Chief Administrative Officer Leah Riley is departing RTD, with March 1 being her final day. Given the comprehensive Organizational Design and Workplace Assessment that is under way, Johnson wrote, "this is an opportune time for the consultant team to analyze whether the structure of the Administration Department in its current form meets the needs of the agency both now and in the years to come." Click here to read about how the divisions and functions that are now within the Administration Department will be temporarily transferred within the agency, effective March 1.

RTD General Manager and CEO contributed to White House Roundtable on Clean Bus Manufacturing

Debra A. Johnson – pictured at the left end of the fourth row – joined White House officials, the FTA and representatives from suppliers, manufacturers, regional transit agencies and other stakeholders for the Feb. 7 event. Discussions focused on U.S. capacity for manufacturing low-emission buses at the scale and pace needed to achieve national climate and equity goals as market demand grows. Click here to read more.

Light rail celebrates newest operators, revenue instructors

Two newly certified light rail operators and two newly qualified revenue instructors graduated from training Feb. 9. The newest operators are Jeremy Osborne, center, and Jordan Trujillo, second from right. The newest revenue instructors are Jeffry Carlson, second from left, and Jason Buckley, at right. From left to right, others pictured are Matthew Alonzo, Manager of Light Rail Operations; Venessa Stone, Manager of LRV Operator Training; and Brian Rothfuss, LRV Instructor.

“Operators Osborne and Trujillo demonstrated perseverance and dedication to the craft during training,” Rothfuss said. “Buckley and Carlson showed their knowledge and leadership skills as they joined the ranks of revenue instructors, all of whom are prime examples of collaboration and ownership."

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.

Operator's quick reaction to a customer's health issue potentially saves his life

On Feb. 2, bus operator James Killingsworth’s observations, situational awareness and due diligence potentially saved a person’s life. On this date, while operating a bus on the BOND route around 30th Street and Mapleton Avenue in Boulder, a male customer began having chest pains and suffering a heart attack. 

> Read more <

A message of gratitude for Deputy Chief Steve Martingano

Last week, Deputy Chief Steve Martingano spoke to about 30 members of the Mpact National Steering Committee, a group of transportation supporters from around the country who were holding a meeting in Denver. During a tour of Denver Housing Authority’s Sun Valley development, Steve described the area’s security issues, the evolution of the police force at RTD, the important work of mental health professionals on the team, and the depth of communication and coordination with local police forces. 

