RTD launches elevator pilot program to address illegal activities

Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) has launched a 90-day pilot program at select elevators to limit illegal activities and address long-standing complaints from riders. 

As part of the pilot, three elevators at high-usage rail stations — Nine Mile, Colorado and Southmoor — will be reprogrammed to rest with their doors open until a destination floor is selected. In January and February, more than 350 reports of less-than-optimal conditions were issued at the three stations, RTD officials said in a press release.

The operational adjustment is part of RTD’s Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), a multi-pronged approach aimed at reducing crime and deterring offenders at stations, stops and facilities. Over the past year, RTD has upgraded lights, improved landscaping, added TV monitors that display security feeds and installed smoke detectors in public restrooms across its service area.

Through mid-June, RTD plans to closely monitor calls for service, rider comments and reports of unwanted activities occurring in and around the elevators as part of the pilot. All data gathered will be collated and compared with baseline metrics provided by the RTD Transit Police.

The data comparisons will help determine if there's a reduction in calls and reported incidents, vandalism, damage to the elevators and rider complaints about cleanliness, RTD officials said.