AURORA | RTD District F is located East of 225, between Colfax Avenue and E. Belleview Ave. The district covers the most eastern part of Aurora.
As Colorado prepares for another election cycle, two candidates with personal connections to the state’s public transportation system are stepping up to offer their vision for improving mobility and serving the community in RTD District F.
District F is essentially Aurora east of I-225, south of East Colfax Avenue and north of Parker Road.
Bernard Celestin is a former U.S. Army veteran and longtime RTD bus driver, and Kathleen Chandler is a political consultant and advocate for conservative causes. Their contrasting views offer voters a choice between hands-on service experience and a focus on broader policy reform.
Both candidates highlight the importance of transportation in their careers. Celestin, as a former RTD bus operator, has firsthand experience with the challenges and significance of public transit. Chandler emphasizes transportation as essential for empowering families and ensuring access to jobs and education, based on her own experiences as a working single mother.
Celestin advocates for identifying nearby routes and using shuttles like Access-A-Ride to address service limitations. Chandler calls for RTD to assess population needs, improve accessibility, and consolidate underperforming services.
Both emphasize enhancing service efficiency but differ in their approaches, with Celestin supporting all routes and Chandler prioritizing prioritizing routes, according to the answers in their Q&As.
In light of the recent controversy over RTD CEO Debra Johnson working to conceal details about the discipline and dismissal of RTD’s public safety chief, the candidates part ways.
Celestin supports Johnson, whether it’s because she’s protecting the privacy of public employees or giving her time to develop and implement changes. His answers indicate a belief in the potential for improvement within the existing framework.
Chandler stresses the importance of transparency in government and expresses disappointment with the current leadership and highlights missed opportunities for adaptation and responsiveness, suggesting a more urgent need for reform.
Both candidates express deep concerns about RTD operations, but they differ significantly in their approaches. Celestin leans toward a more supportive stance, emphasizing small adjustments and patience with leadership. In contrast, Chandler advocates for reforms, transparency and a critical assessment of leadership effectiveness.
Meet Bernard Celestin
Bernard Celestin moved to Colorado 40 years ago after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army’s 24th Psychological Operations unit.
Inspired by his father, Celestin has impacted his community as a commissioner, board member and advocate for child and adolescent services, according to his RTD bio.
Despite losing his campaign for the Aurora City Council four years ago, Celestin found a new passion as an RTD bus operator. He worked as a bus driver for RTD for 14 years and completed a two-year leadership academy with RTD.
He views public transportation as vital, providing essential services to a diverse population.
Celestin takes pride in small acts of service, such as helping passengers and ensuring safety.
He has participated in leadership programs and remains active in community service through his church and various organizations.
At 64, he focuses on home life with his wife of 39 years, Robbyn, eager for new opportunities to serve his community.
Meet Kathleen Chandler
Kathleen Chandler is a fourth-generation Colorado native who grew up in southern Colorado and has lived in Arapahoe County since 1995, according to her campaign website.
As a single mother who relied on RTD to transport her son to violin lessons while working downtown, she experienced firsthand the challenges of inadequate transportation, she states. This struggle underscored the need for better mobility options to empower families pursuing a better life.
She emphasizes the importance of transportation and mobility for fostering a prosperous community, and she highlights that access to jobs, schools and safe neighborhoods is crucial for individuals to reach their full potential.
Chandler is also the Director of the Independence Institute’s Citizen Involvement Project and a political consultant. According to her bio, she holds a Political Science degree from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and has been active in politics since age 18, supporting conservative causes and candidates.
Bernard Celestin Q&A
1. Aurora officials and others have often remarked that the biggest problem for most people who want to be RTD commuters is “the last mile.” While riders can get to bus and light-rail stops, getting from their to their final destination, often a mile or so away from their last bus or rail stop, is formidable. What can RTD do to solve the “last mile” problem?
I understand the question very well but “the last mile” may be down a local street that does not have a bus route, the same goes for the rail services. The best thing that the commuters can do is to find out which line or route will get them as close as possible to their final destination, and maybe the use of RTD’s Access-A- Ride shuttles can help if time permits.
2. RTD has been criticized recently because of how CEO Debra Johnson has hired the dismissal of embattled security chief Joel Fitzgerald. Explain why you think Johns correctly handled or mishandled the issue.
Not knowing the final details of what brought about the separation of police Chief Joel Fitzgerald and RTD, it would be unfair of me to say if the process was handled properly or not. I would first like to know if the former Chief was not the one requesting that the information be kept secret. We all deserve respect.
3. As a board member, what one thing, above all, do you think would increase ridership in the metro area?
As a Board member and a former Operator, I believe that as part of the training RTD should invite the spouse or significant other of each applicant to make sure that they understand the daily time requirement of the long days ahead of them at least the first few months of their service. This is not an eight hours a day job.
