From pandemic to prosperity: RTD reflects on five years of the N Line and the grit of its employees | | 2020 was a year that changed the course of history. A pandemic spurred by the COVID-19 virus brought the entire world to a screeching halt. In a few short days, roadways became empty, meetings moved from boardrooms to online chat rooms, and modern life as humanity knew it changed forever. Yet even a global health emergency could not stop RTD from opening its newest and first self-operated commuter rail line, the N Line, which opened five years ago as of Sunday, Sept. 21. | | End-of-line cleaning on light rail runs is making a difference | | |
During the busier times of the day, the end of the line is the start of service for dedicated teams of RTD service workers who stand ready to spring into action.
A light rail train that slides into the tail track at Peoria, Florida, RidgeGate Parkway or Littleton•Mineral station has 17 minutes before its next departure. This is enough time for the operator to take a short break – and for two Service and Cleaning employees to step on board each rail car.
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In honor of National Human Resources Professionals Day, RTD recognizes those who keep its workforce moving | |
Tomorrow is National Human Resources (HR) Professionals Day, a day that recognizes the diverse work America’s HR professionals perform daily to ensure their organizations operate at maximum efficiency. At RTD, the HR umbrella is vast and wide, covering an expansive range of areas that have an effect on the agency employees’ health, well-being, pay, benefits and, most importantly, provide a helping hand for employees who need one.
Meet Senior Talent Acquisition Partner Rachel Sileo and Benefits Specialist Hami Nguyen, two of RTD’s HR professionals who are passionate about the work they do to create opportunities for and improve the health and well-being of the agency’s 3,000-plus employees.
| | Rachel Sileo, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner | | Hami Nguyen, Benefits Specialist | | Maria Ayala, Service Person (20 years) | | |
| “I came from Bolivia almost 40 years ago. I worked for a transportation company in Virginia for 18 years, and I have been in Colorado almost 21 years. When I moved here to Colorado, I applied to be a driver because I was a driver in Virginia, but it wasn’t the same. I switched to Service and Cleaning, and I stayed because I like it. I like the hours because I could spend more time with my kids. Now that my kids have grown, it’s like, here’s my family." | | | Week three: demolition activities have begun | |
In this week's report, news was shared that the section of Kalamath Street between North Speer Boulevard and West Colfax Avenue has been closed to passenger and commercial vehicles until work is completed. In addition, sidewalks and bike lanes adjacent to Kalamath Street have been closed for pedestrians and cyclists to ensure their safety and the safety of the construction crews. Maintenance of Way (MOW) crews also inspected the existing rail near Colfax at Auraria Station last Thursday, checking the conditions of the newly exposed rail, ties, clips and ballast that typically stay hidden beneath the concrete track paving.
Click the link below to review the full report and the progress of the project.
| Crews began demolition work starting at the Colfax at Auraria Station. Sawcutting and concrete removal are underway in preparation for new track installation. Click the thumbnail above to see the process in action and learn about what goes into removing old rail. | Reminder: Bookmark these links for project updates | Access Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project weekly reports, progress updates, photos, videos, news and resources about the latest happenings with the project. Click the links below to access the webpage and project Linktree. | | 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 uses humor, kindness to make commute more enjoyable | Jesus Quintero was very kind and understanding to everyone who he interacted with. He put thoughtful effort into not making sudden stops, and if sudden stops did occur (which only happened twice), he either apologized or made a funny joke about the sudden stop. | | Information specialist follows up, provides options for customer’s son | My son uses Access-a-Ride and, unfortunately, he lost his wallet with his Access-a-Ride ID in it. I needed to find out what we needed to do since we can't show an Access-a-Ride ID to board the bus for my son’s trips tomorrow. | | |
Board tours Elati Division to learn about rail operations | | |
Well before the sun rose on Sept. 19, close to two dozen RTD employees led a tour of Elati Division for Board Chair Julien Bouquet and Directors Kathleen Chandler, Brett Paglieri, Ian Harwick, Matt Larsen and Michael Guzman. During the early morning visit, staff explained what it takes to prepare light rail trains for a service day. The directors received lessons on different railroad components such as switches, signals and power cables; observed revenue service pullout, train washing and detailing; and were given demonstrations on equipment, processes and 3D printing. They were also invited to experience the light rail simulator.
Leadership Team members taking part in the tour included General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson; Deputy Chief Executive Officer Angel Peña; Chief Operations Officer Patrick Preusser; Dave Jensen, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Rail Operations; Greg Smith, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Bus Operations; and Stuart Summers, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer. Rail staff encompassed Tim Walker, Erik Wright, Brian Farris, Jason Cathey, Julie Kirk, Jerred Reed, Cindy Martinez, Brian Connely, Eric Mannes, Venessa Stone and Greg Roberts. Other participating colleagues included Erin Vallejos, Jack Kroll, Jillian Knapp-Rhodes, Tai-Shrae Parish and Marie Snell.
| | RTD-PD takes part in First Responders Fun Fest | | Transit Police officer Scott Butler staffs the RTD booth, taking photos with kids and chatting with those passing by about ways to stay safe on transit. | | |
On Saturday, RTD Transit Police (RTD-PD) officers participated in the First Responders Fun Fest at Park Meadows mall in Lone Tree. Hosted by the Lone Tree Police Department, the event brought together local first responders and law enforcement agencies to build relationships with those in the communities they serve.
“We're proud to work alongside our partners to ensure the safety of our customers,” RTD-PD Commander Jon Holloway said. “Events like this are a great reminder that our shared commitment to public safety brings us all together.” Holloway and Officer Scott Butler, pictured, participated in the event.
