Bill proposing RTD board restructuring to be amended
DENVER (KDVR) — A controversial bill looking to restructure RTD’s leadership was heard in a House committee on Wednesday afternoon.
Before testimony got underway, sponsors of the bill let the Transportation and Local Government Committee know that the portion of the bill looking to restructure the governance of the transportation system is set to be removed.
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No amendments were formally introduced at the committee hearing and no actions were taken on the bill. Instead, sponsors said they wanted the hearing to be an opportunity for them to listen to concerns.
RTD bill would slash board size, add governor appointees
As proposed, the bill would cut the board’s size in half and add appointees from the governor’s office. It has gotten a lot of pushback.
“Introducing a bill this late in the session that is so transformative, it really is a bus that shouldn’t make it all the way to the station,” said Chris Hinds, Denver City Council member for District 10. “We’ve come out — specifically, Denver City Council has come out unanimously opposed to the bill as it is currently framed. As it is currently written, it’s a bit of a train wreck.”
While Denver City Council opposes the bill, the city has not taken a formal position. The bill calls for the RTD Board of Directors to have seven members instead of 15. Under the proposal, two of the seven members would be appointed by the governor’s office instead of elected like the rest — a big point of contention for Denver City Council Member Shontel Lewis, a former RTD director.
“We vote on the presidency, we vote on our senators, our representatives, our city council members like myself. And so it is my opinion that the voters are going to make the best decisions for themselves, and we do not take the opportunity away from them to make that decision,” said Lewis, of District 8.
Lewis said similar conversations about restructuring RTD have taken place for years, but this big push is coming as the governor speeds up his goal of connecting more Colorado communities to transit.
“What’s happening is that it is often in the context of this FasTracks program, finishing that train to Boulder and Longmont, and doing whatever is necessary to make that happen. Even if it means bankrupting an agency and disenfranchising folks that depend on public transportation,” Lewis said.
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Hinds told committee members that even if the portion regarding governance is removed from the bill, he remains opposed to the measure but is supportive of a study group looking further into solutions.
Others who testified raised other concerns with the bill, including salary increases for board members, larger transportation districts and a lack of better funding for the agency to address proposed changes and existing issues.
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