4. Should RTD shut down unpopular lines and put those resources toward increasing frequency and service on other lines?
First and foremost, all routes are popular because all commuters are important to RTD. I do however think that the mall ride and the free articulated bus ride that goes around the downtown area is not needed and those operators can be better used on more popular routes for the time being.
5. Given what you know about RTD CEO Debra Johnson, would you give her performance so far an A, B, C, D or F grade? What advice do you have for her?
I would give RTD CEO Debra Johnson a B+ on her performance so far as leader of this great agency, my advice to her would be to stay focused and strong on what she believes to be the right direction for RTD. Ms Johnson is not perfect but she is handling the employees, the Union, management, city and state leaders as best as possible, I would rather we all give her time to perform the job that she was hired to do instead of changing CEO’s every few years and they never get settled.
The lighter side of Bernard Celestin
• What food do you hate most?
I hate any food that is very spicy, not a big fan of hot pepper.
• What was the last book you read? Be honest.
ZERO TO BREAKTHROUGH, the story of Vernice Armour
• What’s your favorite TV show of all time?
The Cosby Show.
• Dog person? Cat person? Both? Neither?
I don’t have one, but I love Dogs.
Kathleen Chandler Q&A
- Aurora officials and others have often remarked that the biggest problem for most people who want to be RTD commuters is “the last mile.” While riders can get to bus and light-rail stops, getting from there to their final destination, often a mile or so away from their last bus or rail stop, is formidable. What can RTD do to solve the “last mile” problem?
Indeed, the last mile is a problem. In fact, from my house, it is the last 2 miles.
RTD must assess the needs of areas with large populations and accommodate the demand for additional stops closer to those population centers. With the flexibility that buses offer, there is no reason people should have to walk more than 15 minutes or a maximum of a half mile to a stop. Flexibility and reliability are the keys to increased use and customer (taxpayer) satisfaction.
- RTD has been criticized recently because of how CEO Debra Johnson has hired the dismissal of embattled security chief Joel Fitzgerald. Explain why you think Johns correctly handled or mishandled the issue.
Transparency is a hallmark of good government. When things are done in secret, suspicion and mistrust can fester. People understand when a business needs to decide on a personnel matter. The government is no different. Unless there is a personnel decision requiring confidentiality, handling the RTD Police Chief’s situation should have been open and transparent. RTD has an image problem and the handling of the RTD Police Chief has added to the skepticism of taxpayers. This should have been handled better.
- As a board member, what one thing, above all, do you think would increase ridership in the metro area?
Reliability of service is paramount. People will not ride RTD if they cannot count on the timeliness and consistency of transit. When it takes you 2 hours to get to work because you missed your transfer by no fault of your own, that is a major problem. That leads to dissatisfaction and decreased ridership. Would you risk your job? No. We need additional stops for all transit, expanded express buses, and more frequent trains from Union Station. A train every thirty minutes to some areas is unacceptable.
- Should RTD shut down unpopular lines and put those resources toward increasing frequency and service on other lines?
Yes. When you are not servicing the customer well, you need to evaluate and change. RTD is no different. Often, business consolidate their locations. Even school districts close schools due to changing demographics. Why should there be buses or rail lines that are not servicing the customer (taxpayer) well? Those resources need to be allocated where the need is. That will increase customer satisfaction and ultimately lead to increased ridership.
- Given what you know about RTD CEO Debra Johnson, would you give her performance so far an A, B, C, D or F grade? What advice do you have for her?
CEO Debra Johnson deserves a C-. She joined RTD during COVID-19. However, she has not been responsive to the needs of the community. COVID-19 changed how people used transit. RTD did not see that change and did not anticipate how to overcome that change. Flexibility after COVID-19 has been a key to any business survival. RTD has failed to meet the needs of a changing community. Denver is no longer the hub it once was. Leadership requires adjustments.
The lighter side of Kathleen Chandler
• What food do you hate most?
Being a fourth-generation Colorado native, seafood, like oysters and octopus, are not my favorite. We eat beef! I have eaten Rocky Mountain oysters, but sea oysters are a hard no.
• What was the last book you read? Be honest.
Hillbilly Elegy. I want to know what it is about. Ron Howard is one of my favorite directors and I saw the movie.
• What’s your favorite TV show of all time?
Back in the day, I loved Magnum P.I. Today, I like Murders in the Building.
• Dog person? Cat person? Both? Neither?
Both! I currently have a rescue cat named Jennifer. She is a talker. I also have three chickens. I have had several dogs. My last dog, Oliver, was THE best. He was 16 when he died. Pets are terrific!