Photo courtesy of RTD.
Transit planning is essential to how people move around the Denver region. Public transportation reduces congestion, improves mobility and improves air quality for everyone. While the Regional Transportation District is the region’s primary public transportation provider, the Denver Regional Council of Governments helps ensure transit is available to persons of all ages, incomes and abilities.
Planning for transit
The 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan Coordinated Transit Plan establishes a framework for coordination among transit agencies, human service agencies, member governments and other associated transportation providers. The plan provides guidance on how these unique entities can work together to improve regional mobility, increase transit access and lower transit costs in the DRCOG region.
In addition, the plan identifies strategies to address the transportation needs of our region's older adults and individuals with disabilities and emphasizes our region's integrated approach to coordinating an array of fixed-route and human-service transit services. The plan addresses several requirements set forth by the Federal Transit Administration, including:
- An assessment of available services to identify current transportation providers (public, private and nonprofit).
- An assessment of transportation needs for individuals with disabilities and older adults (based on the experiences and perceptions of the planning partners, or on sophisticated data collection efforts and an analysis of gaps in service).
- Strategies, activities or projects to address the identified gaps between current services and needs and opportunities to achieve efficiency in service delivery.
- Priorities for implementation based on resources, time and feasibility for implementing specific strategies and activities identified.
Human service transportation
Human service transportation includes services for older adults and individuals with disabilities. It can also include services for people with low income offered in areas where there are limited or no fixed route services. Several agencies provide human service transportation throughout the region.
Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council
DRCOG staff work with the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council and other groups to improve the coordination of human service transportation. DRCOG, the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council, the Regional Transportation District and other stakeholders collaborate in the planning, development and implementation of regional coordination strategies. DRCOG also provides input to the RTD and the Colorado Department of Transportation on the selection of projects to receive federal and state grant funding within the DRCOG region.
Ride Alliance Trip Exchange
DRCOG is also enhancing human service transportation coordination through the Ride Alliance Trip Exchange project, an on-demand transit service designed to assist older adults, veterans, and individuals with mobility challenges to get around the Denver region. Explore the Ride Alliance page for more information about the project.
Section 5310 enhanced mobility of seniors and people with disabilities
Section 5310 provides formula funding from the Federal Transit Administration to states for the purpose of assisting private nonprofit groups in meeting the transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities when the transportation service provided is unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate to meeting these needs. DRCOG oversees the administration of these funds for the Denver-Aurora Urbanized Area.
The Human Service Transportation set-aside provides a dedicated funding source to improve mobility for vulnerable populations, including older adults, low-income individuals, veterans and individuals with disabilities. This set-aside complements Federal Transit Administration 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities and Older Americans Act and Older Coloradans Act dollars by funding identified needs that are underfunded or underserved by those sources.
RTD FasTracks review
DRCOG is charged with approving financial plans and vehicle technology for RTD rapid transit projects, such as FasTracks. Rather than a prescribed annual review, DRCOG requires a FasTracks Plan Change Report only when the RTD proposes changes from the most recent DRCOG-approved FasTracks Plan. RTD's 2014 FasTracks Plan Baseline Report serves as a basis for identifying future changes in addition to status reports. DRCOG reviews changes, identifies those of significance and takes action it deems appropriate.
For more information, contact Cole Neder, senior transit planner