RTD considers ending Denver's 16th Street FreeRide shuttle due to budget issues

Downtown Denver's 16th Street FreeRide service is a staple. In fact, more than 2 million people hop on every year. Now, the service could be in jeopardy as RTD tries to figure out ways to fix its $200 million budget deficit. 

"The demand for the FreeRide is at the highest level it's been since the pandemic, and it's the cheapest service that we run in terms of per passenger cost," RTD board member Chris Nicholson said. 

Nicholson was shocked when staff made budget suggestions that would end the FreeRide service, one of the highest ridership lines in the system. 

Not to mention, 70% of RTD's budget comes from sales tax, and downtown Denver is one of the biggest economic engines in the district.

"We are so caught up in the conversation about cuts across the entire region that that opportunity for conversation with the downtown community really didn't get the chance to happen, and a lot of people were surprised to see that in there," Nicholson added.

For him, the proposal is personal. Nicholson says he uses the service daily. 

"When I need to go up to Union Station, when I need to go to meet somebody for coffee, when I need to get groceries," Nicholson said. 

CBS Colorado took a trip using FreeRide to hear from passengers. 

"Gone out drinking, out eating, back and forth from the hotels," said one passenger visiting downtown for a work conference. "So yeah, it's been useful for that."

While some riders use it for leisure, others say they depend on it. 

"I use it for transportation to Union Station to get to and from doctor's appointments to and from work is actually one of the reasons why I chose to live downtown," downtown resident Jovelle Brown said. 

And with millions of riders, the numbers speak for themselves.

"I'll be at City Hall fighting against the proposal," Brown added.

"We need to look at this from the perspective of the communities we operate in, and I think that those communities made their voices heard on this one," Nicholson said. 

A spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston's office told CBS Colorado, "We are deeply sympathetic to RTD's budget situation, but cutting a popular service used hundreds of thousands of times a month and millions of times a year isn't the answer. As RTD itself noted recently, the 16th Street FreeRide is vital to supporting downtown and fills a crucial need in helping people navigate between Civic Center Station and Union Station at no cost. It's the kind of thing we need more of if we want people to use public transportation, not less. 

"We know RTD shares in our affection for this service as well as our belief that Denverites and visitors alike deserve cost-efficient and safe public transportation, and we look forward to working together as this process unfolds."