|
RTD launches apprenticeship program in bus maintenance – the first in transit in Colorado | | | | In a bay on the maintenance floor at RTD’s Platte Division, Thomas Cervantes and Danyil Petryk work together with a quiet intensity to complete the day’s tasks, inspecting and addressing a wide range of interconnected systems on the agency’s buses, including brakes, electrical systems, and steering and suspension. But something more is happening here. | | In November, these two men joined the initial cohort of RTD’s general repair mechanic apprenticeship program, an initiative four years in the making – and the first in transit in the state of Colorado. Ten mentors and five mentees have been accepted into this program, which is playing out at Platte and East Metro. |
| Board elects new chair and officers, swears in new director | | |
The Board of Directors swore in one new director and elected its new chair and executive committee officers Tuesday during a special meeting.
The newest Board member is Cindy Arcuri, who succeeds Peggy Catlin and will represent District N. Arcuri, who was appointed by the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, will serve in the role through the 2026 General Election and subsequent swearing in of a successor.
The executive committee officers elected for 2026 are:
- Chair, Patrick O’Keefe, District H
- First Vice Chair, Ian Harwick, District L
- Second Vice Chair, Chris Gutschenritter, District D
- Treasurer, Karen Benker, District I
- Secretary, Chris Nicholson, District A
The Board also approved a proclamation recognizing Catlin's contributions to the agency, designated the Board Meeting Portal on the RTD website as the official location for posting all notices of public meetings in 2026, and discussed the possibility of providing special service to Denver Broncos home playoff games.
Click the thumbnail below to view a recording of the meeting.
| | |
Transit Police recognizes officers, staff at annual awards ceremony | Recognized by their colleagues for going above and beyond the call of duty were Dominick Castiglione, Officer of the Year; Vanessa Wyche, Civilian of the Year; Chance Fitzgerald, Corporal of the Year; Marcos Hernandez, Sergeant of the Year; Lane Hines, Public Safety Dispatcher of the Year; Mary Cruz, Lead Public Safety Dispatcher of the Year; Ken Minor, Video Investigator of the Year; and Daniel Sacco, Integrated Security Systems Administrator of the Year. |
|
Access-on-Demand modifications are now in effect | |
RTD’s Board of Directors approved modifications to the program on Sept. 30 after the agency commissioned a peer review with support from the American Public Transportation Association. The extensive evaluation included 16 public meetings and an industry analysis of similar on-demand programs at more than 20 transit agencies.
Click below to review the changes and to learn what stays the same.
|
| 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. | | Light rail field supervisor helps customers navigate service disruption | Light rail field supervisor Shiquita Dunn was extremely helpful at Southmoor Station on Sunday when all the passengers were confused as to why trains were having customers get off at the station. She answered questions, was incredibly professional, and helped direct people. | | Bus operator’s friendly remarks help customers get their days off to a great start | The operator of the last eastbound Route FF4 morning bus, Christopher Whiteside, is always friendly. Every morning, as we come off I-25 into Denver, he comes on over the intercom to greet and remind us to not leave our items on the bus, as well as give some friendly remarks and comments. | | Welcome to the first new employee orientation class of 2026! | Twenty-seven employees joined the agency at Monday’s orientation, and they hold the honor of being the first group of new colleagues this year. Welcome! | | 39 employees recognized at today's graduation ceremony | | |
Twenty-three bus operators, seven light rail operators, five light rail maintenance mechanics, and four bus vehicle mechanics were recognized at this afternoon's ceremony in the atrium at Blake Street. Each graduated from their respective training programs as certified RTD bus and light rail operators and mechanics – and they were the first to graduate from training in 2026!
Missed the ceremony? Click the link below to view it on RTD's YouTube channel.
| | January's Operator of the Month is Wednesday Fair from Transdev! Fair was selected for her quick thinking and diligence to help two children who were left unattended at the busy intersection of Alameda Avenue and Federal Boulevard. She picked them up and kept them safe on her bus until law enforcement and social services arrived to help reunite the children with their family. | | |
Moore Maguire
Lead Street Supervisor (formerly Street Supervisor)
James Norland
Light Rail Transportation Instructor (formerly Train Operator)
Tina Aragon
Senior Executive Assistant (formerly Executive Assistant I)
Kelsie Ryan
Senior Service Planner Scheduler (formerly Service Planner Scheduler II)
Any employees interested in similar opportunities in the future should visit RTD's Careers page.
|
| Best Dressed Operator of the Week: Lorenzo Hernandez | This week’s best dressed operator is trainee Lorenzo Hernandez from District Shops! Even while in training, Hernandez understands that looking good is an important aspect of operating a bus. | | | |
On Monday, the Civil Rights Division published updates to the Transit Equity Nondiscrimination Policy and Transit Equity Complaint Management Procedure. These updates ensure the agency remains compliant with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as outline the procedures key stakeholders must follow when filing internal and external transit equity-related complaints.
Click the links below to review the updated policy and procedure.
| | Downtown light rail service to pause tomorrow during National Western Stock Show Parade | | |
RTD will pause light rail service for the L Line and modify service for the D and H lines in downtown Denver at 11 a.m. Thursday in preparation for the National Western Stock Show Parade.
All D and H lines will end at the Theatre District•Convention Center Station, and L Line service will not operate during the parade. Regular service will resume on these lines around 2 p.m. after the parade concludes.
| | Senior Manager of Planning Technical Services to depart RTD | | From Benefits and Wellbeing: Make financial health a priority | |
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau defines financial well-being as a state of being wherein a person can fully meet current and ongoing financial obligations, feel secure about the future, and make choices that allow for more enjoyment of life. January is recognized as Financial Wellness Month, helping to encourage people to reflect on their spending habits and set meaningful and realistic financial goals for the rest of the year.
To encourage employees to jump-start the year on the right foot financially, each month throughout the first quarter of 2026, the Benefits and Wellbeing team will provide practical guidance and support for financial and overall well-being in upcoming issues of Inside Connections. Continue reading on the Hub to learn about the resources RTD offers employees to help improve financial health, as well as learn about the newest wellness challenge, the "Right on the Money Challenge."
| | |
Final reminder: SCRMBL, BRKRM networks will be disabled Friday, new WiFi networks available | |
As part of a recent upgrade to RTD's internal WiFi networks, legacy networks SCRMBL and BRKRM will be disabled Friday, and devices will no longer be able to connect to them. The new networks, TransIT_Corp and TransIT_Personal, are now available for employees to use. All RTD-issued laptops and computers will be able to automatically connect to the TransIT_Corp network with no passwords needed. RTD-issued and personal devices such as tablets and smartphones can access the internet by connecting to TransIT_Personal and entering TransIT!D3pt as the password when prompted. Note that this password only needs to be entered upon first connection, and will automatically connect as long as the device is active.
Guests to RTD, such as vendors and business partners, can still use the MOBILE network. However, the login credentials have changed. To access the MOBILE network, users must enter "limited" as the username and "wifiuser" as the password, both without quotation marks.
Please contact the IT Service Desk with questions regarding the new networks.
|
| 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 | |
"Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving."
— Terry Pratchett
| |
| What did you think of this edition of Inside Connections? | | | | |
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. |
| Disclaimer: Please do not click the unsubscribe button. You will miss out on important information about the agency and be resubscribed. | | | | |
