Denver accessibility advocate upset after RTD paints bus with her image: "Wild and maddening"

Denver's Kalyn Rose Heffernan isn't afraid of being loud. Not when it comes to her music, nor when it comes to fighting for what she believes in.

"I rolled for mayor in 2018 through 2019 and a big part of my platform was free, accessible transit," Heffernan said. "I'm an advocate."

The former Denver mayoral candidate, local musician, and accessibility advocate says if people want to get in touch, it isn't hard.

"I'm really easy to find," she said.

So she was shocked when, earlier this week, someone sent her a photo of her image, front and center, on a Regional Transportation District bus.

"I had never been told about it. I've never been asked if that was okay," she said.

And as it turns out, it's not okay with her. The bus had been painted last July as part of a design contest to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"I'm being used and exploited and tokenized to promote this service that isn't even helping," she said.

To add insult to injury, RTD management is proposing 20% cuts to public transit.

"Just wild and maddening," Heffernan said. "I rely on RTD, and I've been a rider most of my life, and I've been left stuck many times past 10 p.m. and where we don't have great service, and our fares are high, and our service isn't great."

But what about the artist who created the image that won the contest? Justin Bravo told CBS News Colorado, in part, "I have been in touch with Kalyn and offered my apologies. The goal of the project was to honor history."

For Heffernan, she's more understanding of the artist's role: "I think a mistake, but a forgivable mistake on his part. I'm not here to drag that artist."

A spokesperson for RTD initially said their lawyers still have not approved an official response, and they don't know if Heffernan's image is still on any of their buses.

After the publication of this story, RTD public relations manager Tina Jaquez sent CBS Colorado the following statement:

RTD has only recently learned that the winning bus wrap design depicted Kalyn Heffernan's likeness.

The design was part of a community contest to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Designer Justin Bravo created and submitted the artwork.

The design was selected from six submissions by a panel of community members reflective of the intersection of accessibility, disability, diverse communities, lived experiences, and personal identities, fostering an appreciation and celebration of our social and cultural similarities and differences.

Submissions were evaluated by a 10-member panel with representatives from Atlantis Community Inc., Canine Partners of the Rockies, Center for People with Disabilities, Colorado Disability Opportunity Office, Community College of Aurora, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Phamaly Theatre Company, Rocky Mountain ADA Center, and RTD.

RTD is committed to advancing equity by ensuring that the agency's services, decisions, and partnerships promote fair access, remove barriers, and support the diverse communities the agency serves.