As part of the Fare Study and Equity Analysis, RTD has used a combination of qualitative and quantitative assessments to evaluate how these two draft alternatives achieve fare equity, affordability and simplicity. Here is a brief summary of the results: EQUITY Alternative A achieves a positive impact on equity. Under this alternative, financially burdened and minority customers experience a greater decrease in average fare prices than overall customers. Three of the fare products with the largest price decreases in percentage terms are the Local 3-Hour, Day and Monthly Passes — fare products that financially burdened customers rely on. Alternative B achieves a neutral impact on equity. Under this alternative, there is no decrease in the Local fare, which is used more by financially burdened customers. Instead, the decreases in the Regional fares largely benefit higher-income and non-minority customers, who experience a greater decrease in the average fare than low-income and minority customers. AFFORDABILITY Alternative A achieves a positive impact on affordability. Under this alternative, all RTD customers benefit. This alternative also retains the current price differences between Local, Regional and Airport levels, offering a lower fare for shorter distance trips. Alternative B achieves a neutral impact on affordability. Under this alternative, because the Regional fare price decreases while the Local fare price stays the same, only a portion of RTD customers benefit. Further, this alternative does not retain the price difference between Local and Regional trips, removing a higher fare for longer distance trips. SIMPLICITY Alternative A achieves a neutral impact on simplicity. Because this alternative retains the different fare levels (Local, Regional and Airport), the structure is not simplified from its current state. Alternative B achieves a positive impact on simplicity. Under this alternative, the fare structure is consolidated to two fare levels — airport and non-airport — decreasing the complexity of the current fare structure.

Customers showed a desire for lower fares but also preferred maintaining current service levels over deeper price reductions. RTD conducted fare modeling to ensure that both alternatives lowered fares and/or achieved other goals, such as simplicity, while not impacting existing routes or service levels and ensuring financial sustainability. RTD is committed to achieving the goals of equity, affordability and simplicity through this study and has developed alternatives that allow for services to be maintained and fares to be lowered despite rising inflation.

RTD launched fare capping on September 1, 2022 with the implementation of the new MyRide system, also known as Account-Based Ticketing (ABT). Fare capping ensures customers never pay more than they should for trips on RTD buses and trains. When customers purchase fares using their mobile MyRide barcode or MyRide card, the system caps the maximum customers will pay in a day and in a month. For example: If a customer takes a Local trip in the morning, they will be charged for a Local 3-Hour Pass. If they take a second Local trip later that day, they will be charged for another Local 3-Hour Pass but will automatically earn a Local Day Pass, and they will not be charged for any additional Local trips on that day. Similarly, once a customer has been charged for 38 Local trips in a month, they have earned a Local Monthly Pass, and any additional Local trips in that month are free of charge. If a customer takes Regional or Airport trips, or any combination of Local, Regional and Airport trips, they will never be charged more than the cost of a Regional/Airport Day Pass in a day, and the cost of a Regional Monthly Pass in a month. Under the current fare structure, the maximum charge per day is $10.50 and the maximum charge per month is $200 for a customer paying full fare. The fare capping system helps make fares more equitable and affordable for customers by eliminating the upfront cost of a Monthly Pass and enabling customers to pay towards a longer-term pass over time. Fare capping will continue under either Alternatives A or B. This means customers who ride frequently will benefit from the reduced Monthly Pass prices even if they have not purchased a Monthly Pass upfront.

The Access-a-Ride fare structure and fare rates continue to be evaluated. Access-a-Ride customers will continue to be able to ride RTD bus, light rail and commuter rail services free of charge with their Access-a-Ride ID card.