Event Dime

RTD’s CEO Debra Johnson on Lagging Ridership, a Looming Budget Crunch, and Denver’s Car Culture

When:

December 3, 2025 · 10:00 AM

Where:

City Cast Denver

Source:

City Cast Denver

Denver’s public transit agency RTD has had a rough couple of years. Almost a full year of track maintenance and slowdowns led to a nearly 20% decline in light rail ridership, but ridership across the network overall is down, too. With even more light rail maintenance expected in the next few years, RTD’s budget is projected to hit multi-billion deficits in the early 2030s. So what’s the plan to get back on track? And if the answer is more money, who will pay? RTD CEO and General Manager joins pr