125DO007_SOW_2026_Comprehensive_Operational_Analysis.pdf

We make lives better through connections.

Regional Transportation District 1660 Blake Street, Denver CO 80202 rtd-denver.com

Statement of Work 2026 Comprehensive Operational Analysis

Version: V4.0

October 21, 2025

Statement of Work rtd-denver.com

Table of Contents Overview

Project Goals

Project Tasks Introduction Task 1: Project Management and Administration Task 2: Review of Other Transit Agencies Task 3: Stakeholder Engagement Task 4: Current System Assessment Task 5: Market Research, Market Segmentation, and Travel Demand Analysis Task 6: Framework and Strategies for Service Improvement Task 7: Development of an Updated Transit Network Task 8: Title VI Service Equity Analysis and Reporting Task 9: Schedules (Optional) Location Period of Performance Roles and Responsibilities

Project Requirements A. Work Order Structure B. Project Management Requirements C. Personnel Requirements D. Project Documentation and Accessibility Requirements

Overview This Statement of Work (SOW) outlines the tasks for a 2026 Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) for RTD. RTD’s COA ensures the agency effectively delivers mobility services in a manner that supports its mission of making lives better through connections across the entire service area. In July 2022, the Board of Directors adopted the agency’s branded COA known as the System Optimization Plan (SOP), with a planning horizon concluding in 2027. The SOP is a detailed evaluation of travel patterns, demographics, and transit routes in the service area, and it includes recommended modifications to RTD’s fixed-route services to better meet near-term mobility needs in the region. RTD’s planned route reinstatements and modifications can be found in the SOP. As is RTD’s established practice, service plan modifications will continue to be implemented three times a year during service changes, which typically occur in January, May, and September. In Q4 2025, RTD will commence efforts to conduct a new COA in 2026, focusing on future service modifications and community needs.

The COA will analyze current and projected boardings, other performance metrics, customer demand, staffing levels, land use, population growth, transit-oriented and housing developments, employment centers, travel patterns, financial resources, modal integration, customer feedback, operational constraints, and future alternatives. The final COA will serve as RTD’s service development and delivery roadmap, ensuring the agency remains efficient and responsive to community needs.

Project Goals

The overarching goal is to achieve Board adoption of a practical and implementable plan. This 18-month study, the 2026 COA, will address the following major sub-goals:

• Comprehensive Assessment of RTD Services: Identify optimal service standards and performance measures and prepare a comprehensive vision for the bus and rail networks, including integration with other RTD and partner non-fixed-route services.

This includes supporting existing and planned rapid transit corridors, balancing geographic coverage, frequency, span of service, and ridership, and promoting mobility while identifying underperforming routes and opportunities to reallocate resources.

• Short-Term Service Plan (2028 to 2032): Develop a fiscally constrained service implementation plan for 2028 to 2032 that includes considerations for fixed-route bus, bus rapid transit, rail, demand-response, and paratransit, addressing access to jobs, education, and services, economic impact and value, transit performance, customer impact and supporting equity while improving reliability and reducing costs. This will also involve exploring partnerships with regional public agencies and private sector mobility service providers. Service will align with RTD’s Five-Year Financial Forecast.

• Aspirations for Service: Develop a long-range vision for RTD service that can help chart a path forward, including mid- and long-range scenarios to position RTD for the future, considering elements such as customer demand, population growth, alignment with employment centers, potential workforce capacity, technological innovations, and potential major capital projects.

• An Open and Transparent Process Leading to Board Plan Adoption: Ensure successful outreach, stakeholder engagement, public involvement, and communication throughout the COA process.

Project Tasks Introduction This Scope of Work describes the consultant’s tasks required to perform a COA for RTD. The study will provide a data-driven set of recommendations for near-term changes to RTD's services, as well as lay the groundwork for long-range capital and operational strategies to better meet the evolving mobility needs of the region. The study includes the following tasks:

1. Project Management and Administration

2. Review of Other Transit Agencies

3. Stakeholder Engagement

4. Current System Assessment

5. Market Research, Market Segmentation and Travel Demand Analysis

6. Framework and Strategies for Service Improvement

7. Development of an Updated Transit Network

8. Title VI Service Equity Analysis and Reporting

9. Schedules (Optional)

Task 1: Project Management and Administration The consultant will provide project management services, including:

