Crime and safety concerns mount as rtd looks to boost ridership

BY THE NUMBERS: RTD passengers — who numbered 61.6 million in 2022 — reported being assaulted or threatened at a rate of once per day over the last three years, the Denver Post reports from

agency records. * Bus and train drivers on the agency's 134 set routes were physically assaulted at a rate of seven per month for a total of 463 times between January 2019 and this

April. * Verbal assaults and threats of violence against drivers occur a dozen times a month on average. THREAT LEVEL: The bulk of the incidents take place on routes involving the

city's main thoroughfares: Colfax Avenue, Broadway and Federal Boulevard. * Illegal drug use is the most common concern, followed by threats of violence. But the January fatal shooting

of a 60-year-old man whose leg was blocking a bus aisle is elevating safety concerns. A 13-year-old boy is charged in the man's death. THE OTHER SIDE: RTD is doubling its own police

force, increasing patrols and mounting barriers between drivers and passengers. Transit officials blame societal problems at large — mental health, substance abuse and homelessness. *

"We're all adversely impacted by the same elements of society," RTD general manager Debra Johnson tells the Post. She added: "Whatever's happening in a municipality

is going to spill over into the transit system." BETWEEN THE LINES: Drivers can remove passengers who are causing trouble or stop and call law enforcement. But Johnson acknowledges

sending drivers to work without being able to guarantee an optimal environment. * Over a five-year period, RTD bus drivers and train operators filed nearly 1,800 claims for compensation for

being harmed on the job, the Post writes. * This year, nearly two-thirds of the claims involved inhaling vapors or fumes, typically related to illegal drug use on board. WHAT TO WATCH:

Johnston is calling on state lawmakers to increase criminal penalties for violence on public transit, in particular for assaults on RTD drivers.