Overview:
Citizens share their thoughts on RTD's recent announcement that it may discontinue its FreeRide program on 16th Street.
The 16th Street FreeRide has transported residents, workers and visitors through downtown Denver free of charge for more than 40 years. Running between Civic Center Station and Union Station, the bus has become a staple of downtown, connecting riders to restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and businesses along the 16th Street Mall.
Now, the sustainable downtown service could be in jeopardy.
The Regional Transportation District is facing a $250 million budget shortfall and is considering several cost-cutting measures, including eliminating the fare-free shuttle. Under several proposed budget scenarios, riders would pay a standard RTD fare to travel along the line.
This news comes after FreeRide ridership officially reached its highest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its continued popularity among residents, Denver commuters and visitors.
Mayor Mike Johnston and transit advocates have expressed concern over RTD’s proposal, as the FreeRide and the B Line to Westminster could be eliminated in four out of five reduction scenarios currently under consideration.
If approved, the change would eliminate one of downtown Denver’s fare-free public transit options, requiring riders to pay the standard RTD cost to travel along the street.
This topic could limit the public’s free public transportation in downtown Denver. This week’s Bucket List on The Street asks Colorado residents their opinion on the FreeRide bus changing to a pay-to-ride shuttle.
‘I wouldn’t enjoy it.’
Many use the shuttle as a free choice because of the efficiency it gives to get around the downtown area. Curtis was upset to hear about the potential switch to pay to ride from the service that many use every day.
“I enjoy free transportation just a lot,” Curtis said. “I feel like it’s really cool that I have the choice to have it for free. I feel like if it changed to where I had to pay for it, I wouldn’t enjoy it as much or use it as much, and it would be a lot harder on the community and individual.”
‘We pay for everything.’
Jania, 21, from the Denver Metro area, has raised her opinion on how the free shuttle was cost-effective.
“I believe it should not be paid to ride the FreeRide,” Jania said. “I believe it’s actually a great thing to have something free in America so that we’re not paying. I mean, we pay for everything, everyday.”
Her concerns come as RTD considers eliminating the ride to help address its budget deficit. According to the Denverite, the service carried about 2.3 million riders last year.
‘I’d ride the Route 15 bus instead.’
Another Denver resident, Malkum, 50, said that if FreeRide was eliminated, he would rather use his money to visit other corridors of the city outside of 16th Street.
“If it was pay-to-ride, I’d rather just take the [Route 15 bus] instead of paying for this bus,” Malkum said.
RTD’s Route 15 runs along East Colfax Avenue and is an alternative option to FreeRide; it runs at the same frequency and covers significantly more ground than FreeRide, despite requiring a bus ticket to use. If both routes required a bus ticket, Route 15 would be a much more enticing deal to many public transit riders across Denver.
‘It’s awesome for certain demographics.’
Karoline, 19, admits she doesn’t use public transit often, but acknowledges that losing a free transit option like FreeRide would cause major inconvenience to many in the area.
“I think [free public transit] is awesome for certain demographics,” Karoline said. “I don’t ride free public transit, so if that changed, it would be hard for some people and it might be a grabber for some people.”
She added that even if ridership declines because of potential changes, she believes the shuttle is still worth keeping because it could serve people who rely on it.
Potential indifference?
Karoline’s answer was indicative of a larger theme.
We hit the streets and spoke with dozens of people in downtown Denver, but only four were willing or able to offer an opinion on the potential change to FreeRide. Most people we approached either said they didn’t know anything about the service or simply didn’t have an opinion on whether it should remain free.
That is by no means concrete evidence that Denver residents are indifferent toward FreeRide. It could, however, point to another issue: Maybe people don’t fully understand the role the free shuttle plays in downtown transportation.
The number of residents we spoke with who were unfamiliar with FreeRide was notable, particularly because many were walking along the 16th Street Mall, where the service operates. Whether that reflects a lack of awareness, limited use of the service or genuine indifference is difficult to determine from only two afternoons of reporting.
Still, the disconnect raises an interesting question: How many Denver residents actually know what FreeRide provides — and how many would notice if it were gone?
Whether you’re a ride-or-die fan of the 16th Street FreeRide or were unaware of its existence until reading this article, significant changes could be coming to the service in the near future. Until then, we’ll keep up with the story at bucketlistcommunitynews.com. We’ll be back next week with a new edition of Bucket List on the Street.
