Diversity Spotlight:
Together We Are More - Unidos Somos Más | |
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.
National Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month, observed annually from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, cultures, achievements, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine communities in the United States.
The national observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Twenty years later, Congress expanded the observance to a 30-day period, and President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation into law in 1988.
| | RTD awards New Flyer bus order for East Colfax BRT | |
RTD has placed an order from New Flyer of America Inc. for 47 Xcelsior 60-foot clean-diesel heavy-duty transit buses for the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, with passenger service anticipated to begin in early 2028. The contract also includes options for up to 80 additional 60-foot buses.
Designed to enhance passenger flow and accessibility along the high-capacity corridor, the vehicles will feature a three-door configuration for faster boarding and alighting, level boarding to improve accessibility and reduce dwell times, and interior bicycle racks to support multimodal travel.
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In the Downtown Loop Midblocks area, crews continued placing base material and constructing the track drainage system in various blocks on Stout Street between 14th and 19th streets. The team also graded and prepared the ground before setting and thermite-welding rail segments between 17th and 18th streets. Throughout Stout Street, crews adjusted newly installed light rail electrical system structures known as pull boxes. In the intersections on Stout Street, concrete-leveling work was completed as crews began conduit connection work at 15th and Stout streets.
In the Colfax Avenue Alignment area, crews continued setting rail, pouring embedded track slab, and constructing drainage inlets between Seventh and Kalamath streets. The team also backfilled the area between tracks with base material and installed rebar in preparation for pouring the concrete filler slab that will sit between the two embedded track slabs. At the Cherry Creek Bridge, crews completed removing rail and concrete plinths.
| | 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’s confidence in ability shaves key seconds off customer’s commute | My driver, Eric Stubblefield, was a smooth operator for bringing the bus into the stop. Easily the most efficient stop I’ve seen. He lined up perfectly with the curb with no hesitation and had the door already open by the time the bus was in front of me so that I could step on as fast as possible. | | Bus operator impresses new customer with kindness, professionalism, and skill | Bright and early at 7 a.m., I boarded the Route AT bus to the airport for the first time. I followed others and placed my bag on the sidewalk, which operator Coy Whorton loaded underneath. During the route, in heavy rush hour traffic, I sat back and relaxed as Coy drove calmly through the morning madness. | | Want to relive the Snow Plow Roadeo? Watch highlights here | | Click the thumbnail above for a video recap of the Aug. 20 event, in which videographer Mark Morarie brings viewers inside the cab and onto the course. | | |
5 years
Fernando Cosio Perez
Custodian/Public Facilities Maintenance
Ramiro Bertaud
General Landscaper
Eliot Tunison
Certified Train Engineer
Steven Heinen
Train Operator
Kevin Crane
Rolling Stock Maintenance Supervisor (Bus)
Dennis Wagumba
Service Worker
Blake Saunders
General Repair Mechanic
10 years
Jose Aguilar
Bus Operator
Jonathan Canales
General Repair Mechanic
Wayne Harts
Facilities Maintenance Mechanic, Public Facilities
Scott Matuska
Radiator Shop Technician
Nicodemo Casciato
Transit System & Support Supervisor (Bus)
15 years
Antonio Garcia
Bus Operator
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20 years
Hugh Lindsay
Bus Operator
Robert Harkin
Train Operator
Vernita Johnson
Bus Operator
Cristina Gomez
Bilingual Information Specialist
Aprajit “Jeet” Desai
Infrastructure Delivery Director
Tameko Davis
Bus Operator
Timothy Kah
Electro Mechanic LRV
Tony Santos
Bus Operator
Brian Burke
General Repair Certified Mechanic
25 years
Damian Valladares
Bus Operator
30 years
Jeff Bissing
ITS Systems Administration Supervisor
Michael Harvey
Bus Operator
35 years
Carey Descheny
Bus Operator
| | Best Dressed Operators of the Week: Rain Diallo | | This week’s best dressed operator is Rain Diallo from Bus Operator Training. Looking sharp, Rain! | | Volunteer, basketball spots still available for Bus Roadeo | |
The 2026 Bus Roadeo is 10 days away! Help make this year’s event a success by volunteering. Additionally, places are still available for teams to register to compete in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament! RTD and contracted employees are welcome to register a team for this event.
