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RTD accountability report calls for paratransit overhaul and new workforce strategies
Summary
The RTD Accountability Committee recommends a comprehensive paratransit needs assessment, integration of Access-A-Ride and Access On Demand, and expanded recruitment, training and apprenticeship programs to address service gaps and operator shortages.
The RTD Accountability Committee told the Joint Transportation Committee the district must pursue a comprehensive paratransit planning process and new workforce strategies to meet demand and control rapidly rising program costs.
Committee findings: members said paratransit is a national issue and RTD has overlapping programs and rapidly growing budgets for on-demand services. The committee recommended a needs assessment, a study of populations and service gaps for riders with disabilities, better integration between Access-A-Ride and Access On Demand, and user engagement to develop a clear system vision.
"The service that is called access on demand, the budget is growing very, very quickly, and the agency has realized that and is trying to grapple with that," David Bragdon told legislators, noting the committee relied on an APTA report and an independent NelsonNygaard analysis as inputs.
Workforce recommendations: the report urges RTD and its partners to expand hiring, training and test-prep efforts, explore flexible and part-time operator roles with ATU, grow apprenticeship and mentorship opportunities, strengthen employee voice and workplace culture, and consider supports such as childcare subsidies to improve recruitment and retention.
Why it matters: presenters tied paratransit and workforce fixes to service reliability and cost. The committee noted RTD has already begun some operational reviews; the accountability group framed its recommendations as building on that work and called for transparent dashboards and performance metrics to guide decisions.
Responses and next steps: committee members urged RTD and local partners to pursue the studies and stakeholder engagement recommended in the report. The committee cited existing RTD-commissioned reviews and recommended that the legislature and RTD use shared data platforms to increase transparency around paratransit performance and long-term costs.
Ending: legislators and committee members said they will review the report and its appendices; no action was taken during the hearing to mandate specific studies.
