Why are you seeking public office?
I am seeking this office as I have practical and sensible solutions to give riders and taxpayers the most bang for their buck. Presently, there are three boards attempting to figure out what RTD did wrong and how to fix it. I have seen this first-hand for the past three years as I am a volunteer member on RTD’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities (ACPD). For example, in August 2019, RTD employees asked ACPD how to handle the influx of riders with luggage and bikes using the wheelchair ramps at train stations. I said put up a simple sign that says No Bikes, No Luggage, etc. It has been over a year now, and RTD still hasn’t made up their mind. RTD needs a Director who can streamline the agency while still providing good transit service.
What will your top three priorities be if elected?
1. Consolidate the 8 light rail lines to 4 light rail lines. Presently, RTD says there are 8 lines. There are, actually, only four — Golden, Santa Fe, I-25, and Aurora. Combining the light rail lines will improve operations, costs, labor, etc. and, the best part, put two trains per hour back into Aurora.
2. Require the Human Resources Department to respond to new bus/train driver applicants within seven days to offset future driver shortages.
3. Plan for the future by extending heavy rail from Peoria Station and widening I-70 from Pena to the new Aurora Highlands where the developer states 60,000 people will live, work, play.
The coronavirus pandemic has created a severe budget crunch that’s expected to last for several years. How should RTD cut spending and/or increase revenue?
1. Consolidate the light rail lines to improve operations and costs.
2. For non-union employees, continue the required furlough days.
3. Eliminate all Fare Zones; tickets cost $3; airport tickets cost $8; lower the prices to stimulate demand. The new “N” Line will have the same ticket cost its entire length.
4. Temporary Pay Cuts – Any RTD employee earning a salary would receive a pay cut — including the new GM/CEO.
5. Eliminate the newly formed “Accountability Committee” that, presently, has been allocated $200,000. This Committee is going up against RTD’s own “Reimagine RTD” committee.
Lastly, the majority of RTD’s funding is through sales and use taxes. If we don’t shop and eat more, then RTD will continue to falter if the Colorado economy cannot operate at its full potential.
What is your long-term vision for RTD to better serve Denver and the metro area? What are the challenges to achieving it?
My long-term vision for the metro is better transportation infrastructure for everyone. It is time to plan for the future rather than wait. Here are two examples:
1. Extend the “L” line as an elevated train down MLK Blvd to Fitzsimons. This would be a successful project for everyone as there are numerous homes along MLK.
2. CDOT must begin building road tunnels in the mountains to ease congestion. A perfect place for a tunnel is from Empire to Winter Park which would complement Berthoud Pass just as the Eisenhower Tunnel complements Loveland Pass.
The biggest challenge for both of these examples is MONEY. For the MLK extension, a .5% tax on all marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, & rental cars within the District could pay for it. For the proposed Berthoud Tunnel, it would be paid with tolls.
In a district as large as RTD, should the board take a demand-driven approach that focuses service in communities with more density, or do you favor maintaining an equitable level of service across the coverage area?
A demand-driven approach should be considered and this approach would be better use of revenue and operations. Whereas if RTD sought an equitable level of service, then, for example, the EV bus route to Evergreen would have the exact same level of bus service like the 15 on Colfax. It is simple. If demand rises on certain bus routes more than others, then RTD should supply additional frequencies for those respective routes. Since RTD does not have unlimited funds, buses and trains cannot be placed everywhere.
Why are you seeking public office?
I am running for the RTD District A Board position because public transit has tremendous potential in Denver. When done right, buses and trains are not just “people-movers” but vehicles to greater economic equality, a healthier population, and more sustainable future. Unfortunately, that is not the reality that exists with RTD right now; I have seen how our system has fallen short of that ideal as a rider and educator. As director, I would work to move RTD towards its full potential.
What will your top three priorities be if elected?
As director, I would champion the following causes: first, expedited bus travel in Denver by advocating for more transit lanes, incentivized digital ticketing, and all-door boarding; second, improved rider experience by simplifying digital platforms, freezing fares, and making bus stops more informative and accessible; third, increased core service by moving the Reimagine process forward and voting for service not projects.
The coronavirus pandemic has created a severe budget crunch that’s expected to last for several years. How should RTD cut spending and/or increase revenue?
The pandemic has clarified a number of longstanding agency priorities that have been disappointing. That operators, who have valiantly served without full health protections and hazard pay, are going to face layoffs while we maintain healthy FISA savings and high senior administration pay is unconscionable. First, I support suspending FISA deposits and dipping into the reserves if necessary because we have viable alternatives to the train. The next line of cuts should come to senior administration salaries and FlexRide, which does not merit current spending based on ridership. Finally, RTD must give riders a reason to come back beyond merely existing. This means modifying service plans to further increase frequency on popular routes and making adjustments to increase bus speed.
What is your long-term vision for RTD to better serve Denver and the metro area? What are the challenges to achieving it?
To better serve Denver and the metro area, RTD must become more proactive. For too long, decreases in ridership have been accepted, but the trend can be reversed. It starts with right-sizing fares for the average rider and prioritizing ridership over coverage in a redesign of the bus network. From there, RTD must partner with local governments to build infrastructure for faster transit, including full bus-rapid transit. Municipalities that truly prioritize transit — not just in name — will see the best returns for the residents. Finally, there must be discussions with the legislature and state land board about RTD’s ability to develop land effectively; the agency could be a leader in creating affordable, transit-oriented housing if certain restrictions were lifted.
In a district as large as RTD, should the board take a demand-driven approach that focuses service in communities with more density, or do you favor maintaining an equitable level of service across the coverage area?
I support a demand-driven approach that focuses on serving communities with more density for two reasons. First, people, like myself, living in neighborhoods with higher density are often more dependent on transit for their mobility, and RTD focusing its service in these areas will create access to jobs and life’s necessities. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen routes that already do this retain more riders (August 4th study session). Second, focusing service on these neighborhoods has a greater likelihood of inducing ridership. The logistics and geography of running a bus route through a low-density neighborhood are challenging; it may lack walkability, and the space it needs to traverse may make it too slow-moving to be an attractive alternative to a car.
Why are you seeking public office?
I was asked to run based on my work in the community in transit and advocacy; I spend a lot of time in this area — out in front of the local grocery I have heard over and over that older adults who may someday not be able to drive need good transit services; essential workers need to be able to get to work; kids need to get to school. My platform still includes the need for more smaller shorter circulators, like the Chariot pilot project in Cherry Creek and the DU shuttle.
What will your top three priorities be if elected?
1) Offering as much service as possible; 2) keeping pace with the needs of our riders; 3) looking at innovative partnerships. We want all of our public transportation to be safe, clean, available, and dependable. I will work to keep up with changes in our industry — as we move forward, as we overcome COVID, as we continue to grow in some parts of the region, and have less riders in other areas. RTD needs to react quickly to opportunities and deficits.
The coronavirus pandemic has created a severe budget crunch that’s expected to last for several years. How should RTD cut spending and/or increase revenue?
Everyone has been impacted by the pandemic, not just RTD. We need to look at what service we can provide, where we can provide it, alternative ways to help the public get where they need to go when they want to go there. There are options available now that were inconceivable when RTD was created. Sometimes a 40′ bus is not the solution. RTD needs to partner with communities and other forms of transit to offer the most cost effective service.
What is your long-term vision for RTD to better serve Denver and the metro area? What are the challenges to achieving it?
This is what I do — transit, 24/7. In my day job I run a nonprofit that helps people with transit. I have spent 4 years learning the RTD system and finding out how to be effective for issues that affect District A. It takes time to figure out what works and what does not and what can be changed. I would like to have another 4 years to continue that work — I would like to see RTD move out of the current morass that we are in and into what we all envision it could and should be.
In a district as large as RTD, should the board take a demand-driven approach that focuses service in communities with more density, or do you favor maintaining an equitable level of service across the coverage area?
I believe that we should offer service to the public where the public lives and where they have shown consistent ridership. RTD should be moving people, not moving vehicles, and not spending money on services that have 5 riders an hour.