Agency Optimization and Sustainability Plan update | |
In a memo sent to all employees yesterday, General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson noted that RTD is facing significant financial challenges that will require elimination of the agency’s approximately $250 million deficit to maintain transit service delivery and support long-term fiscal sustainability. “(M)ultiple cost-saving actions were successfully implemented ahead of this current fiscal year,” Johnson wrote, “but much more work is still needed to eliminate the ongoing deficit and balance the agency’s expenditures with ongoing revenues.” The current deficit constitutes nearly one-fourth of the agency’s 2026 ongoing operating revenue, and cost-saving measures are needed in all departments.
Click the link below to view the memo.
| | Transit is Democracy: Honoring Rosa Parks on Transit Equity Day | | |
Diversity Spotlight celebrates the diversity of RTD employees and the larger community that RTD serves and fosters an appreciation of our social and cultural similarities and differences. Diversity Spotlight supports RTD’s values of passion, respect, diversity, trustworthiness, collaboration, and ownership.
Transit is democracy. It is how people access opportunity, exercise choice, and participate fully in civic life. When public transportation is affordable, reliable, and accessible, it strengthens communities and supports a more inclusive society. When barriers to transit exist, inequities deepen.
This year’s Transit Equity Day theme — Transit is Democracy — speaks directly to RTD’s approach to provide safe, reliable, equitable, and accessible transportation that connects people to what matters most: jobs, education, health care, family, and community. Public transit is not just about moving people from point A to point B; it is about ensuring everyone has a seat at the table in our region’s economic and civic life. Observed each year on Feb. 4, Transit Equity Day coincides with the birthday of Rosa Parks, whose courage on a public bus helped reshape the nation and cemented transportation as a critical civil rights issue.
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Transit Police recognized by Boulder Police Department for immediate response in 2025 Pearl Street attack | |
The Boulder Police Department formally recognized RTD’s Transit Police officers in a pinning ceremony on Jan. 20 for their assistance in the immediate aftermath of the June 1, 2025, Pearl Street attack. RTD sent nine police officers, including three K-9 teams, to assist with investigation of the incident.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what patch is on the side of our arm,” RTD Chief of Police and Emergency Management Steve Martingano said. “We are all going to come out and assist the public, and that’s what’s needed.”
Below, click the link to continue reading, and click the thumbnail to view a video recapping the event.
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| Every minute matters: Family speed runs RTD rail lines end-to-end | At 5:51 a.m. on Dec. 26, while most of the city was slow to wake after Christmas Day, Abe Lamontagne boarded a train at Wheat Ridge•Ward Station with his brother, Simon, and his dad, Jeff. With a supply of snacks and a meticulously crafted schedule, they set out to attempt something extraordinary even by the most passionate transit enthusiast's standards: visit all 77 RTD light and commuter rail stations in a single day, as fast as possible. | | RTD recognized with APTA AdWheel Award for transit, literacy campaign | |
RTD was notified last week that it won a First Place Award in the 2026 AdWheel competition for its efforts to increase transit awareness and utilization through literacy programming, a campaign built on experiential learning, reading, and community collaboration.
Hosted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the annual contest showcases the best communications, marketing, and customer experience efforts by transit agencies across the country.
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Longtime station starter Hazel Wing retires from RTD | |
Colleagues from across the agency gathered at District Shops on Friday to celebrate the career of station starter Hazel Wing, who retired last week after 22 years at RTD. Wing, who joined the agency as a bus operator, had been a steady, welcome face to operators and customers as she tracked buses arriving or departing Union Station and Civic Center Station. She was featured in RTD’s recent military recruitment campaign, enabling the public to learn about her work as a calibration specialist, her interest in road biking, and her passion for classic rock ‘n’ roll artists like Pink Floyd and the Beatles.
“It’s been life-changing in a good way, this whole experience with RTD,” Wing said, noting that the agency took good care of her and her 23-year-old son, who was a baby when she first joined. She is proud of her participation in RTD’s Leadership Academy and the MAX program, which connected her with peers in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Seattle.
