DENVER — Denver sports fans may soon see BroncosRide and RockiesRide return as the Regional Transportation District (RTD) considers reviving the service.
The fan-favorite round-trip bus service transported passengers from RTD park-and-ride locations directly to Broncos and Rockies home games. RTD suspended the service during the pandemic due to low ridership and bus driver shortages, leaving many regular users frustrated and some without a means of transportation to games.
Now, RTD's board of directors is hoping to score points with fans by potentially reviving the service. During a board meeting on Tuesday, several directors stated that restarting the rides would increase overall ridership and restore residents' faith in their services.
"We have to give people what they want or they will never vote to give us more money," said Chris Nicholson, RTD board director of District A.
"We've directed our staff to put together a plan that they're going to come back with to us to give us all the details, you know, because you have to; there's a lot of logistics involved," said Karen Benker, RTD board director of District I.
Denver7 spent the day listening to fans share their thoughts on the potential return of BroncosRide. Many people said the rides provided a safe alternative for getting to and from games, while helping them avoid parking hassles.
"Well, one, not having to pay for an Uber. Always pro that," said Nick Rohde. “Any city program that is for safer streets and for transporting people is always a good idea.”
"I guarantee that the bus will be full. It'll be full every week that there's a home game," said Mark Storen. "I would never drive and park there… because the traffic is terrible."
RTD decided to permanently end the BroncosRide in 2023 after announcing the service was indefinitely suspended ahead of the 2020-2021 Broncos season.
In a press release, RTD stated that BroncosRide was also in direct conflict with federal guidelines that prohibit transit agencies receiving federal funding from operating specialized services in competition with private charter service providers.
There were also concerns that the services did not give people with disabilities equal access to services, which would be against federal disability laws.
During Tuesday's board meeting, the directors acknowledged these concerns and stated that they would investigate whether an equity analysis is necessary for BroncosRide and explore charter regulations surrounding the service.
Despite these challenges, Benker said she is confident that the rides will restart by May 2026, ahead of the start of the Rockies' season in April.
