The Regional Transportation District may see increased ridership if a bill introduced in the Senate clears the House and is signed into law. Called SB24-023, the bill will create a committee to investigate how best to implement free ridership for those aged 18 and under — ostensibly incentivizing youth to use public transit.

It is sponsored by Sens. Kevin Priola, D-Aurora and Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, as well as Reps. Stephanie Vigil, D-El Paso County and Julia Marvin, D-Adams County. 

But in light of several issues facing RTD, including safety concerns and frequency of trips on some routes, some Denverites are not entirely convinced the bill will have much of an effect. City leaders like Mayor Mike Johnston support the bill and RTD officials said they are taking steps to ensure safety at all stops, bus and train, region-wide.

The efforts of SB24-023 appear to echo those of the city of Denver, which allowed all children between the ages of 5 and 18 free access to recreation centers with the MY Denver Card. After the introduction of the card, tens of thousands of children signed up for it, according to previous reports. Of course both RTD and Denver Parks and Recreation saw use decline with the arrival of the COVID-19 Pandemic, which forced some significant cutbacks to service within both agencies. Ridership on RTD has rebounded since the pandemic with an estimated 65 million boardings in 2023.

The bill has support from Denver leadership with Johnston “proud” to support it as a means to increase investment and access to public transit — “a priority” for his administration.

“Mayor Johnston is proud to support SB24-032, which would provide state funding for free access to RTD for youth, making it easier for them get to get to the school, extra-curriculars, and work activities that help them find their life passions,” said Jordan Fuja, a spokesperson for the mayor.

Increasing access to transit will also assist in efforts to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions, creating a healthier Denver, Fuja added.

But there are significant questions relating to safety that have come into sharp focus for RTD in the past two years. In 2022, a Washington Post report documented a “day-in-the-life” of an operator on route 15, that runs up and down Colfax Avenue. Many of the safety concerns raised in that story’s reporting persist and parents who rely on the bus to get themselves and kids to school often avoid RTD after certain times due to those concerns.

Sabrina Giron works in the after-school program at Rocky Mountain Prep near the intersection of Evans Avenue and Federal Boulevard. Her kids are also students at the school. The bus she relies on, route 35, only runs every hour in the morning and doesn’t start arriving every 30 minutes until after the morning rush. 

And with kids to juggle in the morning, who sometimes fight each other and mom, the family misses their bus. But Giron is more worried about safety, and said she refuses to ride the bus, especially with her kids, after 5 or 6 p.m.

“Even waiting at the bus stop kitty corner to the police station right there on Evans Avenue and Clay Street, people don’t mind smoking meth right there and that’s all over the place,” Giron said. “At night, I’ve almost been followed home from the bus stop… I don’t want to stand at the bus stop, I’d rather pay $20 to (take an Uber).”

Giron’s experiences do not exist in a vacuum. Just this week, a shooting near Englewood Station, located near Santa Fe Drive and Hampden Avenue, sent passengers fleeing for cover.

While RTD police and safety officers may patrol the light rail stations with some degree of frequency, Giron said she’s never seen them at a bus stop until after an incident has occurred. And this is representative of what one police agency called a “disturbing trend” of violence at or around RTD bus stops and light rail stations. 

For it’s part, the agency said it is committed to improving safety.

Beginning on May 5, RTD Police will begin 24 hour patrols focusing on “areas in need of greater safety efforts,” according to previous reports from The Denver Gazette. The transit agency’s police force currently employs 61 officers with about 45 anticipated to join the force after academy training.

The department hopes to reach a strength of 119 officers to cover its 2,342 square mile service area — which includes 40 municipalities — by the end of the year.

In a statement provided to The Denver Gazette, RTD officials reiterated their commitment to the safety of passengers and expressed initial excitement towards the legislature’s consideration of SB24-023, but acknowledged it still has to review the plethora of new, transit oriented bills working through the legislature. .

“RTD is committed to creating a welcoming transit environment that supports the personal safety, security, and well-being of all customers and employees using its bus, rail, and paratransit services,” according to the statement. “As an initial reaction, it is very welcome news to potentially have the State of Colorado identify a funding source to make investments in public transit. As the bill moves through the final days of the legislative session, RTD looks forward to working with both the Governor’s Office and the General Assembly.”