What does the future hold? A mission trip in April to Israel, where she will help people there. Lots of hiking and biking. Singing and dancing to all her CDs in the living room. And, 40 years after she bought it, focused time to complete a 12,000-piece puzzle of “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” a triptych by Hieronymus Bosch – purchased to provide pleasure during retirement.
In recent days, Wing said, regular customers who learned of her coming departure told her how much they will miss her smile. “That makes you feel good as an employee, that people did notice,” she said.
“Just look for the good in everyone, because there is good in everyone.”
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| In memoriam: Clyde Cooper, Bus Operator | | | | |
RTD mourns the death of East Metro Division bus operator Clyde Cooper, who died Jan. 25.
Cooper joined RTD as a bus operator in February 2020. He quickly became a familiar face around the division, always lending a hand to anyone who needed it. When assigned with a task, Cooper would accept it with a smile and determination to accomplish it in a satisfactory manner.
| | If you would like to speak with someone about this loss, please call RTD’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1.800.284.1819. Employees in Bus Operations are also invited to contact East Metro Division Manager Daniel Seifert at 303.299.7010. All impacted employees are encouraged to reach out to their supervisor, mentor, or another member of management for assistance. | | 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. | | Bus operator de-escalates situation successfully with disruptive customer | Bus operator Ramona Parker is truly an asset to your company. There was a fairly unruly passenger who was bothering other passengers. Ramona handled the situation with so much grace. | | Bus operator helps pedestrian lying in road | The bus driver, Hakeem Muhammad, noticed a woman lying in the middle of the road. He stopped his bus and rendered aid. He has a good heart. Thank you, RTD! | | Carl Green Jr. receives Rosa Parks Diversity Award from WTS | | |
Civil Rights Division Director Carl Green Jr., whose last day with RTD is Friday, was recognized Thursday with the 2025 Rosa Park Diversity Award from the Colorado Chapter of WTS International. In a letter notifying Green about the honor, the awards selection panel commended his impacts and commitment to diversity and inclusivity in the industry, as well as his efforts to inspire the next generation, particularly women and underrepresented minorities. Green, center, is pictured above with Crystal Kirklin, Alexis Serrano Castro, Debra A. Johnson, and Urvashi Shrestha.
“Receiving this award serves as a stark reminder for many things,” Green said at the organization’s annual awards recognition luncheon. “The first is the movement continues, and we are still marching. We stand on the shoulders of giants that provided the blueprint, and it’s on us and future generations to advance and champion a society that values human dignity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.”
Green also spoke to the power of women, of community, and of moments. He commended Johnson, his RTD colleagues, and the members of the Civil Rights Division, whom he called “my dream team.” Finally, he told those in attendance, “is the power of you. The pages are left to be written – continue to lead with integrity, purpose, and compassion. You matter, and you are our future’s legacy.”
| | 'In Honor of Rosa' signage installed for Transit Equity Day | | To prepare for RTD’s recognition of Transit Equity Day, colleagues at Boulder, East Metro, and Platte divisions installed commemorative signage yesterday on one select seat aboard each fixed-route bus to honor Rosa Parks and her courageous act of resistance. Above, body mechanic Melvin McCormick sets a sign on a bus in Boulder. These temporary "In Honor of Rosa Parks” signs will be in place during the full service day today, and they are intended to be symbolic and informational. Colleagues who are on social media are welcome to snap a photo of these seats – with or without you in them – and tag @rideRTD. | | Welcome to RTD's newest employees | | Twenty-two employees joined the agency at Monday’s orientation. Welcome! | | February’s Operator of the Month is William Gonglach from East Metro Division! Gonglach was chosen for his hard work to reunite a customer with their laptop after it was left on his bus. He found the item and kept it safe with him until he was able to meet the customer back at Union Station to return it. | | |
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Kevin Crane
Equipment Maintenance Supervisor (formerly Body Mechanic, Body Shop)
Devin Bruecken
Contract Performance Analyst (formerly Financial Technician)
Everett Chavez
Telecommunications Supervisor (formerly Telecommunications Analyst)
Jan Bump
Procurement Contract Administrator (formerly Business Support)
Niconor Garcia
Transit Police Officer (formerly Contracted Services Technician)
Shromona Bose-Bigelow
Budget Analyst III (formerly Budget Analyst II)
Christopher Berry
Equipment Maintenance Supervisor (formerly LRV Maintenance Supervisor)
Marcus Hamption
Lead LRT Division Supervisor (formerly LRT Division Supervisor)
Any employees interested in similar opportunities in the future should visit RTD's Careers page.
