The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is giving out $1 million in free rides as part of a program looking to grow transportation access to those in need.
The new program was planned as part of RTD's 2023 Fare Study and Equity Analysis, which also simplified and lowered fares and launched a pilot program making rides free for anyone 19 and younger. Those fares went into effect on Jan. 1.
Under the Transit Assistance Grant (TAG) program, nonprofits can apply for grants up to $50,000 that they can then use to distribute 10-ticket rides to clients they serve for free.
"These grants equate to increased independence, access to essential services and employment resources, and improved community connections for thousands of immediate-needs members in the Denver metro area," said RTD Director of Civil Rights Division Carl Green, Jr. in a statement Friday.
The program comes after concerns that RTD's existing discount program left behind some of the most in need.
RTD used to have a similar discount program for nonprofits in the past, but ended it in 2019 in favor of a different program called LiVE that allowed low-income people to apply for 40 percent discounted passes. But a CPR investigation from 2020 found that the new program presented a number of barriers to people in need who lacked things like proper income documents or a cell phone, or struggled to keep track of documents including the LiVE card required to ride.
A staff member at St. Francis Center, a homeless shelter, told CPR that the shelter gave out 5,000 RTD tickets in 2019 to clients under the old system.
"Recognizing that access to public transit is access to opportunity, RTD established the Transit Assistance Grant program to help individuals with immediate needs to use transit," said RTD Director of Civil Rights Division Carl Green, Jr. in a statement Friday. "A recurring theme from customers is the amount of time for enrollment into the LiVE income-based fare discount program. TAG is meant to help fill the gap on a temporary basis for customers with urgent transportation-related requirements."
These are the eligibility requirements and application deadline dates:
An organization must be exempt from federal income tax, or be a government or social service agency that helps clients in need.
According to a statement from RTD, that would include organizations working with seniors, people with disabilities, people involved in the judicial system, low-income people or immigrants and refugees. The idea is the passes would support people who need help with transportation to things like healthcare, groceries, job opportunities and other essential services.
A group of RTD staff will vet organizations based on their nonprofit status and the type of work they do with clients. RTD is hosting two webinars at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan 10. Nonprofits can apply for the grants online.
Interested groups can apply from Jan. 16 until Feb. 29.
