Mayoral Q&A

Mike Johnson

Question 1

The City of Denver owns hundreds of RTD bus stops, including the busiest one in Colorado at 17th & Lawrence St in Downtown. These stops are often little more than a pole and a sign. Many lack ADA compliant paving, shelters, benches and trash cans. What would your administration do to expedite ADA compliance at bus stops and improve the overall quality of riders’ waiting experiences?

One of my top priorities as Mayor will be making RTD more accessible and reliable for all Denverites. That’s why I’ve committed to working with Denver businesses to increase purchases of RTD’s EcoPass system and restoring revenues that were lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We can use these funds to not only make public transit more affordable, but to also expedite and invest in ADA compliance at bus stops to improve the experience for riders and thus increase ridership.

Question 2

With the exception of the Colfax BRT, can you name one bus or rail project your administration would be involved in carrying out that would improve transit in Denver?

As Mayor, I will work to increase revenue for RTD so that we can make key lines like the 15 and 15L fare free for all riders. By reinvesting revenue earned through RTD’s EcoPass system to make these lines free, we will make public transit easier to use for riders who may not have used it before and increase ridership overall, which will have a major impact on improving transit in Denver.

Question 3

Green Valley Ranch is often described as a historically marginalized community, with many commentators noting how the area has been impacted by its development as car-centric urban sprawl. GDT believes that the sprawl is a direct consequence of poor development policy, which has located local amenities far apart in environments that are hostile to pedestrians. This has fostered high levels of car-dependency that disproportionately affects low-income residents. How would your administration manage similar developments in future to ensure that residents are not solely reliant on cars, and that they are not stuck with slow, inefficient transit options?

In order to make Denver more affordable and to make it a city where every resident can walk, bike, or ride public transit to where they need to go, we have to prioritize Transit Oriented Development in every single neighborhood. That’s why my housing plan commits to ensuring that new development caters to other modes of transportation. By reducing parking mandates and creating gentle density—among other policies—we can move our city away from being as car-centric as it currently is. In addition, we should expand more neighborhood circulators, like the one in Montbello, that could help move residents between key locations in GVR to avoid everyone having to use a car and make it easier to get around the neighborhood.

Question 4

While carrying out a fare check on a train, a RTD transit police officer encounters an individual who cannot show evidence of paid fare. When asked if they have the means to pay, the individual says that they do not and then states that they are homeless. Under your administration, what would happen next? Would you suggest alternative ways of handling these encounters?

I do not believe in criminalizing people for being homeless, or for arresting people for minor crimes like dodging fares. But for RTD to be successful we do need to make sure that it is safe for paying customers and not used as a mobile housing option. This is why I have focused so aggressively on building housing for people who are homeless, so they can have safe, dignified, heated places to go during the day without needing to rely on RTD as an option for housing.

Question 5

It is well known that offering good ‘last mile’ transportation is a key part of getting people to make their journeys without using private cars. There are now many modes available in Denver such as local buses, FlexRide, ‘connectors’, for hire bikes / scooters and rideshare. How would your administration encourage ‘mixed mode’ journeys that involve taking transit for most of the trip, and then another mode to finish the last mile?

As Mayor, I plan to take several concrete steps to make “last mile” transportation more reliable and accessible for all Denverites. First, I would prioritize working with businesses to restore EcoPass revenue so we can reinvest that revenue into more reliable and regular public transit routes – including for the last mile. I will also work to expand Denver’s bike and pedestrian infrastructure to ensure our streets are safe for micro-transit like scooters, bikes, or even walking the last segment of your trip. To do that, we have to execute Denver Moves—and expand upon it to build more high-comfort, dedicated bike lanes—to ensure that our city follows through on the ambitious promises it’s made.

Kelly Brough

Question 1

Safe, accessible bus stops are an essential component of any strong transit system. Given the large number of stops needing upgrades, this issue requires both sufficient resources and good planning to address supply chain challenges and labor needs to successfully implement improvements. My administration would work with community stakeholders most impacted by and reliant on safe transit stops – particularly groups like the Denver Commission for People with Disabilities – to help us identify and prioritize investments and projects. But we can’t be alone in making these investments. We must both partner and align the City’s priorities with RTD. Here’s a tangible example of what that means: in 2020, RTD received nearly a million dollars from CDOT to make ADA improvements at transit stops in Denver. As Mayor, I’d have DOTI at the table with RTD deciding where to put those dollars and holding RTD accountable for following through.

