Marjorie Sloan

Infrastructure / Transportation

Unquestionably, our workforce is the bedrock of the RTD transit system. This year, current drivers, operators, dispatchers, mechanics, technicians, managers, maintenance workers, security officers, engineers, and other employees have shown outstanding dedication and courage. Their retention is an incontestable priority.  But RTD must also attract, hire, and train new employees to provide our ridership with adequate service. I will spend all the time necessary to understand RTD culture and, in particular, to learn and meet the concerns and needs of front-line workers. Learn more

RTD was created in 1969; the FasTracks initiative was approved by voters in 2004; Union Station opened as a transit hub in 2014. In those milestone years, the possibility of real-time information delivered to a device in the palm (or on the wrist) of an average person’s hand was the stuff of science fiction. Readily available ride, bike, and scooter shares were unimaginable. Alternative fuels were not affordable and climate disruption was not looming. Most importantly, a pandemic existed only in nightmares or movies. Our world has transformed. People no longer live or travel the way they did in 1969, 2004, or even 2014. For RTD to remain responsive, it must keep pace with constant, and accelerating, change. As a Board member, I will alert and receptive to innovative tools to improve the RTD experience and its efficiency. Learn more

Passengers board buses and trains to get to the important places in their lives. Taking transit should not be a job in itself. Riders deserve vehicles that show up; get them to their destinations in a reasonable amount of time; and offer comfortable, convenient trips for an equitable fare. RTD service will align with riders’ needs only if the elected board members hear and act on passengers’ experiences and ideas. As the District M representative, I will be approachable, available, and open-minded. Learn more

Households across all income groups are experiencing record-high levels of economic anxiety. Sweeping unemployment, income loss, and personal tragedy leave many questioning their ability to pay their basic living expenses. This places RTD, like every public endeavor, in a quandary. RTD is charged with providing quality mass transit throughout the metro area. At the same time, it faces unprecedented uncertainty in the forecast of revenues and expenditures. The only inevitability is a sales-tax dollar shortfall. In this difficult landscape, there will be tradeoffs, conservative budgeting, and partnerships with counties and municipalities, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. I commit to looking at every dollar RTD spends to ensure that the money is invested directly in items benefiting its workers, riders, and taxpayers. Learn more