DENVER — Brian Haar is one of those guys who really likes his job.
“Working out here’s a blast,” he said. “All the people watching.”
He says his commute to Denver International Airport isn’t bad either.
“I save a lot of money on not having a vehicle and no gas right now,” Haar said.
He is a loyal rider of RTD, even though he and some of his colleagues aren’t always sure if their RTD bus or train will be delayed or canceled.
“Can get frustrating,” Haar said. “Especially at the end of the day when you’re trying to get home from a 10-hour or 12-hour shift.”
On Monday morning, the RTD bus from Nine Mile and the Arapahoe at Village Center was down, leaving workers and travelers to find their own way to DIA.
“Amazing, the RTD cancelations just keep continuing, high percentage due to no driver available," one commuter tweeted Monday morning. "Their "free" campaign is just making people decide NOT to take them.”
RTD sent at least two alerts early Monday morning informing riders of the cancellation:
Alert details: ATA Trip 2:36 am from Nine Mile Station Gate H to Denver Airport Station Gate 7 cancelled due to no operator available. Check trip status using Next Ride, https://rtdden.co/nr [rtdden.co]. Affected direction: Northbound Last updated: Aug 15, 2022 1:20 AM
Alert details: AT Trip 4:03 am from Arapahoe at Village Center Station Gate A to Denver Airport Station Gate 7 cancelled today due to no operator available. Check trip status using Next Ride, https://rtdden.co/nr [rtdden.co]. Affected direction: Northbound Last updated: Aug 15, 2022 3:46 AM
“In the event of the AT, we had an operator call out,” said RTD spokesman Brandon Figliolino. “And when that happens, our dispatch team does their best to try to find a relief operator to take on that shift. And in this instance, we just weren’t able to find a relief operator to come in and fill that position.”
Figliolino confirmed ongoing staffing shortages continue to plague the transit system.
“We’re working really hard to actively recruit critical positions in operators and mechanics and other staff that help keep us moving forward,” Figliolino said.
A large percentage of airport workers are dependent on RTD service, given the distance between the city and the airport. Riders Denver7 talked to say they try to give RTD the benefit of the doubt.
“I’d give them a nine out of 10,” said Aanee Tookes, who works at the airport and rides the A Line. “I can just rely on it to take me places, and I just like it better than a car.”
“I really like the RTD for getting here,” said Trevor Hunn, who just took a new job at the airport. “I’m really passionate about carbon emissions myself, so taking my car off the road, personally, that’s really exciting for me.”
But the frustrations are real.
“There just isn’t much communication as to why they’re delayed,” Haar said. “And especially for these travelers that come in and don’t know the area. They just hear there’s a delay for 15 to 30 minutes, and these light rails get full to the brim, and people wonder what’s going on.”
For its part, RTD has acknowledged the problem and is working to fix it, including offering a $4,000 hiring bonus to keep the buses and trains rolling.
“We know it’s important for people, especially those individuals who are transit dependent. So we work really hard to make sure our service is running reliably,” Figliolino said.