LITTLETON, Colo. — Arapahoe County leaders are working to close gaps in public transit with a new pilot program — and they want residents to help shape it.
The ArapaGo Transit Connections Plan would bring microtransit and micromobility options such as e-scooters or on-demand rides, to underserved areas of the county. The county has narrowed the pilot down to three areas based on community feedback: Englewood and Littleton, southeast Centennial, and southeast Aurora.
Officials will select only one or two of those areas for the pilot program, which is set to launch next spring.
For riders like Denver resident Pigeon Taylor, the need is personal. Taylor has relied on public transit for 15 years but said getting to and from some parts of the metro — like the Mineral light rail station in Littleton — often means scrambling for a ride.
"Once I get off the light rail here, I need to either, you know, pay for an Uber, get family to pick me up, friends to pick me up," Taylor said.
That kind of gap is exactly what the program aims to address, according to Jim Katzer, transportation division manager for Arapahoe County Public Works and Development.
"What we're hearing is that people love the idea of microtransit, and they want better access to the RTD system," Katzer said.
Katzer said existing options in the three target areas are sparse.
"Currently, there's very limited service for micromobility, if any service for micromobility, in these areas, and micro transit. So this provides a gap," Katzer said.
Equity is also a driving factor behind the initiative.
"The boundary to get to and from, and the freedom that many of us experience, we want to make sure that that is shared amongst all residents in the county, so that it's very high priority in the county," Katzer said.
Shared micromobility projects and additional transit and mobility improvements are part of the region's longer-term plan and may be implemented as funding becomes available, according to Arapahoe County leaders.
The county is partnering with Denver South, Regional Transportation District (RTD) and Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) to implement the pilot.
For Taylor, better connections could mean getting back significant time lost to unreliable last-mile options.
"It can take an extra 30, 45 minutes, an hour if it's really bad," Taylor said.
Taylor said expanded options would make a real difference for people who depend on transit.
"It's nice having a push to connect the spots in those different points, connecting, you know, major streets, major neighborhoods, like people like me who don't drive, having more accessible ways to get around is nice," Taylor said.
A public survey is open now through September 27 for residents to weigh in on what they want to see from the program.