> Read more <

February's work anniversaries

5 years

Wayne Loveridge

Bus Operator

Amauri Diaz-Almonte   

Accountant I

Alexander Reyes 

Parts Clerk, Light Rail

Shawn Purdy       

Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Server Management

Dan McClain        

Senior Manager, Safety & Environmental Compliance

Staggolee Howard        

Bus Operator

Starla Peterson   

Parts Clerk, Warehouse

Daysi Casillas-Garcia   

Bilingual Information Specialist

Crystal Estrada   

Bilingual Information Specialist

Ramiro Fernandez-Aguirre    

Bilingual Information Specialist

Brandon Fowler  

ITS Systems Administrator

Ben Powell

Signals and Systems Manager

Jeffrey Wineteer 

Senior Instructor/Supervisor, Signals

Greg Filkin 

Service Planner/Scheduler I

Kalifa Hassan      

Bus Operator

Nick Holt   

Division Supervisor, Commuter Rail

Vichet Rice

Bus Operator

Berhan Zemene  

Certified Train Engineer



Jordan Delaney   

Parts Clerk

10 years

Jerry Dickens      

Train Operator

Mario Garcia       

Certified Train Operator

Vivian Morales        

Learning and Training Specialist

Samantha Loucks

Quality Oversight Manager

Randy Skizinski   

System Administration Supervisor

Annette Wilson   

Bus Operator

Rabin Estes

LRT Field Supervisor

Shane Christensen       

Electro Mechanic LRV



15 years

Beyan Adem        

Parts Clerk, Light Rail

Ernest Hawkins   

Bus Operator

Christopher Wilbur       

Bus Operator

Iakov Rossiytsev

General Repair Certified Mechanic

Anthony Sammauro      

Support Vehicle Certified Mechanic



David Eppolito    

Body Mechanic

Zachary Quimby  

Equipment Maintenance Supervisor

Floyd Shafer        

Body Mechanic

Lorenzo Washington    

Body Shop Supervisor

Sebastian Barisic

General Repair Mechanic

Forest Knudson   

Dispatcher

Robert Thompson

Bus Operator

20 years

Zachariah Van Gemert 

Senior Operations Analyst

Boubacar Diawara        

Bus Operator

Dontia Jones       

Lead Dispatcher

25 years

Jaime Vargas

Light Rail Fare Inspector

Bourbon Stanford

Bus Operator

Jesse Diekmann  

Supervisor, Light Rail MOW

Marco Hernandez

Bus Operator

30 years

Rob Timmerman 

Salaried Payroll Coordinator

Michelle Sims

Bus Stop Program Supervisor

Scott Redfield     

Bus Operator

Ed Callies  

Facilities Maintenance Supervisor

Who inspires love? Employees share messages of endearment

The Internal Communications team asked who inspires love in the lives of RTD's employees – and you told us! Click below to read your colleagues' comments about their pets, partners, children, grandchildren and other special family members.

New bike lockers added to Aurora Metro Center, Iliff stations

The city of Aurora, in partnership with RTD, has installed new on-demand bike lockers at Aurora Metro Center and Iliff stations along the H and R lines. The lockers allow customers to secure their bikes at the stations at no cost for the first 18 hours. They can be used through the MOVATIC smartphone app, available through the App Store and Google Play.

These bike lockers differ from those at other RTD stations, as they provide customers with a short-term solution for bike storage. Customers with cargo bikes can rent oversized lockers at Aurora Metro Center Station. Depending on the success of the program, RTD and Aurora may consider expanding locker access to more stations along the H and R lines. Click here for more information on the program.

Answers to Jan. 11 Dialogue questions available on the Hub

Answers to close to three dozen unanswered questions from the Jan. 11 session have been added to the Dialogue with Debra page, with several inquiries pertaining to safety and security and others prompting responses from Human Resources. The next Dialogue is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Mariposa.

In memoriam: Doug Hammerly

Longtime Boulder-based bus operator Doug Hammerly died recently. If you had the pleasure of knowing this happy, outgoing man, attested ATU 1001 Boulder Chief Steward Billy Snider, you saw firsthand how dedicated Hammerly was to his work – and how “he loved, loved, loved helping out other operators,” Snider said. “If Doug could tear the shirt off his back and give it to another operator, he would.” At the center of the 17-year employee’s life was his wife and daughters. He loved international travel and spoke about the countries he wanted to see when he retired. He was trustworthy and direct and often joked with others, Snider said.



RTD’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available at 1.800.284.1819 for any employee who would like to discuss this loss. Boulder employees can contact Division Manager Daniel Seifert at 303.299.5010 to seek support. All affected employees are encouraged to reach out to their supervisor, Human Resources or another member of management to receive assistance.

Host Facts-n-Snacks to highlight a current project

Are you or your team working on an impactful project that you want to share with the agency? Want more employees to learn about your work? Have an upcoming policy or procedure change that employees should know about? Host Facts-n-Snacks!

Facts-n-Snacks takes place the final Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the month and is recorded via Microsoft Teams. Be on the lookout for more news in the coming weeks about in-person sessions! Openings are available from May to November. Reach out to Austin Nettleton at austin.nettleton@rtd-denver.com to reserve a month today.

RTD takes part in Winter Bike to Work Day

The cloudy Feb. 9 morning did not prevent Denver commuters from participating in Winter Bike to Work Day, an annual event that aims to promote an environmentally and cost-friendly way to travel. The RTD team provided food and information about the Bike-n-Ride program to hundreds of cyclists at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.

Empower Retirement will be visiting RTD divisions Feb. 21

Empower Retirement's Mark Stone, RTD's retirement plan advisor, will be visiting RTD divisions on Feb. 21 to discuss financial outlooks, retirement benefits and how to maximize plans to their fullest potential. To meet with him that day, stop by the operator break rooms at East Metro between 9 a.m. and noon or at Elati between 1-4 p.m.

Employee Ownership Task Force applications close today

Interested in participating in efforts related to the agency’s strategic initiatives: back to basics, people power and welcoming transit environment? Employee Ownership Task Force (EOTF) applications are due today! Applications can be submitted online and via paper copy, the latter available from all supervisors.

Debra's Quote of the Week

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

– Barack Obama

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