RTD modifying outreach and engagement around service change process

In an effort to garner better participation from customers, stakeholders and the public, RTD is overhauling its communications and engagement approach to include additional public events and outreach opportunities.

In the past, RTD has traditionally hosted, at minimum, three public meetings to discuss each of its service changes that occur three times a year. The meetings have been offered virtually and in person to educate customers and solicit real-time feedback. These events have recently yielded low attendance and participation. Earlier this year, staff from Communications and Engagement, Service Planning and Development, Bus Operations, Rail Operations and Civil Rights met to develop a comprehensive, new approach to service changes.

RTD implements service changes typically in the winter, spring and fall, to increase reliability, enhance connections, improve on-time performance, account for seasonal changes to ridership and support scheduled maintenance projects across the transit system. RTD’s new outreach and engagement approach includes a notable change to how it communicates each proposed change.

The proposed service changes are now organized into the following five categories. These categories provide customers, stakeholders and community members with a quick and concise overview of the proposed change, the reason and its potential impact.

  1. Seasonal Adjustment: Temporary modifications made to bus and rail services in response to seasonal variations in demand or operational conditions.
  2. Service Increase: Increases to the frequency, trips, span of service or operating hours.
  3. Service Reduction: Reductions to the frequency, trips, span of service or operating hours.
  4. Schedule Timing: Alterations to the running time of bus and rail services, typically to better align with customer demands and trip connections, and to improve on-time performance.
  5. Route Adjustment: Detours and changes to routes or stops to optimize efficiency, improve accessibility, respond to changing travel patterns, or facilitate planned maintenance projects. Some of these adjustments may also come from the implementation of RTD’s System Optimization Plan.

Customers will now have the option to provide feedback in five different ways:

  • Complete an online survey
  • Send an email to [email protected]
  • Call Customer Care at 303.299.6000
  • Provide public comment at a Board meeting
  • Visit with RTD staff at a local community event

These new changes to outreach and engagement went into effect last week, and the public feedback period for September’s service changes is underway.