DENVER, Colo. — A local disability rights advocate and musician says the Regional Transportation District is using her image on a bus without her permission, adding to her ongoing concerns about the agency's accessibility and proposed service cuts.
Kalyn Rose Heffernan, a touring artist with the band Wheelchair Sports Camp and a 2019 Denver mayoral candidate, recently discovered a photo of herself from more than a decade ago featured on an RTD bus celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act. In a post, she said she was disappointed and upset by the decision.
▶️ WATCH: Kalyn Heffernan shares why the decision upset her with Denver7's Adria Iraheta
The discovery comes as RTD faces scrutiny over potential service reductions.
The agency is considering cutting bus and train services by 20% by next year to reduce spending and close a budget gap.
During a recent board meeting, RTD staff said it needs to close a $215 million budget deficit through non-service reductions, service changes and revenue growth.
Staff members said they have already identified around $84 million in cuts for non-service areas, like contract modifications, department realignments and vacancy eliminations. A 20% cut in services would help reduce spending by about $62 million, according to staff presentations.
"I mean, this is, like, a frustrating time to find out about this bus. It just, it feels kind of like a slap in the face. You know?" Heffernan said.
Heffernan relies on public transit to navigate Denver, especially when traveling to and from shows.
"It's how I'm connected to this city," Heffernan said. "It's a big part of me."
But as a wheelchair user, she said the system often falls short — and she worries about what service reductions could mean for services like Access-on-Demand and Access-a-Ride.
“I travel often, and we go on tour, and if I come back home late at night, I can catch the train from DIA to Union [Station], but getting from Union [back] home, there's many hours that, like, there's no [accessibility] service. I'd have to wait till like 4 AM,” she said. “I've had to roll all the way home ... it's a challenge, you know?”
The bus design was created by a local artist, whom Heffernan has since contacted to clear the air. Heffernan emphasized that the transit agency, not the artist, should be held accountable.
"You can't co-opt the movement to make us feel good and make us feel like you're serving a community that you've been letting down for a long time now," Heffernan said.
Denver7 reached out to RTD this morning, and officials said they would send a statement this afternoon. As of deadline, the agency had not provided a response.
Heffernan is currently setting up a time to speak directly with the agency.
"They have a lot of responsibility to the city and to me if they're gonna exploit my likeness. So, yeah, I'm ready to hear what they have to say," Heffernan said.
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