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1/3/2020
The Regional Transportation District of Denver's (RTD) staff last month presented details of a service reduction plan, which would eliminate or reduce frequency on some light-rail lines in response to a shortage of train operators.
The changes would not take effect until May. Between now and then, RTD is soliciting public comment on the proposal at 15 public meetings. RTD's board is slated to vote on the service changes in March.
Staff recommend reducing the frequency of the R Line along Interstate 225 from four trains an hour to two, affecting 5,673 weekday boardings, 2,918 Saturday boardings and 2,350 Sunday boardings per day, according to the draft service reduction plan.
Staff also recommended eliminating weekend service on the D Line between Littleton/Mineral and 18th & California stations, and reducing Saturday service on the H Line between Florida and 18th & California stations from a 15-minute train frequency to a 30 minute frequency. The H Line reduction would impact 5,675 Saturday boardings.
Meanwhile, weekend service on the C Line between Littleton/Mineral and Denver Union stations would increase because of high demand in the Central Platte Valley, RTD officials said in a press release.
The RTD staff originally proposed light-rail service reductions on the recently opened E, F and R extension to Lone Tree, however the request was not approved by the Federal Transit Agency, which provided construction funds for the project and can regulate service levels, officials said.
While the RTD is providing 96 percent of train trips, the agency has had to cancel up to 100 light-rail trips in recent months in response to the labor shortage, officials said.