• A Project Management Plan and Project schedule within 30 days from NTP

• Developing and maintaining a project schedule and budget

• Coordinating with RTD staff, other consultants, and stakeholders

• Preparing and submitting progress reports and invoices

• Organizing agendas and facilitating project management meetings

• Delivering presentations and briefings

• Managing quality control and assurance

• Resolving issues and risks

The Consultant will develop monthly progress reports, invoices and schedules and track the project in close coordination with RTD project management staff. This will include a project Kick-Off Meeting and a Project Management Plan to be submitted to RTD within 30 days of NTP and a project schedule to deliver the final deliverables no later than 18 months from NTP. The Consultant will conduct analysis update meetings periodically to provide RTD stakeholders with interim analysis updates. The Consultant will hold bi-weekly meetings to discuss ongoing activities and track progress against schedule and budget.

DELIVERABLES: Project Management Plan and Project Schedule; Progress reports and invoices (monthly)

Task 2: Review of Other Transit Agencies The consultant will engage with no more than six other transit agencies to understand best practices and gain insights into addressing common challenges. This will include:

• Develop criteria to identify Other Transit Agencies for comparison The consultant will develop criteria to identify other transit agencies that have similarities to RTD. In selecting the comparators for analysis, the project team shall seek transit agencies serving major metropolitan markets with a similar array of service types/modes. These systems should be selected based on shared characteristics, such as a bus network that feeds into a rail network, a fleet size of several hundred vehicles, and a large service area covering millions of people. The selection should also include factors such as weather, geography, and the built environment (e.g., exclusive guideway vs. street-running rail, mountainous terrain, or seasonal/tourism-driven service). The consultant should consider the use of normalized measures, such as the number of boardings per revenue hour, or to look at the data in terms of percent change from a base year.

• Benchmarking and Performance Comparison: The consultant will compare RTD's transit productivity metrics and service delivery models with those of other agencies facing similar operational and demographic contexts and constraints. This will involve analyzing data related to ridership, cost-efficiency, service utilization, speed, reliability, and frequency. Impacts of service should also be compared, including access to jobs, education, and services as well as economic impact and value.

• Best Practices and Innovation in Service Delivery: The consultant will conduct first-hand outreach to selected other agencies, including the participation of relevant RTD staff, to gather qualitative insights on innovative solutions and strategies, particularly in the following areas:

• Integration with Private Mobility Providers: Understanding approaches to working with private mobility services such as transportation network companies (e.g., Uber and Lyft), taxi cab companies and micromobility providers (e.g., scooters and e-bikes) to enhance first-mile/last-mile connections and overall system efficiency.

• Regional Partnerships and Service Coordination: Gaining insights into successful collaborations with regional public agencies to address gaps in fixed-route service, optimize inter-agency transfers, and expand service coverage.

• Addressing Operational Challenges: Learning from other agencies experiences in tackling difficult operational problems, including technology adoption for service improvements, infrastructure limitations, fleet availability, maintenance capacity, and adapting to changing travel patterns.

• Funding Strategies and Grant Acquisition: Exploring successful methods for securing federal, state, and local grants, and innovative funding mechanisms.

• Technology Adoption and Innovation: Investigating new technologies implemented for service improvements (e.g., real-time passenger information, mobile ticketing, on-demand services, rail signal systems, etc.) and lessons learned from their integration.

• Workforce Development and Retention: Understanding strategies for attracting, training, and retaining personnel, and approaches to addressing staffing shortages and employee engagement.

• Documentation of Findings: The consultant will document the findings from the review of other transit agencies. This documentation will include detailed notes from interviews, a comprehensive analysis of findings, a summary of best practices, lessons learned, and their applicability to RTD's context. This will inform the development of strategies for service improvement and the updated transit network.

DELIVERABLES: Review of Other Transit Agencies report; Review of Other Transit Agencies presentation

Task 3: Stakeholder Engagement A robust stakeholder engagement approach is paramount to the success of the COA. RTD expects the Consultant to develop a comprehensive approach that incorporates a variety of different techniques to engagement. Nontraditional approaches to engagement are encouraged.

The stakeholder engagement approach should be centered on key milestones and getting diverse input for informed decisions throughout the project. RTD’s preferred method of engaging stakeholders is a bottom-up approach that starts with customer feedback and allows different stakeholders to discuss and debate how customer input can and should be incorporated into plan decisions.

