Colorado disability advocates urge RTD to keep Access-on-Demand funding ahead of board vote

The Regional Transportation District board is scheduled to vote Tuesday night on changes to its paratransit program, which includes Access-a-Ride and Access-on-Demand, on which thousands of Coloradans with disabilities rely.

Access-on-Demand is a subsidized, curb-to-curb service that uses third-party transportation companies. Under the proposal, RTD subsidies would drop from $25 per trip to $20 and would apply only after the rider pays the base fare of $6.50.

RTD estimates the changes would save the agency $5.5 million a year, but disability advocates have raised concerns about potential cuts to a program they say has been life-changing.

Chaz Davis is the youth director for the Colorado Center for the Blind and uses Access-on-Demand.

"I use it every day. I have two kids. I come to work every single day, and it's essential for me to get around and go to the places that I need to go," he told CBS News Colorado. "It's not just about leisure or doing things that I want to do. It's about doing things I need to do to be a successful part of this society."

Davis said the Access-on-Demand program is projected to come in under budget this year and that he and others want RTD to justify why cuts are needed.

The meeting started at 5:30 p.m., and public comment on changes to the program was ongoing as of 7 p.m. The majority of speakers urged RTD not to charge riders for those services. You can watch that meeting here: