As the coronavirus batters public finances, transit agencies like RTD are proposing the deepest service cuts in a generation. While public transportation received relief funding in the federal CARES Act, this aid has been nearly exhausted as the crisis stretches on.
Public transportation that runs frequently is key to economic mobility. But in Denver, the vast majority of people and jobs who have benefitted from access to frequent full-day service would lose it if transit isn’t restored to pre-pandemic levels. According to a recent study by TransitCenter, nearly 100,000 Denverites would lose access to frequent full-day transit; businesses would suffer as nearly 40,000 jobs currently near frequent full-day transit lose that access.
The impact would fall most heavily on Black residents and people of color. Black residents make up 5% of the region but 13% of those who would lose access to frequent full-day service. Non-white and Latino residents make up 36% of the region but 54% of those who would lose access to frequent full-day service.
6,486 households without access to a private vehicle would lose access to frequent transit, imperiling their ability to meet essential needs. Overall, 41,093 households would lose access to frequent full-day transit.
These patterns are mirrored across other major metro areas. Transit funding cuts averaging 40 percent across 10 major U.S. regions would force more than 3 million people to lose access to frequent transit. Over 200,000 of those households affected do not own a private vehicle.
We need the Federal Government to invest 32 billion to keep public transit moving! Leaving Denverites stranded by transit isn’t an option. Follow the link below to tell our Colorado delegation to fully fund public transportation.
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