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The Bus Roadeo is Saturday at District Shops!
All employees and their families are invited. Continue reading to learn more.
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Hispanic-Latine Heritage Month: Honoring Culture, Advocacy and Transit Equity | | |
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.
Hispanic-Latine Heritage Month has its roots in the civil rights era, when communities across the United States were demanding greater recognition of their histories and contributions. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week, creating space to honor the traditions, cultures and impact of Americans with ancestry in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
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| RTD puts focus on accessibility, mobility for customers with disabilities as work progresses on East Colfax BRT project | |
Denver has a long history with the disability rights movement, which led to RTD becoming the first metropolitan transit agency in the United States to provide wheelchair-accessible service on all local buses. Nowadays, every RTD bus, train and station can be accessed by customers using mobility devices. It remains of the upmost importance that the agency continues improving access for customers with disabilities in future projects, such as East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
Below are two stories shedding light on how this important project will ensure the corridor is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
| | RTD tests Colfax BRT boarding platforms | RTD and the City and County of Denver have reached a key milestone in the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project with on-site testing at one of its new center-running platforms. The project, located along East Colfax Avenue, is poised to bring faster, more accessible transit to thousands of customers who rely on traveling one of Denver’s busiest corridors daily. | | Real accessibility is 'how a space actually functions for people' | |
Accessibility is not as simple as checking a few boxes. It is about creating spaces that everyone can use comfortably, safely and independently.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, set nationwide standards for accessibility-required features such as ramps, tactile paving and landing pads, but those standards are just the starting point. True accessibility comes from thoughtful, intentional design that works in practice.
| | Click the thumbnail above to watch a YouTube video explaining what level boarding is and how the East Colfax BRT project is being designed with level boarding as a key feature. | | |
Customer Care launches comment form just for employees | |
Beginning today, RTD employees now have a way to report issues they may encounter around the district that could negatively impact customers: the OneRTD Care Reporting Form. The new form allows employees to describe issues they notice while on a route, in a customer facility or even commuting home while on RTD services. Examples include broken signage, burned out lights, graffiti and Park-n-Ride concerns. Customer Care manages the OneRTD Care form and will direct submissions to the appropriate groups for resolution.
The new form can be accessed through the link below, on the home page of the Hub, The RTD Bulletin/(Rail Projects) Bulletin and via QR code on the internal public information displays. Additionally, it will permanently reside as a resource link at the bottom of every Inside Connections issue starting with today’s.
RTD employees understand best how the system should look, feel and operate. The agency is made up of employees who are invested in providing the best transit experience for its customers, working together as OneRTD.
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| Rose Bickler, Commuter Rail Dispatcher (15 years) | | | | “I started in Service and Cleaning at East Metro. I moved over to light rail and was an operator for four and a half years, then worked in light rail control for about six years. I’ve been here just past five years. | | “I came to commuter rail because of the challenge, and it’s so different from light rail. I tell people all the time, the only thing they have in common is there’s trains, there’s tracks and there’s an overhead wire. Everything else is completely different. The radio etiquette. You’re not dealing with as many trains. It’s harder to run these trains than it was on light rail. Each operator has paperwork they’re given at the beginning of their shift that has to be current and correct. We’re governed by the Federal Railroad Administration." |
| First Week in Review report is now available to view | |
Last Tuesday, pre-construction work began at the Kalamath Street crossing. Activities completed in the first week of the project included placement of advance warning variable message signs, track materials inventory, underground utility location for RTD-owned utilities and pre-construction surveying. RTD’s Maintenance Of Way crews also began upgrading station signage and repairing platform signs at Colfax at Auraria station.
Click the link below to review the details of the project’s first week of progress, as well as to learn about the work taking place this week.
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| 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. | | SkyRide operator’s timeliness provides stress-free rides | I work at American Airlines at the airport, so it is imperative that I am at work on time. I have a set schedule, so I always take the Route AB1 from US 36•Flatiron Station at 5:09 a.m. The new operator on this route, Adalberto Ayala, is excellent. | | Light rail operator’s kindness, helpful nature impress customer | I just want to recognize operator Tyler Lanckriet on the D Line. I was taking the summer English as a second language classes at the Community College of Denver and just so happened to take his train every Saturday when I went back downtown from Colfax at Auraria Station. | | Deputy Chief of Police sworn into his new role | | | | Deputy Chief Sean Faris, who joined the Transit Police Department on Sept. 2, took an oath of office during a brief ceremony Wednesday. Afterward, Chief of Police and Emergency Management Steve Martingano answered questions from officers about the future of the department and thanked everyone for their hard work in reducing criminal incidents on the RTD system. In attendance were approximately 50 Transit Police officers, as well as staff from Human Resources and other areas within the Transit Police and Emergency Management Department. | | Boulder Junction at Depot Square Station reopens | | |
Last Wednesday, RTD joined representatives from the City of Bouder and other community organizations to celebrate the long-awaited reopening of Boulder Junction at Depot Square Station. The station, which closed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, officially reopened to customers on Sept. 2 as part of the August service changes. The station now serves as the start and end point for Routes AB2 and FF4. Additionally, the HOP, a popular connector route operated by the City of Boulder, resumed its connection between Downtown Boulder and Boulder Junction at Depot Square stations.
