RTD Eliminates Dozens Of Bus Stops: 'Going To Be Very Difficult'
DENVER (CBS4) - As Denver grows and traffic worsens, the Regional Transportation District is getting rid of some bus stops. Signs posted all along the canceled routes inform riders that stops have been eliminated as of Aug. 26.
For some passengers, that will mean making changes in their transportation. The bus stop consolidation effort is meant to make travel more efficient. Some stops don't have a lot of ridership or duplicate other stops nearby.
"(I ride) at least three times a day… usually from Aurora to downtown," said Ciondre Mcelvaine, a frequent rider.
RTD is cutting down more than a dozen routes, affecting dozens of bus stops. The stretch of route 27 along Yale between University Hills and Englewood Station is being eliminated altogether.
Buses along other routes will come by less often.
Still, other routes like number 10 east of Clermont will no longer run on Saturdays, which could put Marshaye Brown in a bind.
"I think it's going to be very, very difficult for most of us," Brown told CBS4's Melissa Garcia. "Most of the elderly people depend on that. So if that's cut out, they're going to be lost."
The cuts could mean riders like Mcelvaine could have to walk farther to find a spot to step onto the bus.
"Traveling hour distances will definitely be different for me having to walk four or five blocks," he said.
RTD hopes to attract more riders by making travel by bus better. Fewer stops farther apart, they said, will make for a quicker commute.
The new system will space out stops every quarter mile, but they will remain at major intersections and landmarks.
Passengers on the 16th Street Mall shuttle will also have to wait longer to catch their ride.
RTD is accepting feedback about the service changes.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.