u/Impressive-Lake2085

I filed a CORA request for the full contract, subconsultant agreements, and invoices on RTD’s $3.35M transit redesign (RTD Connect) with Jarrett Walker + Associates.

Here are the key takeaways from the public records and recent stakeholder briefings:

• Progress & Billing: RTD has been billed $766,773.34 to date (22.9% of the contract). Subconsultants include Fehr & Peers, GBSM, and LOCUS.
• Work Completed: Existing Network Assessment is 61.1% complete; Travel Demand Modeling is 54%; Updated Network Design is 21.5%.
• The Options Coming This Fall: RTD will present two "bookend" options—an 80/20 ridership split (high frequency on dense corridors) vs. a 60/40 coverage split (wider geographic reach). RTD currently operates at roughly 60/35/5.

Would you prefer RTD focus limited service hours on frequent routes (80/20 ridership) or keep wider coverage (60/40)?

Ride Longmont will add two vans and extend Friday and Saturday service to 10 p.m. in 2027. According to city staff, nearly 20% of trip requests go unaccommodated now.

RTD is paying a consultant $3.5 million to help redesign its entire transit network.

So I asked to interview him.

RTD says no — at least for now.

Here’s what happened, what RTD told me, and why I’m still asking and believe access NOW is important.

I rode U.S. 36 from Boulder to Lyons today for the first time to better understand Boulder County's proposed $95 million North Foothills Bikeway. After seeing the terrain, creek crossings and memorials firsthand, I have a much better sense of where the money would go—and why more than 52,000 cyclists still use the corridor every year.

I wrote up what I learned here.

Hey everyone, the CoCo delivery plan moved forward today at the Front Range Passenger Rail meeting - but Former Mayor Joan Peck raised Longmont concerns about funding before voting "yes." RTD Director Karen Benker, Councilman Alex Kalkhofer and Peck will be leading a town hall at Front Range.Community College Monday to discuss Longmont-specific funding concerns. More coverage of the hearing here.

Here's my recap of last night's meeting in Denver. It started at about 5:30 and finally ended around 10:30. It was interesting to see/hear where the board members agree/disagree on addressing the $200 million budget shortfall.

Tuesday's RTD board packet is another doozie. I don't know why these things have to be almost 500 pages. Anyway, here are the top 5 takeaways from looking through the agenda. I have no experience with the BroncosRide, but sounds like a great service. And selfishly as a Longmonster, I'm excited about the airport bus. It seems like residents are too.

I’m relatively new to the area and was surprised to learn that child care can cost more than in-state tuition at CU Boulder.

I put together an explainer on a proposed Boulder County property tax that would raise about $30 million annually for child care. The story breaks down how much would go toward affordability, new infant and toddler slots, and workforce support—as well as what still isn’t finalized.

Longmont City Councilman Jake Marsing is involved with Brighter Start Boulder County in a personal capacity, not as part of his council duties. He is scheduled to help present the proposal before county commissioners tomorrow.

I've lived carfree in Colorado the last year and depend heavily on RTD. I have started watching agency decisions closer the last few months. This article examines three recent examples I've observed where public pressure appears to have influenced the conversation around service changes or cuts:

1. Route 228 in Superior
2. The proposed 16th Street FreeRide cuts
3. Route AL (Longmont–DIA)

Curious whether others can think of additional examples in the last year or so.

Yesterday I posted about RTD's proposed 25% fare increase. Today I went down the rabbit hole and read the agency's entire 444-page service analysis packet.

No cuts have been approved, but RTD modeled multiple service reduction scenarios. Three things surprised me:

1. Longmont could lose both of its express commuter buses while gaining a new airport route.

The LD and LX both appear in service reduction scenarios, while RTD is simultaneously proposing Route AL, a direct Longmont-to-DIA bus.

2. Airport service appears untouchable.

The A Line receives additional service in every scenario RTD modeled. While commuter routes face cuts, airport access appears to be a clear priority.

3. Rail isn't safe.

The B Line to Westminster and the R Line in Aurora both appear in reduction scenarios. For years, rail has often been treated as the backbone of the system. This packet suggests RTD is willing to reevaluate even some of its rail services.

The biggest takeaway: RTD isn't just debating cuts. It's debating what kind of transit system it wants to be.

I put together a full breakdown of 12 takeaways from the packet in the link.

What surprised you most?

Hi everyone,

My name is Nick Thompson, and I’m a Longmont resident who has spent the past year covering local transportation, public policy, and community issues online.

This week I’m doing a soft launch of a new local journalism project called Thompsorado.

The website is very much a work in progress. The branding isn’t finalized yet, I haven’t purchased a permanent domain name, and I’m still figuring out exactly what this project will become. But I decided it was better to start publishing than wait until everything was perfect.

The goal is simple: provide clear, accessible reporting about Longmont, Boulder County, transportation, local government, development, and exploring Colorado without a car.

Some of the stories I’ve worked on so far include:

• RTD’s proposed Route AL airport bus between Longmont and DIA
• RTD fare increase and service-cut discussions
• A Colorado Open Records Act request related to Longmont’s Fourth of July fireworks show
• Local data center development proposals
• Longmont’s lawn replacement and water conservation programs

Most recently, I spent a weekend digging through hundreds of pages of RTD board materials and found agency estimates showing how potential fare increases could affect ridership across the region. That’s the kind of reporting I hope to continue doing: reading the documents, attending the meetings, and sharing information that might otherwise go unnoticed.

I’m not a newsroom. It’s just me, a laptop, a camera, and a curiosity about how Longmont works.

This is very much a soft launch, and I’m sure the site will continue evolving over the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, I’d love any feedback, criticism, or story ideas from the community.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for making Longmont such an interesting place to cover.

— Nick Thompson

Thompsorado (for now)
Bikes. Buses. Trains. Colorado.

RTD’s Finance and Planning Committee is scheduled to discuss fare change research on Tuesday.

According to materials prepared for the meeting, RTD staff estimated that:

• A 10% fare increase would generate about $4.8 million in additional fare revenue while reducing ridership by 1.3 million annual boardings.
• A 25% fare increase would generate about $12.2 million in additional fare revenue while reducing ridership by 3 million annual boardings.

 

RTD’s current fares are:

• 3-hour pass: $2.75
• Day pass: $5.50
• Monthly pass: $88

 

Fandom.pdf

If fares increased by 25%, those prices would become approximately:

• 3-hour pass: $3.44
• Day pass: $6.88
• Monthly pass: $110

RTD has not proposed specific new fares, and Tuesday’s discussion is focused on the potential impacts of fare increases and the process required before any fare changes could be considered.

Would a 25% fare increase change how often you ride RTD? If so, would you ride less, switch to driving, bike more, or absorb the extra cost?