DENVER — Englewood resident Erin Daley has used RTD’s Access-on-Demand program for the past 1.5 years to commute to work, doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, and friends.
As a blind person who uses a white cane, she called the service her connection to the community.
“It is incredible to be able to go to places that I haven't been before,” Daley said. “I went to the Apple Cider Festival last fall. I've never been able to attend that because it's just outside of the bus lines.”
Access-on-Demand provides taxpayer-subsidized Uber and Lyft rides to Denver metro residents with disabilities. On Monday, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) held a public comment meeting about its plans to reduce the service.
“Before Access-on-Demand was an option, it was difficult to do most things. I would say I would either have to have a two-hour commute to work when it was only maybe 20 minutes away by drive. I would have to go out in inclement weather, and sometimes, especially using a cane as a blind person, you can't really do that in the snow,” Daley said.
Access-on-Demand has grown 10-fold since it began in 2021. In the beginning, there were 6,250 rides per month. Now, there are more than 62,000 rides per month, with a monthly operating cost of $1 million.
In February 2024, RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson commissioned a peer review study of RTD’s paratransit service delivery. The American Public Transportation Association completed a three-month review of both RTD’s Access-a-Ride and Access-on-Demand paratransit services and noted potential improvements to meet long-term sustainability.
To address the growth and make the program more sustainable, RTD has proposed:
- A fare increase for Access-on-Demand from $4.50 to $6.50.
- Reducing the subsidy from $25 to $20 per trip.
- Limiting service to three-quarters of a mile between non-commuter bus routes and rail lines.
- Limiting service hours to fixed-route service hours.
Daley, who is also a representative of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, said these cuts will not only be unaffordable for some but could be detrimental to those who depend on Access-on-Demand to get to work or are suffering a medical emergency.
“One of the big changes that they're looking to make is to reduce the eligibility of rides to three-quarters of a mile from a bus stop. That is just not going to be feasible for so many people, especially when they keep not only cutting bus lines, but they're cutting the times that those bus lines are operating. And they're only making this available while those bus lines are available,” Daley said.
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RTD considers Access-On-Demand a premium service because users don’t have to schedule their trips 24 hours in advance like Access-a-Ride. Access-a-Ride is available for Access-On-Demand users if they exceed the trip cap of 60 trips per month.
RTD said these changes will decrease costs by $5,597,304, or by 36.5%. The total projected yearly spending would be $9,732,481 under this new plan.
“They've given us a piece of what it is to be integrated in a part of the community, and now they're trying to take that away, and it's really difficult,” Daley said.
The final recommendations will be presented to the RTD Board of Directors for a vote in July.