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Tesfaye A. Tussa
Bus Operator
Haileselassie Gebretsadkan
Bus Operator
Paideia Hartgrove
Bus Operator
James Milton
Bus Operator
Grace Ostler
Bus Operator
Jonathon Ostler
Bus Operator
Om Kaji Shrestha
Bus Operator
Javon Simmons
Bus Operator
Ariziki Tchakoli
Bus Operator
Lidaan Techur
Bus Operator
Nixon Tsasa
Bus Operator
Garry Turks
Bus Operator
David Urrutia
Bus Operator
Henok Woldegeorgis
Bus Operator
Mesfin Alemu
Bus Operator
Moussa Diallo
Bus Operator
David Frazer*
Bus Operator
Asrat Malako
Bus Operator
Birara Mekonnen
Bus Operator
Cheikh Ndiaye
Bus Operator
Yohannes Teklemariam
Bus Operator
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Ellis Burke
Train Operator
Stacey Hicks
Train Operator
Vaijon Horton
Train Operator
James MacAllister
Train Operator
Brian Sapp
Train Operator
Kevin Stallsworth
Train Operator
Tamara Webb
Train Operator
Pete Muniz
Body Mechanic, Body Shop
Shrestha Bhuvan
General Repair Mechanic
Yasha Demchenko*
General Repair Mechanic
Oscar Diaz
Certified Facilities Maintenance Mechanic
Antigone Peebles*
Service Person
Darby Flessner
Service Worker
Brian Washington
Service Worker
Ishfaq Masih Bhatti
Service Worker
Leroy Harris
Service Worker
Markus McCalman
Rail Laborer
Jacob Roe
Rail Laborer
Justin Dupuch
Rail Laborer
Jorge Gonzalez
Rail Laborer
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Alexa Alverson
Accountant I
Pamela Berger
Business Support
Gregory Roberts
Business Support II
Katelyn Dunham
Labor Relations Specialist
Patrick Naulty
Procurement Specialist II
Trent Sumpter
LRT Controller
Rodrick Whalen*
Dispatcher
Anthony Otradovec
Dispatcher
Hugh Williams
Senior Java Developer
Danielle Burton
Division Supervisor, Platte
Rolan Carlotta
Real Property Specialist
Helen Scott
Real Property Specialist
Sean Faris
Deputy Chief of Police
Richard Hayes
Public Safety Dispatcher
Kelsey Kramper
Public Safety Dispatcher
Alarik Ripke
Public Safety Dispatcher
Julie McKinster
Victim Advocate Program Specialist
Patrick Preusser
Chief Operations Officer
Jerry Wallace
Bus Operator
(*) denotes rehire
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Best Dressed Operator of the Week: Rachel McCoy | This week’s best dressed operator is Platte Division’s Rachel McCoy! Congratulations, Rachel, and thanks for keeping true to RTD’s uniform standards. |
| Reminder: RTD college fair is Oct. 8 at District Shops | | | | Employees interested in furthering their education are encouraged to swing by the paint bay at District Shops 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 8. Representatives from 17 colleges and organizations will be available to chat with employees about the programs they offer. | | Interested in attending? Let the Learning and Development team know! Click the link below to fill out a quick form that will assist with event planning. Questions about the fair can be sent to rtdlearning@rtd-denver.com. | | Volunteers needed to assist with winter programming events | The temperatures are dropping and the snow is falling in the mountains, which means winter is just around the corner! Get in the winter spirit by helping out with Community Engagement’s winter programming. Share winter-themed stories with children, sing holiday carols, hand out gingerbread cookies at RTD stations, and assist Santa Claus while he makes the rounds around RTD finding out what children (and children at heart) want for Christmas this year. | | Limited spots remain to march in the 2025 9News Parade of Lights | |
For a third consecutive year, RTD is marching through the streets of downtown Denver to recognize the many holidays celebrated in the community.
Note that participation in this parade is limited to 30 employees (no family members). Click the link below to sign up and secure your spot in the parade.
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DDP wants your thoughts on commuting in Denver | The Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) has launched its annual Downtown Denver Travel Survey and wants to hear from RTD employees about their commuting habits. Whether you travel by car, bus, bike or train, fill out the survey through Oct. 17 by clicking the link below. Responses will support this external group’s efforts to bolster and improve opportunities throughout the downtown area. All who complete the survey will be entered to win a $250 Visa gift card. |
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Horns to sound along N Line for routine maintenance | N Line Maintenance of Way crews will be conducting routine track resurfacing work starting Sept. 29. The work, which will begin at Union Station and continue to Eastlake•124th Station, will require train horns to sound when passing surfacing crews and equipment. No impacts to N Line service are anticipated. |
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Head to the LoDo classroom on the mezzanine at District Shops at noon tomorrow for snacks and drinks while learning how to prepare for emergencies and disasters! Emergency management specialists Amelia Iraheta and Natt Cohen will provide tips and tricks on how to properly prepare for different kinds of emergencies, and they will share advice on what items to consider including when building an emergency preparedness kit.
Can’t make it to the session? Swing by the Facts-n-Snacks page on the Hub later today to view a recording of one of the virtual sessions that took place earlier this week.
Please send questions, concerns or issues to Senior Specialist, Public Relations Austin Nettleton (austin.nettleton@rtd-denver.com).
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| | Prospective candidates can visit Platte Division 2-5 p.m. today to inquire about a variety of open positions within Bus Transportation and Maintenance, including operators and mechanics. Learn more about the careers RTD offers by clicking the link below. |
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CORRECTION: Last week’s Inside Connections incorrectly stated that bus operator Craig Vasbinder won the overall category in 2024. Bus operator Jimmy Romero won in 2024, while Vasbinder won that same category in 2023. The Inside Connections team regrets this error. |
| 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 | |
"My mother gave me one piece of advice that stuck with me. She said don't forget where you came from."
— Eva Longoria
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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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