The following lists the categories of stakeholders that should be considered in developing a stakeholder engagement strategy:

Stakeholders providing policy direction:

RTD Board of Directors The RTD Board will approve the final COA. Board briefings should be planned at key milestones. This may occur in the form of a Board Discussion item or Board Study Session depending on the topic and the level of information to be reviewed. Board engagement should be expected every three to four months during the study. The consultant will be expected to prepare meeting materials and attend all Board meetings and Study Sessions to take notes and record any follow-up actions. RTD staff will make all presentations to the Board of Directors.

Elected Officials and Key Business/Institutional Leaders Elected Officials and key business/institutional leaders should be engaged as part of the COA process. This group will help identify key issues facing their communities and provide input to policy approaches to future transit service. Existing boards and committees such as the Metro Mayors Caucus or Denver Metro Chamber committees may be utilized as part of the engagement approach. Consideration may also be given to setting up a separate policy advisory committee if necessary.

Stakeholders providing technical direction/support:

RTD Staff RTD staff will be involved with the COA on multiple levels and provide direction for the technical analysis and support the policy discussion with the RTD Board, elected officials, business and institutional leaders. Primary input from RTD staff will flow through the Planning Department and the Service Development Division. Staff from these groups will work with the Consultant to effectively involve other departments and/or divisions within RTD. Staff from other work units will be relied on to provide direction and input on key department- and division-specific lines of effort or areas of oversight. Expertise from within RTD should be utilized to ensure that current practices are recognized and understood while alternative future scenarios for the agency are considered.

The broader RTD staff population should be given the opportunity to provide input throughout the COA process. RTD Planning Department and Service Development Division staff will take the lead in the engagement of the broader RTD staff population with support from the consultant team for meeting materials, surveys and other engagement tools. Consultants will be asked to collaborate with RTD Communications staff to ensure that ongoing communication about the efforts is shared with RTD staff on a timely and consistent basis. All survey work for RTD employees will be led by RTD staff.

Local Jurisdiction and Regional Agency Staff Local jurisdiction and regional agency staff will provide technical expertise and local context to the COA. Staff from these agencies should be looked upon to provide critical input on current opportunities and challenges facing their communities. They should identify strategies their communities are employing to support and compliment future transit service.

Transit Advocacy Organizations and Special Interest Groups Transit advocacy organizations and special interest groups should be relied upon to provide specific and diverse perspectives on future transit service. Transportation management associations/organizations, transit advocacy groups and special interest groups representing key RTD customer groups such as the disability community can provide important and unique perspectives on future transit service.

A variety of approaches should be considered for engagement of technically focused stakeholders. At a minimum, existing RTD committees such as Subregional Service Councils, Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC), Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities (APCD) and Access-A-Ride Paratransit Advisory Committee (APAC) should be used as feedback loops throughout the process. Consideration may be given to forming a technical advisory committee or issue specific feedback panels depending on the consultant’s experience and proposed approach to engagement.

RTD Customers and the General Public

RTD customers and the general public should be looked upon to provide foundational input to the COA. This group is at the center of RTD’s mission statement, “Making lives better through connections.”

Multiple methods may be used to engage RTD customers and the general public, including online resources such as a COA website to disseminate information, pop-up events to get first-hand input, online surveys, and open house-style public meetings. RTD will be looking to consultant teams for expertise on innovative methods and inclusive practices for engaging customers and the public on different elements of the COA. There is an expectation that there will be public meetings at major milestones in this effort. Consultants will be responsible for production of all public meeting materials, maintenance of the COA website, assisting with staffing at public meetings, organizing all public meeting logistics, addressing requests for language assistance and disability-related accommodations, and providing notes/meeting summaries following the events. The consultants will be asked to work with RTD’s Communication Department on social media efforts and will be expected to take a primary role in the utilization of social media tools. The consultants will also be asked to collaborate with RTD Communications staff to ensure that all materials follow RTD brand guidelines to avoid confusion for the public.

As part of RTD’s 2025-2028 Title VI Program, the Public Participation Plan (https://cdn.rtd-denver.com/image/upload/v1750258321/Public_Participation_Plan_az3ib9.pdf) was designed to ensure accessible and equitable participation in public engagement activities from all individuals within the service area. In addition to the Public Participation Plan (PPP), the agency has a language access plan and disability community engagement plan that further enhance the PPP.