I also think there is an opportunity for thinking more creatively about transit stops – even relatively small transit stops like bus stops. Incorporating public art in a way that celebrates the location and neighborhood of these stops is an opportunity to strengthen neighborhoods and celebrate culture and diversity. My administration would look for opportunities to use these small spots throughout neighborhoods to elevate public art.

Question 2

With the exception of the Colfax BRT, can you name one bus or rail project your administration would be involved in carrying out that would improve transit in Denver?

In January 2020 RTD released the Regional BRT Network Feasibility Study that identified the top corridors in the metro area for Bus Rapid Transit. There is a lot of good work in that study to use as a foundation for action. My understanding is that there are already partners in this work and funding. I’ve been told that DRCOG and CDOT have already identified funding for BRT along Colorado Blvd and Federal Blvd–both state highways owned by CDOT. Additionally, Broadway and Alameda are Denver corridors that could make sense for BRT investment. But, as with bus stops, we can’t do it all at once. We need to work together with CDOT and RTD to agree on the priorities and the role each of us will play to ensure successful implementation. Lastly, given the transportation funding realities in Colorado, we need to pursue every dollar of eligible federal funding to support a BRT network in Denver. Many of these corridors are eligible for “small starts” transit funding from FTA and as mayor I’d be aggressive in bringing this funding to Denver.

Question 3

As I’ve said in my housing policy paper, I believe the city needs to be an active partner in the development process from the very beginning, with emphasis and priority on transit oriented development (TOD) and higher density housing along transportation corridors. This means building on publicly owned property (RTD and / or City property), when feasible, and ensuring everyone (developers and RTD) at the table starting on day 1 when the city receives a major development proposal. As your question notes, there are tremendous and long lasting social and environmental equity impacts when we get this wrong. That’s why it’s not just DOTI that should be at the table for the city but also the Office of Social Equity and Innovation and the Department of Public Health and Environment.

While I appreciate that the question is focused on new development, that wouldn’t be my only focus. It’s not too late to make a difference in Green Valley Ranch, Montbello or other similar neighborhoods. I am encouraged by the success of innovative pilot programs–like the Montbello Connector– and would work to take promising practices to scale quickly. Programs that are perennially in the “pilot” phase never provide residents with the certainty they need.

Finally, I believe strongly in the value and importance of continually listening to and learning from other communities that are facing the same challenges and getting policies right. I would task my team with bring best practices and new thinking to Denver.

Question 4

It is my understanding that the RTD Transit Police are separate from the Denver Police Department and managed by the RTD Board of Directors. As such, I don’t believe that as Mayor of Denver I’d have jurisdiction to set policy for how RTD transit police would respond in this situation. That said, I think it is essential that Denver be an active partner with RTD in meeting the needs of riders who are experiencing a crisis – whether that be a substance misuse, mental health, physical health and / or housing crisis. Denver has had some early success pairing park rangers with mental health workers to do outreach to homeless people living in Denver parks. (See recent news coverage from The Colorado Sun.) I’d be interested in exploring the possibility of working with RTD and local governments in the region to provide similar outreach services throughout our public transit system. However, we’d need to take on this work together, in a coordinated and shared manner across the region. Denver cannot be expected to shoulder the cost of this kind of outreach work alone. My plan to address homelessness is built on commitment to regionalism and has been endorsed by 5 metro-area mayors.

Question 5

We learned in 2008 when I oversaw the City’s effort to host the DNC that we can effectively create first and last mile connections to help folks easily and efficiently use transit to navigate Denver. And this was long before the era of scooters and e-bikes. The issue today is not a lack of options but the need to apply the right mobility solution – whether that be a bike library or a micro transit stop – in the right place. I believe our best experts in this work are our residents. My administration would seek input from neighborhood groups on what they think will work to build these connections and bring these ideas to RTD as well as to the private operators.