Those in attendance had the opportunity to chat with the event’s co-sponsors about the services they provide for first mile, last mile solutions, including Lime scooters, BCycle and Colorado CarShare. Community Engagement Specialist Gabriel Martinez spoke with attendees about the services RTD provides.
| | RTD, CCA celebrate return of bus stop to CentreTech Campus | | |
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, RTD and the Community College of Aurora (CCA) celebrated the reinstatement of an RTD bus stop at CCA’s CentreTech campus. The stop had been discontinued in 2020 due to declined ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reinstatement follows nearly two years of collaboration between RTD and CCA to improve access for students, faculty and staff.
General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson told attendees that the stop was added back based on public input and the potential for greater transit utilization. RTD Director Kathleen Chandler, whose district includes CCA, said: “Public transit is about the freedom to reach your goals, your job, your education.” She recognized two colleagues whose work was integral in reinstating the stop: Engineer Steve Smith and the team in Capital Programs, as well as Senior Service Planner and Scheduler Kelsie Ryan.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, CCA President Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, CCA Vice President of Enrollment Success and Completion Clair Collins and CCA Student Government Association President Samantha Anfield also spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of equitable transportation options for students.
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5 years
Theodore Zakrzewski
Parts Clerk, Warehouse
Jovaughn Mestas
Electro Mechanic LRV
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10 years
Beckie Bailey
Parts Clerk
Bayable Bitew
Bus Operator
Jay Suggs
Rail Laborer
John Holland
Signal/Traction Power Maintainer
Michael Buelter
Senior Materials Management Specialist
Firdawek Bahiru
Bus Operator
Joel Diaz-Almonte
General Repair Mechanic
Jeremy Muhammed
General Repair Mechanic
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15 years
Herb Curl
Bus Operator
Philip Heckers
Bus Operator
Karen Fuhrer
Bus Operator
Matthew Deck
Manager, Grant and Property Accounting
Jyotsna Vishwakarma
Acting Assistant General Manager, Capital Programs
Kristopher Sowell
Support Vehicle Certified Mechanic
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20 years
Corey Quintana
Technician, Facilities Maintenance Contracted Public Facilities
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25 years
Brenda Richardson
Bus Operator
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35 years
Walter Street
Bus Operator
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40 years
Dave Richardson
Systems Administrator, District Maintenance Reporting
Sherri Lee
Transportation Operating Division Manager
Richard Rost
Facilities Engineering Manager
| | Best Dressed Operator of the Week: Nigatu Delebato | This week’s Best Dressed Operator of the Week is operator-in-training Nigatu Delebato! Even in training, Nigatu understands the importance of representing RTD well through fresh style. Congratulations! | | Ro(a)deo Round-Up: Week of Sept. 8 | | The 2025 Bus Roadeo is Saturday! | | | | It’s time to saddle up for the finale of the 2025 Ro(a)deo season as the 2025 Bus Roadeo stampedes through District Shops! Bring the family out on Saturday for a day of fun, food, games and camaraderie while watching RTD’s bus operators and mechanics showcase their skills. Winners will represent the agency at the 2026 International Bus Roadeo in Salt Lake City next May. | | The free event begins at 7 a.m. at District Shops. Breakfast, lunch and a variety of activities will be available to all attendees and competitors. Click the link below for more information. | | RTD college fair returns Oct. 8 at District Shops | Learning and Development is hosting another college fair for RTD employees Oct. 8 – and representatives from 17 institutions and organizations will be in attendance to answer questions and provide information. Thinking about attending? Click the link below to fill out an interest form, which will help your colleagues plan this event. | | New members sought for Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities | |
The ACPD provides RTD with suggestions, ideas and feedback related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and strengthens the agency’s commitment to accessibility and providing safe and reliable transportation for all customers.
Five positions are currently open on the 13-member committee, each for a two-year term. To learn more about the ACPD and its efforts, click the link below.
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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 | |
“Don't let fear stop you from achieving what you want.”
– Elizabeth Colón
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| 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. |
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