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| Best Dressed Operator of the Week: Christopher Bagnall | This week’s best dressed operator is operator-in-training Christopher Bagnall from District Shops. Congratulations, Christopher! | | Employees: Who or what inspires love in your life? | | Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and that has us wondering about the people and things you love that keep your life in motion. Whether it is a significant other, a pet, an object, or an activity, let your colleagues know who or what you are celebrating. By midday Monday, send your submission with photos to insideconnections@rtd-denver.com to be featured in next week’s issue. | | Updated Employee Handbook has been released | |
Chief People Officer Lili Tran on Friday announced the release of RTD’s updated Employee Handbook, which outlines all policies, procedures, and guidelines agency employees must adhere to while employed. This version, which took effect Jan. 29, replaces all previous versions of the handbook and reflects RTD’s commitment to maintaining clear, consistent policies and supporting a positive workplace for everyone.
Click the link below to view the handbook.
| | The Great Copilot Journey: Getting to know Copilot chat | |
Microsoft Copilot, RTD’s approved artificial intelligence (AI) Chat tool, is a Generative AI chat tool built specifically for work to help employees answer questions, improve the quality of their content, and find information quickly.
Don't know where to begin with Copilot chat? Click the link below for an introduction on the new tool and tips on how to get started with it.
| | Jargon of the Week: Snow route | | |
| Snow-covered slopes are great for skiing and snowboarding. In fact, these slopes are the reason why so many families and tourists from across the globe travel to Colorado in the winter. However, while snow-covered slopes are perfect for winter sports, they pose serious challenges for vehicles, including RTD’s buses. | | While most of the city’s local routes operate on flat or gently sloping streets, a few routes, such as Route 9, operate on streets with steep grades, where accumulating snow and ice make traversing them nearly impossible. When this happens, these routes are detoured onto a “snow route,” or a detour that allows the bus to access the rest of the route through a less steep corridor. These detours typically stay in effect until all snow and ice have melted off the graded slopes. | | Winter Bike to Work Day is next Friday | |
Lube up the chains, check the tire pressure, adjust the seatpost, and trade the car for two wheels during the commute next Friday for Winter Bike to Work Day!
On Feb. 13, commuters from across the region are encouraged to bike to their workplaces to promote a healthier community and planet. From 7 to 9 a.m., RTD will be set up at the Market Station Base Camp behind the agency's headquarters at Blake Street, handing out hot cocoa, coffee, and other giveaways.
RTD team members are welcome to stop by for a treat and are encouraged to stick around and chat with customers. Interested in volunteering? Send an email to communityengagement@rtd-denver.com to express interest.
| | From Wellbeing: February is the month to prioritize financial well-being | |
February is Financial Aid Awareness Month, a perfect time to explore the various ways to make education more affordable. Scholarships, loans, grants, and work-study programs can open incredible doors, but the sheer number of options can feel overwhelming.
Whether planning to advance one’s own education, support children currently in college or high school, or prepare for the future of younger learners, the right information can make all the difference. The resources in the link below offer a clear starting point to help navigate your choices with confidence.
| | 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 | |
"I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom."
— Rosa Parks
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| What did you think of this edition of Inside Connections? | | | | |
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