An ill-conceived plan for a state takeover of the Regional Transportation District has been put in a drawer for now. We must all work to ensure the current version stays there.

A small group of state legislators pushed HB-24-1447 to practically eliminate elected members from the RTD board. Since first floated, the plan has gone through legislative roulette — spinning around various iterations to eviscerate the power of local riders and taxpayers and disenfranchise those who depend on the system most.

Fortunately, a diverse coalition of taxpayers, business owners, community leaders and RTD board members sprang into action to oppose the takeover plan. Proponents have now backed down and withdrawn the plan, apologizing for the devastating impacts it would have on communities across the region.

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Not so fortunately, a few proponents of the state takeover plan want to revive it before the state legislative session ends May 10. They apparently cannot see just how unwelcome their idea is, nor what actions are really needed to support regional transit.

Since COVID-19 affected the state, RTD, which disproportionately serves lower-income and underrepresented communities, has staged an impressive turnaround. Led by the first woman of color executive director, Debra Johnson, RTD has lowered its average fare, created free fares for students and expanded a “ride free” program for the high-ozone summer travel periods.

On top of these service improvements, the agency has operated in the black with a stable budget and a Triple A bond rating. An analysis by Chase Woodruff in Colorado Newsline shows RTD is actually well above the national average for transit agency efficiency and runs the third-most efficient light-rail transit system in the country.

The takeover contingent, however, clings to the 20-year past. They continue to cite the shortcomings of FastTracks, a plan written in the last century, and passed in 2004. They ignore the glaring realities of a transit system funded by a regressive sales tax, the majority of which is paid on the sales of automobiles!

They conveniently ignore how it would take at least $1.5 billion (nearly double RTD’s entire budget) to fund the Northwest Rail line alone.

But what really takes chutzpah is for the state to create the impression changing how RTD board members are selected will magically fix transit. The state provides next to nothing in funding to RTD, a fact known by every member of the state legislature and governor’s transportation staff. They further know it is funding — not governance — that really matters if we want a thriving transit system. More money equals more service.

Of course, challenges for RTD remain. A chronic shortage of bus drivers and train operators is ongoing. Inflation stresses an already strained budget. Political infighting in Washington has created havoc with a federal budget that should be doubling down on transit funding to create prosperity and combat climate change.

The reality is the state takeover plan would simply impose another layer of excruciating challenges on RTD not of the agency’s doing. The cost in time, energy and money received next to no consideration by the proponents of the takeover plan. None of the proposed changes in this disruption would do anything to enhance service or grow ridership.

Reducing the number of locally elected board members is precisely the wrong approach to helping RTD along its turnaround path. Instead, let us do what is really needed. Leverage the myriad stakeholder and public input processes the agency now has in place. Fully empower the riders and voters RTD serves. Most important, ask the governor and the state to dig deep to expand the funding the agency desperately needs.

Kate Williams, first elected to the RTD Board in 2016 and re-elected in 2020, represented RTD District A covering Glendale, Capitol Hill, downtown Denver, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, Hilltop, Lowry and a small portion of Arapahoe County. She was recognized for her contributions in championing Zero Fare for Youth, a one-year pilot program to allow youth 19 and younger to ride RTD services at no cost.