AURORA | A Regional Transportation District working group tasked with evaluating the system’s current pass programs and fares is recommending the agency add a low-income pass and extend discounts to young riders.

The 25-member group released its recommendations last week after a year of meetings and input from stakeholders and the public. While the working group doesn’t have the authority to make any fare changes, the board is expected to take up the issue later this year, according to a RTD news release.

Tannen Hutton rides the R Line six days a week for work, during off-peak hours. RTD is proposing on cutting service of the R Line during off-peak hours.
Photo by Philip B. Poston/Aurora Sentinel

The low-income pass would discount passes for riders making 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines by 40 percent. For right now, for a family of four, that would be about $45,000. For a single person, incomes of $22,000 or less would qualify. The group said this option would essentially be an extension of RTD’s nonprofit program. One option the group looked at — and was eliminated — would have raised the base fair price to pay for the low-income pass.

RTD Director Bob Broom, whose district includes much of the R Line, said he’d be in favor of the low-income pass if it comes before the board. He added that he didn’t know whether it would make much of an impact on R Line ridership. Last year, RTD proposed cutting back on service along the R Line, but walked that proposal back after blowback from the city and local riders.

In the recommendation to RTD, the group suggests keeping EcoPass, Neighborhood EcoPass and CollegePass. Those passes would be priced based on factors such as service levels and the value of trips taken.

“The group is considering phasing in price increases of more than 20 percent for EcoPass holders, neighborhoods and higher education institutions,” the recommendation said. “The modeling assumptions from the working group’s recommended option assume 2019 cash fares of $3 for a local trip, $5.25 for a regional trip and $10.50 for a ride on the University of Colorado A Line to Denver International Airport.”

Under the recommendation, young riders could see further discounted fare prices. Now, riders 6 to 19 years old get a 50 percent discount. If approved, they’d see a 70 percent discount. Riders under the age of 5 would still ride free, as they do now, but the working group wants the RTD board to consider extending that free ride to children under the age of 12.

“I commend the members of the working group for their thoughtful participation in this important process, and my colleagues and I look forward to reviewing their recommendation,” RTD CEO and General Manager Dave Genova said in a statement. “We as an agency want to do all we can to meet the needs of the public we serve. This study is the very definition of public service.”

RTD’s senior leadership is expected to take up the recommendations this month, as will the RTD board. But no decision is expected immediately, according to RTD. Any changes in fare would happen no sooner than early 2019.