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RTD will begin the next phase of light rail track reconstruction work in downtown Denver on June 7 to replace aging rail infrastructure and maintain the long-term integrity of its transit network.
The work is part of a multi-year, $152 million project to reconstruct miles of light rail track in downtown Denver, the first project of this magnitude in RTD’s history. During previous phases, which took place in 2024 and 2025, crews reconstructed five intersections in Denver’s Downtown Loop as well as the intersection of Kalamath Street and Colfax Avenue.
| Stay up to date with the latest news and updates about the project by bookmarking the RTD (Rail Projects) Bulletin and the Rail Projects webpage, both linked below. | | Introducing the Everbridge emergency text alert notification system | | |
On Tuesday, May 26, RTD’s Operations and Transit Police departments will launch a significant upgrade to the agency’s internal emergency alert system, vastly improving how quickly and effectively employees receive critical information during emergencies.
The new notification system, called Everbridge, allows the Regional Operations Center to send real-time emergency text alerts to the primary phone number listed in each employee’s Workday profile. These notifications will include information about emergencies, disruptions, access limitations, and other urgent emergency situations, all to arm employees with critical information and greatly improve the speed of which employees are notified about emergency situations and the steps they need to take to ensure their safety.
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Tim Lucero named manager of Regional Operations Center | | |
Last Friday, Erik Wright, Director of the Regional Operations Center, announced that former General Superintendent of Street Operations Tim Lucero had been selected as the Regional Operations Center's manager, effective Monday.
Lucero, who has served RTD since 2001, is responsible for providing day-to-day operational leadership and management of the agency’s centralized service delivery and real-time operations across all services, including bus, light rail, and commuter rail.
| | 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. | | Customer praises information specialist for her helpfulness, professionalism | Information specialist Ashley Diaz is very helpful and professional. She knows how to use her tools. I needed some help, and she quickly provided the information I needed. Whoever trained her deserves a pat on the back! | | Bus operator navigates the tight turns of Boulder Canyon with ease | I really like the way Route NB operator Lewis Houseley drives because it's easy on me as a passenger. He drives at just the right speed for the mountain road and handles the steering so smoothly. He's a great driver! | | Technical training hosts first responder guide training for RTD Transit Police, Emergency Management staff | | |
On May 15, members of RTD’s Transit Police and Emergency Management Department joined Instructor/Supervisor, Technical Training Jon Paul Mitchell for emergency response training. The session used the recently updated first responder guides to walk participants through key procedures, including emergency bus shutdowns, door operations, parking brake activation, and electrical isolation.
The training covered procedures for each type of bus in RTD’s fleet, such as Gillig, New Flyer, MCI, and BYD, ensuring responders are familiar with the wide range of systems they may encounter when tending to an emergency situation, all in an effort to improve first responder safety, rapid incident response, and increase familiarity with critical emergency systems onboard transit vehicles.
Pictured above, from left to right, are Emergency Management Specialist Amelia Iraheta, Transit Police Sergeant Marcos Hernandez, Transit Police Officer Martin Aragon, Transit Police Detective James Whitley, Emergency Management Specialist Natt Cohen, and Instructor/Supervisor, Technical Training Jon Paul Mitchell.
| | RTD places first in written exam during the Bus Maintenance competition at 2026 APTA International Bus Roadeo | | |
Over the weekend, bus operator Craig Vasbinder and mechanics Ben Carroll, Dan Jurik, and Marcos Carrillo competed in the 2026 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) International Bus Roadeo, representing RTD and competing against 39 other transit agencies all across North America for the championship.
In a repeat of last year's International Bus Roadeo in Austin, Texas, Carroll, Jurik, and Carrillo, once again, earned the highest score on the written maintenance exam and placed 10th overall in the maintenance team competition out of 49 total teams, up one position from last year's 11th-place finish! In the driving competition, Vasbinder placed 38th out of 80 total operators.
Congratulations to Team RTD for their incredible results at this year's International Bus Roadeo!
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Chris Gaul
Mechanical Engineer, Infrastructure (6 years of service)
Daniel Lott
General Repair Certified Mechanic (10 years of service)
Christopher Harmon
Business Analyst, Physical Assets (18 years of service)
Richard Kenyon
Bus Operator (19 years of service)
Walter Powell
Bus Operator (19 years of service)
Daniel Seifert
Transportation Operating Division Manager (East Metro) (22 years of service)
Marie Snell
Board Office Operations Associate (24 years of service)
Ron Posey
Facilities Maintenance Operating Facilities Manager (26 years of service)
Wayne Benesky
General Repair Certified Mechanic (28 years of service)
Louis Cripps
Senior Manager of Asset Management (31 years of service)
| | Best Dressed Operator of the Week: Bayu Mengesha Wondim | | This week’s best dressed operator is Bayu Mengesha Wondim from East Metro Division! Congratulations, Bayu! Thank you for representing RTD with style. | | |
Review the updated Drug and Alcohol Policy on Workday by tomorrow | |
RTD’s updated Drug and Alcohol Policy is now available to view in Workday. All employees have been asked to review it by close of business tomorrow and acknowledge receipt at their earliest opportunity.
Please send an email to DAP@rtd-denver.com or call the Drug and Alcohol Hotline at 303.299.2002 with questions.
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Career assistance training is available for RTD employees | |
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 27, the Talent Acquisition team will host in-person career assistance training sessions inside the Skyway and Salt-Mine conference rooms at the 711 building, ready to assist RTD employees with resume review, application support, and mock interviews.
To sign up for a 30-minute in-person meeting, click here. Virtual sessions are available for those who cannot attend the in-person event. Click here to register for a virtual session.
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| Meet the Contracting and Procurement Team: Procurement Specialist II Bethany Swank | | | | Swank began her career in 2012 with the State of Delaware’s transportation agency, DART First State. In 2021, she moved to Colorado and joined RTD, bringing nearly a decade of public procurement experience. Swank recently earned two professional certifications in public sector procurement: the Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and the National Institute of Government Purchasing Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP). | | Outside of work, Swank is a proud mother of four who enjoys reading, hiking, and spending quality time with family and friends. | | Welcome RTD’s new contract administrators | The Contracting and Procurement Division is pleased to welcome its new contract administrators, Jan Bump and Tim Marquez. In this role, they support the contract lifecycle, serve as administrators for the OpenGov procurement and contract management platform, help coordinate with vendors and departments, ensure compliance, and strengthen RTD’s overall procurement, contract, and vendor management processes. Their expertise and attention to detail will enhance the team’s efficiency and contribute to the agency’s continued success. | | Reminder: Don’t miss the next Contracting and Procurement training session | |
The Contracting and Procurement Division will host a virtual training session covering topics such as navigating procurement types, establishing and adhering to timelines, and a deeper look at the OpenGov procurement portal.
The session will take place 1-3 p.m. tomorrow. Click the link below to join the session at its scheduled start time.
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Join members from the Market Development team and learn more about the many pass and discount programs RTD offers to customers.
Dates, times, locations, and registration links are below. Click on the desired date to register for a session.
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Session 1
11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 26
Virtual, Microsoft Teams
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Session 2
Noon
Wednesday, May 27
Virtual, Microsoft Teams
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Session 3
2 p.m.
Thursday, May 28
In-person, Blake Street
Conference Room T&D
| | 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 | |
"You know what you can do. You know what you're capable of. Don't let anybody get into your head."
— Kim Ng
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