These documents provides guidance and requirements to consultants on RTD standards in key areas such as approaches to engaging historically underserved populations, language assistance measures for linguistically diverse populations, accessible practices and effective communications for engaging with the disability community, project materials and other forms of communication, document accessibility, roles and responsibilities of RTD departments, and various methods for inclusive and culturally competent engagement. This plan is a guide and consultants have the flexibility to propose unique and innovative approaches to engagement based on their experience and expertise with similar projects. On an as-needed basis, the consultants will be asked to collaborate with RTD Civil Rights Division staff to ensure meaningful participation with historically underserved populations, to receive guidance on language assistance measures and disability-related accommodation requests, and to receive resources that may support with engagement with diverse communities.

DELIVERABLES: Stakeholder engagement plan; meeting materials including power point presentations, handouts, and meeting minutes; feedback collection and key metrics reporting;

cumulative expense report of language assistance measures and disability-related accommodations; meeting logistical support; project website support and maintenance

Task 4: Current System Assessment The Current System Assessment (CSA) will be a review of the existing conditions of service at RTD. The assessment should identify deficiencies, and opportunities in service based on:

geographic coverage; span of service; customer, transit supportive, and transit priority infrastructure needs; and attractiveness given ridership demand, costs, changes throughout the District, service equity, economic value and impact, modal integration, customer feedback, operations constraints, fleet availability, and maintenance capacity. The assessment should consider the overall effectiveness of the system at matching transit services to travel demands for all trip purposes, but especially the principal transit markets of commuting to work and school, and also specifically for healthcare, human services, shopping and entertainment. The need, efficiency, and ease of making connections among all RTD services, as well as between modes and providers, shall also be assessed.

The analysis should include both a snapshot of where RTD stands today and a critique of how it got here. The assessment should identify trends that cut across all the reports listed below and performance metrics on a service class, regional, sub-regional, and neighborhood level, as appropriate, to better understand where changes in transit ridership are occurring as well as why they are occurring. The assessment should document recent service changes implemented by RTD and evaluate RTD’s responsiveness to changes and trends.

A. Review of past service analyses and plans

Recent Service Planning Reports:

• Transit Service Policies & Standards, July 2016 https://cdn.rtd-denver.com/image/upload/v1750258321/Public_Participation_Plan_az3ib9.pdf https://cdn.rtd-denver.com/image/upload/v1750258321/Public_Participation_Plan_az3ib9.pdf

• Transit Priority Analysis of Select Corridors, April 2018

• RTD Mobility Hub Guidelines, December 2018

• Update of Rail Service Standards, December 2018

• Service Restructuring Analyses and Plans, December 2018

• Comprehensive Assessment of RTD Services, October 2022

• System Optimization Plan (SOP), July 2022

• SOP Preliminary Review Title VI Service Equity Analysis, November 2021

• August 2025 Service Change Recommendations Title VI Service Equity

Analysis, July 2025

• Facilities and Fleet Transitions Plan, December 2024

• Continuous improvement proposals by service change (5-10 years)

• Schedules and runcuts by service change (5-10 years)

• Customer satisfaction surveys (5-10 years)

• 2024 On-board survey

• 2025-2027 RTD and ATU Collective Bargaining Agreement

• Title VI Service Performance Monitoring Reports (2022-2024)

• Fleet Management Plan

• RTD 2021-2026 Moving Forward Together Strategic Plan

Previous Service Planning Reports for Context:

• Network Development Timed Transfer Analysis/Sketch Plan, Jan/Feb 2003

• North Sector Services Sketch Plan, April 2005

• Boulder Community Transit Network Evaluation of New Services, April 2005

• Comprehensive Analysis for Service Efficiencies, November 2007

• Call-n-Ride Performance Review, December 2008

• Shuttle & Circulator Services Review & Evaluation, October 2008

• Service Standards Review, February 2009

• Denver West Side Transit Enhancements Study, April 2012

• Boulder County & North Metro Potential Transit Improvements Study, May

• Denver Union Station Bus Operations Plan, February 2013

• RTD On Time Performance Assessment, June 2013

• Denver Union Station-Cherry Creek-Glendale Corridor Feasibility Study, Jan

• Cherry Creek-Glendale & Routes 83L/79L Inventory & Concept

Improvements, August 2014

• Feasibility of Adopting Flexible Scheduling Study, May 2014

• Colfax Avenue Transit Priority Study, February 2014

• Network Analysis for Potential Improvements to Bus Service Speed, Delay &

Access, Review of Potential Improvements, March 2016

• East Colfax Avenue BRT Service Plan, August 2022

• Federal Boulevard BRT Service Plan, December 2024

FasTracks Reports:

• Finishing FasTracks Report, 2025

B. Routes and Service Evaluation

The CSA will evaluate the existing fixed-route bus and rail system, special services, Flex Ride,Access-a-Ride, Access-on-Demand, and the Partnership Program for safety, productivity and effectiveness within the network, while determining the factors responsible for their successes and failures. Evaluation for fixed-route bus and rail services should evaluate the route and route segment level. The CSA will include a profile and evaluation for approximately 150 routes that will include, at a minimum, the following:

Data to be provided by RTD:

• Hours and miles for each service

• Average ridership by route, route segment, trip, mile, and time of day for each service

• Ridership over the past five years

• Service levels by route and corridor

• Travel time by route and route segment

• Schedules

• Runcuts

• Paratransit trip data

• Base and peak vehicle requirements

• Vehicle assignments

• Operating costs by route, mile, boarding, and platform-hour

• Revenue by route, mile, boarding, and platform-hour

• Cost per boarding

• On-time performance

• Maximum load points, load factors, and average trip lengths by time of day

• Fare media utilization

• Customer satisfaction surveys

• On-board survey

• Safety incidents

• Equity analyses

• Workforce hiring and separation

• Other available data as required

The CSA should analyze the efficiency of the network including its ability to minimize travel times, wait times, and transfers between major origin/destination travel pairs. The ability of the network to provide coverage while minimizing unproductive or duplicative service should be evaluated along with individual routes. Measures and factors of success may include:

• Productivity

• Cost efficiency

• Utilization

• Speed

• Reliability

• Frequency

• Directness of travel

• Connectivity with other services

• Minimizing travel times, wait times, walk times at origins and destinations, and transfers between major origin/destination travel pairs

• Providing coverage while minimizing unproductive or duplicative service

• Identify gaps/deficiencies/opportunities in service and service attributes:

geographic coverage; span of service; customer, transit supportive, and transit priority infrastructure needs

DELIVERABLES: Current System Assessment report; Current System Assessment presentation

Task 5: Market Research, Market Segmentation and Travel Demand Analysis The consultant will provide a comprehensive analysis of who RTD’s current and potential customers are in order to understand current ridership and inform decisions on future service.

The study should identify current and potential market segments by analyzing trends and data including, but not limited to:

• Population

• Employment

• Travel patterns

• Income

• Automobile ownership

• Land use

• Location-based services data

Profiles of each market segment should be identified to include:

• Demographic characteristics of customers and customer groups (e.g., race/ethnicity, age, income, low-income households, households with limited vehicle access, people with disabilities, sex/gender, families)

• Psychographic profiles

• Most important service attributes for each market segment (e.g., frequency, reliability, network simplicity, span, speed, directness of travel, neighborhood access/coverage, seamless transfers, auto/walk access, etc.)

• Trip purpose

The study should analyze travel behavior for customers and non-customers to understand:

• Trip purposes

• Geographic locations of origins and destinations (travel patterns)

• Transit propensity

• Population and employment densities of customer groups by geography

• Time of day trips are taken

• Day of week trips are taken

It is expected that this analysis will be based on location-based services data and RTD’s On- Board Survey, among other data sources. A comparison of the similar data used in the previous System Optimization Plan (2022) should be conducted to provide a comprehensive assessment of how travel patterns have changed since the pandemic since all data utilized in the SOP was prior to 2019.

DELIVERABLES: Market Research, Market Segmentation, and Travel Demand Analysis report;

Market Research, Market Segmentation, and Travel Demand Analysis Presentation

Task 6: Framework and Strategies for Service Improvement Based on the analysis of the CSA, the consultant will create a framework and strategies that will serve as guidance for RTD to continuously adapt its services to the changing environment. The framework and strategies will incorporate industry best practices for the efficient operations of fixed-route bus, demand response bus, and rail service and demographic projections for the region. The analysis should review the existing RTD framework for the provision of service, including the RTD Service Standards and the RTD Transit Priority Analysis, completed in 2018.

