Colorado lawmakers have introduced legislation aiming to overhaul the governance structure of the Regional Transportation District (RTD). The bill, introduced on Monday, proposes significantly reducing the size of the board of directors from its current fifteen members to just nine.

Rationale for Board Restructuring

Findings from Accountability Committee

This proposal follows findings from the RTD Accountability Committee. The committee concluded that the existing governance structure hinders the organization's ability to achieve high performance. Reports indicate that RTD is struggling with post-pandemic ridership recovery compared to similar agencies and is experiencing a decline in public trust.

Impact on Service and Strategy

Maria Garcia-Berry, chair of the accountability committee, emphasized the board's critical role during a press conference Monday. She stated, “The board must create a vision... It sets priorities. It approves budgets and guides long-term strategy.” Garcia-Berry added that when this structure falters, it negatively impacts service levels, financial stability, and overall accountability.

Details of the Proposed Board Composition

A Smaller, Expert-Informed Board

Supporters argue that a smaller, more agile board will better tackle issues like ridership, reliability, and workforce retention. The plan suggests reducing the board to five elected members, chosen from five newly drawn districts, alongside four members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

These four appointed directors would need collective expertise in crucial areas such as finance, land use, transportation planning, and experience with disproportionately-impacted communities. Furthermore, one appointed seat would be specifically reserved for a union representative.

Electoral and Compensation Changes

The new composition is slated to take effect during the 2028 election cycle. The bill also proposes increasing the number of petition signatures required for a candidate to qualify for the ballot, raising it from 250 to 1,000.

Additionally, the legislation seeks to triple the annual salary for board members to $36,000. RTD, which spans eight counties in the Denver metro area, handles over 65 million boardings annually across its bus, rail, shuttle, and paratransit services.

Legislative Support and Goals

Addressing Decision-Making Delays

State Senator Matt Ball (D-Denver), the bill's sponsor, argued that the current large and fragmented board structure impedes swift decision-making. “It’s really hard to react to something in real time when you have to find consensus across fifteen members who represent really, really different areas in the metro region,” Ball stated.

Ball, who is sponsoring the bill with Senators Iman Jodeh and Representatives Meg Froelich and Jamie Jackson, also cited low turnout and limited competition in recent board elections as concerns regarding accountability and expertise.

Commitment to Sustainable Growth

Senator Iman Jodeh noted that strengthening public transit is a core legislative goal, aligning with efforts to boost housing density near transit lines. She believes this reform is “the next step in making sure that we are continuing Colorado’s commitment to sustainable growth and to transit-oriented communities.”

Mandated Paratransit Review

The proposed bill also includes a mandate for a third-party, system-wide analysis of RTD’s paratransit system, which serves riders with disabilities. Senator Ball stressed that taxpayers deserve consistent, high-quality service for their investments.

Opposition and Next Steps

Concerns Over Voter Representation

Chris Nicholson, RTD Director for District A, expressed reservations, suggesting that major structural changes should require voter approval, as was the case when the current structure was established in 1980. He questioned the fundamental shift in agency control.

Nicholson noted that under the proposed system, each elected member would represent over 645,000 people, compared to about 220,000 currently. He worried about the influence of unelected officials and the power granted to the governor through appointments, especially since nominating lists for two seats would come from the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

Nicholson stated, “The question is not the size of the board. The question is how much power are you giving to unelected officials who are not necessarily representative of the interests of just the voters in this district.”

A previous attempt to reduce the RTD board size failed in the Senate after being amended out due to opposition from transit advocates and Denver City Council members. The current bill has been assigned to the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee and must pass both chambers before the legislative session concludes on May 13.