The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is considering renaming Civic Center Station to honor Rev. Wade Blank, a leader of the "Gang of 19."
In 1978, the group stopped RTD buses with wheelchairs to call for accessible public transit, improving accessibility in Denver and helping start a nationwide disability rights movement.
Now disability activists want RTD to rename Civic Center Station in honor of Blank. In 2023, RTD rededicated a plaque at the station in honor of Blank. Also last year, Denver City Council approved a grant researching sculpture projects in Civic Center Park, which could include a monument to Blank and the Gang of 19.
"We've come a long way since July 5, 1978," said Joe Beaver, a member of RTD's advisory committee for people with disabilities, referencing the Gang of 19 protests. "RTD should be very proud of its partnership with Wade Blank. His tireless advocacy for accessible transportation led to significant improvements in RTD's services. His vision and dedication have shaped the RTD that we know today."
The problem is that RTD doesn't have clear procedures for renaming stations after people.
According to RTD Executive Manager Jack Kroll, RTD has three different guidelines around station names, the oldest dating back to the 1990s.
The main criterion is making sure the public can navigate the transit system. Kroll said that the guidelines do not prevent renaming stations after people, but they do not offer any guidance on qualifications or how to do so.
Before RTD can make a call on the name change its board members plan to work on a clear policy around renaming more broadly.
"This could be ripe for a lot of people putting forth names on a personal request basis," director Peggy Catlin said. "Putting together a tight policy before we make a decision on a request on Rev. Wade I think would be helpful."
Directors JoyAnn Ruscha and Marjorie Sloan will work RTD staff on researching and developing a potential naming policy to present in March.
"I think that it's an important endeavor," Sloan said at the recent board meeting.
A number of transit and disability advocates spoke in favor of the decision at the board meeting, including Jamie Lewis, a transportation advocate with the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition.
"This is not a decision to be taken lightly," he said. "Renaming a building has to be done for extraordinary circumstances. Wade Blank was extraordinary. Not only did he help establish a legacy for RTD but the entire nation."