A. Gap Analysis

A gap analysis should be performed to recognize where RTD is meeting the needs of the District and where there are areas of improvement (i.e., desired state). Building upon the market data from Task 5, the gap analysis should identify opportunities for additional services and other improvements.

B. Tradeoffs Tradeoffs should be evaluated against RTD’s Strategic Plan, geographic coverage, ridership, demand, frequency, jurisdictional service distribution, and applicable regulations. The framework should include detailed explanations of tradeoffs that are necessary when choosing how a transit network is structured. Elements such as routes, frequency, span, coverage, and performance should be explained in the context of overall network design and the tradeoffs in attracting ridership with each element. Tradeoffs should also be evaluated in the context of RTD’s Strategic Priorities of Community Value, Customer Excellence, Employee Ownership, and Financial Success. Tradeoffs should also be evaluated relative to the results of the Title VI Service Equity Analysis in Task 8.

C. Service and Network Types

A menu of service types should be identified for use in varying parts of the District, such as grid and fixed-route, limited- and express-stop service, bus rapid transit, community/circulator, deviated fixed-route, and demand responsive. Cost per unit of service for various service types shall be documented. These service types should be detailed regarding how each has a place in a comprehensive network. Network and route design strategies such as, but not limited to, grid and radial fixed-routes, bus service tiers, corridor integrity, timed transfers, and clock-face schedules should be included. Alternative service (non-fixed-route) delivery strategies should be included for areas that cannot be effectively or efficiently served with traditional fixed-route service. Strategies should also consider the coordination and integration of non-RTD services as complements, supplements, or substitutes to RTD services.

D. Appropriately Match Travel Market & Services

Align service types to develop service concepts most appropriate for each travel market, considering:

• Level of travel demand

• Street network (grid, suburban cul-de-sac, topography, street geometry, number of lanes, lane widths, and conflicting uses such as bike lanes and intersection bulb-outs)

• Land use (mixed use, urban/suburban residential, retail/commercial corridor or area, industrial parks, big box retail, special event/entertainment venues, and regional attractions)

• Service attributes important to the customer groups in each service area

• Addressing gaps, deficiencies, and opportunities from existing service evaluation

E. Transit Priority Measures A toolkit for transit priority measures that can be implemented on RTD services should be provided. Measures such as, but not limited to, bus stop consolidation, rail station closure, transit signal priority, queue jumps, bus bulbs, and transit-only facilities should be detailed.

Guidance should be provided for building and maintaining relationships with RTD’s component municipalities to plan and implement transit priority measures within their jurisdictions and integrating those measures with their mobility and development objectives.

F. Non-RTD Services

Strategies for the coordination and integration of non-RTD services such as complements, supplements, or substitutes to RTD services should be developed.

This should rely on an “open-door” policy toward pilot projects as they are presented and include analysis of RTD’s existing Partnership Program. The use of RTD’s transit service cost-sharing policy should be considered in the approach to requests for pilot projects and new services from businesses or local governments.

G. Service Design Guidelines Service design guidelines for future service changes should be developed to ensure that any future adjustments are consistent with the preferred service concepts. The RTD transit service policies and standards should incorporate these guidelines as appropriate. The guidelines should contain information such as:

• How tradeoffs are incorporated into policies and standards

• Where specific service types are warranted

• How to track changes in markets that should affect changes in services

• Assessing new types of services

Where different from current practices, measures for evaluating services based on efficiency, effectiveness, service quality, ridership, and other performance outcomes should be included. Any other qualitative measures of success or updates to RTD’s policies for service evaluation should also be included.

DELIVERABLES: Framework and Strategies for Service Improvement Report

Task 7: Development of an Updated Transit Network Building on the CSA, RTD’s service development standards and practices, and the Framework and Strategies for Service Improvement, the consultant will work in partnership with RTD Planning and Service Development staff to develop a transit network based on the preferred service concept and design guidelines to meet the goals of the COA. The Updated Transit Network should align with the Five-Year Financial Forecast. The Updated Transit Network should also provide a prioritized list of future improvements for when additional resources are available. The updated transit network should develop comprehensive region-wide recommendations for changes to RTD service delivery covering all service types, including implications for ADA boundaries and non-fixed-route services. Recommendations should include routings, span of service, and headways, reflecting policies related to adjusting service based on funding and staffing. Resource impacts should also be provided including miles, hours, operators, and vehicles required to operate service. These impacts should be provided on a system and route level.

