RTD is facing a $250 million budget deficit and is reviewing different parts of its transit system to close the gap.
Some paratransit riders worry ideas discussed by board members about how to close that gap could leave them with fewer transportation options.
During a board study session in May, RTD board members discussed ideas including eliminating Access-on-Demand, reducing FlexRide service, changing service hours and shrinking RTD’s service district.
RTD emphasizes those were discussion points only, not formal proposals, and says no final decisions have been made.
Derek Selbo, a blind paratransit rider, is worried about the impact that could extend beyond regular bus routes.
“I would not even know how to get to doctor appointments and dentist appointments. The people who have disabilities using RTD, be it Access-on-Demand or be it the buses, are going to be in a very precarious position with zero transport, if they are on one of those routes that get cut,” RTD paratransit rider Derek Selbo said.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, RTD must provide paratransit service within three-quarters of a mile of its fixed bus routes.
Selbo says his concern is that if those routes are ever reduced, some riders with disabilities could also lose access to the paratransit service they depend on.
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RTD says it’s too early to comment on any potential outcomes of its operational review and says no reductions to paratransit are being recommended at this time.
As for whether eliminating a fixed bus route could in turn affect paratransit service under ADA guidelines, RTD says it’s still working to answer that question as of Thursday afternoon.
Back in January, RTD riders with disabilities began to pay a fare for the agency's Access-On-Demand program.
The program used to give people with disabilities free rides through rideshare and taxis.
After a legal battle, a judge ruled in RTD's favor, allowing the changes to move forward.