To volunteer or participate in the basketball tournament, click the link below.
| | From IT: Secure Print is rolling out agencywide Sept. 21 | |
Due to the discontinuation of the previous print management software, Follow-Me Print, by its developer, RTD’s Information Technology (IT) team will be rolling out a new software platform, Secure Print, to all Windows-based RTD-issued laptops and computers starting Sept. 21.
Secure Print allows users to securely print jobs when and where they want across agency facilities, as well as send document scans directly to their RTD email address. All current functionalities will remain the same.
This change only applies to users who need to scan their employee badges to print documents and files. Mac users who previously used Follow-Me Print will need to continue printing directly to a printer until the iOS version of the software has been approved for use. Employees who print directly to a printer are unaffected by this upgrade and can continue printing documents as usual.
Click the link below to learn how to install Secure Print. Contact the IT Service Desk with any questions.
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Make your holiday plans now: sweaters are available to order | |
It may be September, but it is not too early to usher in the holiday spirit! Get a jump-start on the holiday season by purchasing this year’s RTD holiday sweater and show off your pride for transit. This year’s sweater embraces the colors of the season while showcasing the modes of travel offered by the agency, perfect for winter commutes and holiday outings.
Orders are expected to ship in November. RTD employees can take advantage of free shipping to their home address or have their sweater sent directly to RTD's Blake Street headquarters. Employees can have an order sent to Blake Street by entering “EMPSHIP” in the promo code field, and orders will be distributed via interoffice mail to the employee's primary work location.
NOTE: Employees must enter their operating division’s internal mail code in the “Shipping Information” section if their preference is to receive their order via interoffice mail.
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| RTD will provide bus shuttles this weekend to portions of the A Line | RTD will conduct essential maintenance on the A Line on Saturday from approximately 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Peoria and Denver Airport stations, and on Sunday from approximately 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. between Denver Union and Central Park stations. | | Reminder: Register for the SMART Goals Workshops, access resources | |
Talent and Organizational Development has created the SMART Goals Resources page on the Hub to support the development of SMART goals. On this page, non-represented, goal-eligible employees can access resources such as the on-demand SMART Goals online module, 12 drop-in SMART Goals workshops, and a worksheet to help set goals.
For questions about these resources, email RTDLearning@RTD-Denver.com.
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Broncos fans: Celebrate a new season with your best photos | |
The sun rises on another season for the Denver Broncos. Fresh off last year’s incredible season, when the Broncos made it to the AFC Championship, the boys in orange and blue look to build on that success in hopes of bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to the Mile High for the first time in over a decade.
As the team kicks off its season against bitter rival Kansas City on Monday night, share your Broncos spirit with your colleagues by sending in photos in your fan attire. Submit photos to insideconnections@rtd-denver.com by noon Tuesday, Sept. 15, for a chance to be featured in next week’s edition of Inside Connections.
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| Who wins the first game of the season? | | |
| From Wellbeing: Walktober wellness challenge registration opens Monday | |
Get to steppin’ to better health with Walktober, the latest wellness challenge from the Wellbeing team! Walktober is a 31-day walking challenge designed to help participants move more each day.
Registration begins Monday and closes Oct. 11. The challenge itself begins Oct. 1 and ends Oct. 31.
| | From Cybersecurity: The Core Four: Making security simple | A major challenge for many people is overcoming confusion about online safety and cybersecurity. That is why the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) created the Core Four, a set of four simple yet powerful steps anyone can follow. Continue reading to learn what these four steps are and how applying them to daily technology use can keep the most sensitive data safe and secure. | | 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 | |
“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.”
— Kenji Miyazawa
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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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