A. Phasing The recommendation should include short-term service restructuring recommendations, as well as long-term service modifications that may require capital investment or further study. Phasing of the implementation of the recommended network should also be included.

B. Infrastructure needs The updated transit network should detail the infrastructure needs required to operate the recommended network. Facilities such as bus stops, on- or off-street layover points, transfer hubs, and Park-and-Rides should be identified as needed for future service. Technology infrastructure related to fare payment, demand responsive transit management, priority measures, personal safety/security, and customer experience should be identified. Wayfinding signage and other customer information needs should be recommended.

C. Transit Priority Measures The updated transit network should specify locations or corridors and methods where priority measures could benefit operation including locations identified in the Transit Priority Study. A strategy for reinvesting resources saved by transit priority measures should be developed to focus resources where they are needed and available. Stop consolidation and closing of redundant or otherwise unneeded rail stations should be recommended as appropriate. Gains from the identified priority measures should be detailed to measure performance.

D. Cooperating and Cost Sharing with Municipalities

Guidelines for municipalities to coordinate with RTD to provide additional or other types of public transportation services based on RTD service policies and standards should be developed to ensure an equitable and attainable level of service is provided throughout the District, including meeting FTA Title VI regulations and RTD’s 2025-2028 Title VI Program.

E. Operating Policies Changes to RTD operating policies should be recommended to ensure the safe, secure, and efficient operation of the system. These policies should include, but not be limited to, reliefs, headway management and route supervision, vehicle assignment, vehicle procurement, division locations, and division assignments.

Specific to rail, the use of hostlers, turn-back tracks, and fallback reliefs should be examined for their efficiency.

F. Impacts to Customers The impacts to customers should be detailed as part of the recommendation. Metrics such as, but not limited to, the proportion (reported by number and percentage) of customers losing service, the proportion (reported by number and percentage) of customers gaining service, and the proportion (reported by number and percentage) of customers within a distance of frequent service should be used to illustrate the overall benefits of the recommended network. Gaps and deficiencies identified in the CSA that are addressed by the updated transit network should be highlighted. The short-term service restructuring recommendation should also be modeled using the DRCOG Regional Travel Demand Model to develop ridership projections.

DELIVERABLES: Updated Transit Network report including maps, infrastructure needs, transit priority measures recommendations, cooperation and cost sharing recommendations, operating policy recommendations, and impacts to customers;

Updated Transit Network presentation; Detailed cost, hour, revenue vehicles, operators, pullouts, and distance calculations for the updated transit network; Prioritized future recommendations for service.

Task 8: Title VI Service Equity Analysis and Reporting Per FTA requirements, a Title VI service equity analysis (SEA) will be performed for service changes that meet the major service change policy threshold as well as their potential impacts to equity populations. A SEA must be completed for the preferred service scenario. Equity populations for this analysis include Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income populations, using established definitions. Service data will be sourced from RTD-provided general transit specification feed (GTFS) data for the three service networks and will be processed by Remix using their Title VI Analysis tool. Annualized bus visits (trips) will be used as a proxy for changes in revenue service and will be related to both route and underlying census block group, used for spatial analysis of demographics. Demographic data will be based in the 2019-2023 (or the most current) American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates.

The methodology will include individual route analysis and a network analysis reviewing routes and equity/non-equity block groups at a system level. Routes/lines with proposed major service reductions or additions of 25% or greater will be identified and further analyzed using a comparative difference approach, consistent with the thresholds and definitions outlined in the agency’s 2025-2028 Title VI Program. Equity and non-equity populations within one quarter mile of routes/services will be identified. Each route’s equity and non-equity populations, comprising a share of District-wide equity and non-equity populations, will be compared to determine if potential disparate impacts (DI) and/or disproportionate burdens (DB) are found. DI and DB findings are those where the route equity population facing major service changes is 10% or greater compared to the route’s share of the District-wide non-equity population. The analysis must document any mitigation steps if disparate impacts or disproportionate burdens are identified. Additional assessments will be include an analysis of impact on access (e.g., new access, improves access, removes access, and reduces access) to key activity centers (e.g., retail and convenience stores, education, social service agencies, senior housing, and affordable housing) and employment for BIPOC and low-income populations utilizing a quarter of a mile buffer for each route/line that meets the major service change threshold. Key activity centers will use two data sources: Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Business Analyst 2022- 2023 (or the most current) and Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Regional Data 2024 (or the most current). Employment data will be based in Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES8) 2022 data and will assess access to Low/Medium wage jobs (i.e., defined as having earnings of under $3,333 per month, or about $40,000 per year) for workers of color and Hispanic/Latino workers. Jobs held by workers of color include jobs where the race indicated was not “White Alone.” Jobs held by Hispanic/Latino workers include jobs where the ethnicity indicated was Hispanic/Latino.

