DENVER — Four years ago, Debra Johnson, a veteran transit executive, made history by becoming the first woman to lead the Regional Transportation District (RTD). But all that’s taken a back seat to the frustration many feel about RTD under her leadership.
Johnson sat down with Denver7 to discuss the challenges facing RTD and the improvements she said are coming in the year ahead.
Last summer, RTD began making preventative maintenance and track repairs along some of its train lines. It caused massive delays for many passengers.
Stephanie Leschen told Denver7 last June she missed chemo appointments at the hospital due to RTD’s delays.
"This is aggravating for everybody right now," said Leschen. "It takes two hours just to get to the appointment, two hours to come home, and by the end of chemo, I'm dying.”
Ray Brown, another frustrated passenger, said RTD was losing trust.
“What really irritates me is that public transportation truly is a trust item," said Brown. "You're not only losing the ridership of the day, you lose that trust for years.”
Johnson said while she understands the frustration of passengers, the repairs are needed to sustain infrastructure into the future.
“While I am empathetic to the customer pain points moving forward, that work that took place will provide us with an opportunity to provide more deliberate and intentional service going forward,” said Johnson.
Johnson said RTD has made progress in recent months but admits things could've been handled better.
“We could have done a better job communicating because this is new for this region,” said Johnson.
But RTD’s transparency issues go beyond train schedules.
Johnson walked away from a question Denver7 posed to her after a hearing last fall at the state capitol.
After being asked when RTD would have a new police chief, days after the previous one had been fired, Johnson turned and walked away without answering.
ME: When will RTD have a new police chief?
— Brandon Richard (@BrandonLRichard) September 25, 2024
RTD’s General Manager/CEO: @DenverChannel pic.twitter.com/vfjAERnsyy
“When we engaged, we were in the course of an investigation and my obligation as the general manager and chief executive officer of the Regional Transportation District is to be a good fiduciary and also to minimize risk and exposure to the organization,” Johnson said. “I did not have information relative to the outcome of what was happening with said investigation pertaining to the police chief. It would've been premature on my part to conjecture and speculate about an investigation dealing with an employment issue, of which I did not have factual data that would be derelict of my duties in leading this organization.”
By that point, Johnson had already fired RTD’s former police chief Joel Fitzgerald, after placing him on leave weeks earlier.
A termination letter Denver7 obtained said a third-party investigator had determined Fitzgerald violated multiple policies.
“The investigator noted that you are a leader who sees yourself, and possibly the Police Department, as above policy,” the letter said.
In November, Fitzgerald filed a federal lawsuit against RTD, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation.
A month earlier, RTD announced Johnson had appointed acting co-police chiefs, Dr. Glynell Horn, Jr. and Steven Martingano.
A report by CPR News said Horn was promoted to chief over the objections of other RTD police officers. The police union president said Horn and Fitzgerald had violated state law by not wearing their police body cameras.
A video CPR obtained showed Horn not wearing his police body camera while responding to a domestic dispute in June.
Denver7 asked her about the report and why she had promoted Horn given those concerns.
Johnson said Horn was “highly qualified” to serve as a co-chief.
“Speaking to the point about the body-worn cameras, that issue has been addressed relative to Dr. Horn and all laws are being adhered to as we go forward,” said Johnson.
RTD’s ridership has declined since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Johnson, who said she rides RTD once or twice a week, said because more people are working from home in Denver and across the country, RTD is shifting away from the traditional transit model.
“It’s no longer just Monday through Friday from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. but off-peak hours where people want to get to different entertainment venues, social engagements, going to see maybe a professional sports team, a concert or going out to dinner,” said Johnson, adding that RTD had seen an influx of riders who are younger.
Public safety has been another major concern for RTD and one of the biggest reasons people say they don’t ride RTD.
But it’s not just riders — RTD bus drivers have also raised safety concerns. Many of them have been assaulted or witnessed assaults and other violence.
Denver7 Traffic
RTD outfitted every bus with live cameras recently. Is it helping with safety?
A recent survey RTD conducted showed that 66% of its employees feel safe from crime at work.
“Yeah, that’s true,” Johnson said. “We're interwoven into the fabrics of the communities that we serve. So, whatever is happening on the streets of municipality, you're going to spill over into public transport.”
Johnson said this year, passengers can expect more frequent service and reliability.
She said she understands the criticism people have but said the work she and her team are doing will improve RTD’s service.
“I recognize as a public servant and as a public figure that there are going to be criticisms. That does not negate the work that my team and I have done collectively,” Johnson said. “Coming into RTD in the height of the pandemic there were a lot of opportunities, and I believe that we have leaned in with the support of the board of directors for the betterment of the agency going forward. And we are on the precipice of change.”
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