As our communities recover, we have an eye on those most adversely impacted by COVID-19, the economic downturn, and inequitable systems. Prior to the pandemic, low-income riders made up about half of RTD transit riders, and those who continue to rely on public transportation are mostly Black, Brown, Indigenous, other people of color and low-income workers.
RTD Access-a-Ride’s Paratransit Advisory Committee (APAC) – May 11, 2021
APAC met via Microsoft teams on Tuesday, May 11. This was second of three separate meetings for APAC this year. Additional meetings of APAC will be held jointly with RTD’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities (ACPD) as part of a pilot. RTD is considering a merger of the two committees.
There was a discussion of who would be the APAC member to serve as the liaison to ACPD as well as be the new spokesperson to provide a verbal APAC summary to the RTD Board. Brenda Carney has been serving in both of these roles. Because of the joint meetings and the possible merger of APAC and ACPD, it was decided to shelve designating a new liaison. Tex Elam stepped forward as APAC’s new spokesperson for the Board and will serve in that role until the end of the year when it is likely the two groups will merge. This was voted on and approved.
Access-a-Ride Manager, Larry Buter then gave the following updates:
Updates were followed by a report on Phase 2 of Access-a-Ride’s Uber pilot which includes a wheelchair accessible (WAV) option. There was discussion of the limited use of the WAV option. Uber and RTD are conducting outreach. APAC members provided some suggestions including providing marketing materials to CPWD, reaching out to CCBs, and expanding the service area.
The next meeting will be a joint meeting with ACPD on July 13th.
Boulder Mobility and Access Coalition (Boulder Local Coordinating Council (LCC))
May 10th, 2021
Location: Zoom virtual meeting
Frequency: 2nd Monday of every month 2:00pm-4:00pm until Dec 13, 2021
Purpose of meeting: Discuss transportation access & equity (access to opportunity, quality of life, basic needs)
Panel Discussion: Nick Robles (Boulder County Public Health), Paul Hamilton (RTD), Lisa Bitzer (Via Mobility Services)
Questions:
Answers Summary:
When thinking about the pandemic, things like unpredictability, decreased ridership, sanitation, safety, and food delivery programs became extremely relevant barriers that had to be addressed. Some pre-existing engagement strategies became more relevant and amplified. Using technology to connect with the community and partners strengthened communication and allowed for needs to be better addressed. To create equity, these organizations are doing things like ensuring that community members feel comfortable with resources, keeping ride services open to riders, shedding light on issues, reading books, and partnering with organizations like NAACP. Going forward, keeping the connections made during COVID will be important for learning and addressing community needs.
Speaker:
Jeff Butts (Multimodal Planner for Boulder County)
287 Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study
The objective of this study is to study and understand north/south mobility needs along US 287 and recommend specific capital improvements and transit service enhancements for the corridor (Longmont, Erie, Lafayette, and Broomfield). Data found people are either not using transit or rarely using it, although there seems to be public support among those who are engaged. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) takes the elements of a train and puts in on a bus (i.e. more cost effective, faster, more reliable, moves more people). Goals of the study include increased efficacy, increased attractiveness, competitive transit travel time, and social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
Next Meeting: Jun 14, 2021 from 2:00-4:00PM
You are an expert on your community and we want to hear from you about your community’s most pressing needs so that Serve Colorado can help local organizations address those needs through service and volunteerism, including AmeriCorps.
Please take 10-15 minutes to have your voice heard about the unmet needs in your community and to shape the direction of Serve Colorado. You can take the survey HERE.
Seniors often face new physical, mental and sensory challenges when it comes to driving safely. Traffic safety advocate, Sylvia Cordy with Denver’s Reaching Older Adult Drivers (ROAD) program, will discuss these subjects and others including safe travel options to help seniors maintain their independence. Cordy will also cover how to identify trusted conversation sources and how to initiate sensitive discussions between aging drivers, their families, friends and caregivers about creating driver retirement plans.
If you provided input on the plan at any point in the two-year process, please consider sharing your thoughts about the experience in this five-minute survey before May 14. With your help, DRCOG will continue to improve its public engagement efforts in the future. Thank you!