The consultant will produce a final equity analysis report providing a summary of findings, overview of methodology and analysis, as well as a dataset including all analysis and spreadsheets will be final deliverables for this tasked work. The consultants will be asked to collaborate or consult with RTD Civil Rights Division staff to ensure the SEA report comports with RTD’s 2025-2028 Title VI Program.

DELIVERABLES: Title VI Service Equity Analysis report

Task 9: Schedules (Optional) Schedules or schedule outlines and blocking of new or updated services in the Updated Transit Network shall be provided to RTD for implementation, especially taking timed transfers, required layovers, and cycle times into account.

DELIVERABLES: Schedules or schedule outlines for new or updated services

Location The project area includes the RTD service area.

Services will be performed on-site and remotely via phone or video calls, with the possibility of in-person meetings at RTD offices. The Consultant shall deliver the final work products electronically via email or secure file share.

Period of Performance

The period of performance will run through December 31, 2027.

Roles and Responsibilities All files will be transmitted via Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, file transfer protocol (FTP), or e-mail as appropriate. All products (draft and final) developed within the course of this contract will be transmitted to RTD upon completion.

Cost Estimate Submittal Requirements include:

o Estimated labor hours including labor hour rate.

Project Requirements A. Work Order Structure

Subject matter will include transit service evaluation and recommendation. The Consultant will ensure the delivery of report chapters and presentations. Work will be paid on a monthly basis.

B. Project Management Requirements

The Consultant, RTD Project Manager, and involved RTD staff shall have a kick-off meeting to discuss the deliverables associated with the contract in greater detail immediately after issuance of the Notice to Proceed. The Consultant shall work at the direction of the RTD Project Manager. The Consultant shall provide the RTD Project Manager with progress updates on a periodic basis as determined by the RTD Project Manager.

C. Personnel Requirements

Contractor personnel must have experience conducting comprehensive operational assessments, conducting Title VI Service Equity Analyses, creating illustrative maps, researching best practices, reporting writing and slide deck development.

D. Project Documentation and Accessibility Requirements Requirements for documents or presentations produced by the consultant team in coordination with RTD Staff include the following:

• All presentations and reports presented to the Board of Directors or to the public shall adhere to 508 Compliance and comport with RTD’s Brand Book and Style Guide. To ensure documents are accessible, the consultant team shall use the web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA particularly if the documents will be posted on the website or submitted for Board presentations.

• Documents presented at public meetings are required to be translated into Spanish at minimum and other languages on an as-needed basis. Translations of these documents are the responsibility of the consultant team. The need for translation services will be determined based on several factors, including, but not limited to, the demographics of the location of the meeting and whether translation services were requested by the public prior to the meeting. A notice for disability accommodation requests (e.g., ASL interpretation, Braille, large print, or accessible online documents) must be provided in advance of public meetings, and the consultant team are responsible for arranging for these services.

• A website shall be created and maintained by the consultant team with links to RTD’s main website. The website must adhere to web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as this is the accessibility standard for all public facing content. Language assistance measures for Spanish and other languages shall be considered through automated website translation platforms (RTD uses DeepL) or posting translated documents throughout major milestones of the project.

• A digital copy (in pdf or other agreed-upon format) and 20 hard copies shall be provided to RTD for any final reports for significant elements of the Plan as described in the Deliverables section of this work scope.

• Interactive tools, such as sli.do, may be used for engagement activities during the Plan process. License fees and documentation for such tools will be the responsibility of the consultant. Accessibility factors (e.g., customers with visual impairments or who rely on keyboard navigation) should be highly considered for the selection of the interactive tool.

Appendix Materials