The Regional Transportation District’s board of directors on Tuesday approved new performance goals for agency General Manager and CEO Debra Johnson that will push her to increase ridership and improve the reliability of RTD’s buses and trains.
The board amended several of the goals to make them tougher to meet and added another. Directors also passed an amendment that raised the importance of Johnson’s short-term goals, meaning they will now carry more weight in determining her salary next year.
“I don't think we should underestimate how upset our ridership base is, our taxpayers and our other stakeholders, with how we're performing,” said board member Patrick O’Keefe, who voted against most of the amendments but supported the one that changed the goals' weighting and voted to approve the full slate of amended goals. “RTD wasn't like this before. In FasTracks there was enthusiasm around the build out. And I am not saying that the pandemic caused it all, but that excuse is in the past. We need to start shooting for excellence in all of our activities.”
Johnson’s new short-term goals are:
- No later than Sept. 30, 2025, to increase light rail service availability to 96 percent and to increase annualized on-time performance for fixed-route buses to 83 percent, bring light rail on-time performance to 83 percent and lift commuter rail on-time performance to 96 percent.
- To achieve total vehicle boardings of 69,562,000 during the period from Oct. 1, 2024 and ending Sept. 30, 2025, where the percentage of goal achievement is calculated from a baseline of 66,307,000 boardings.
- To increase customer survey responses by 4 percent from CY2024 to CY2025 in relation to questions pertaining to customers’ perceptions of a) feeling safe and secure while waiting at stops or stations and b) feeling safe and secure aboard vehicles.
- To identify at least four comprehensive Vision Zero strategic initiatives that are new or innovative to RTD, to be identified no later than Oct. 15, 2025.
Johnson asked directors clarifying questions about their changes during the meeting, but seemed to accept the new terms. Asked what she thought of one particular amendment, Johnson replied, “We’re working collectively and cooperatively and we’re in it together. I’m not adverse to this.”
One amendment, however, failed to win a majority, and several others passed only narrowly. Director Michael Guzman criticized colleagues who were pushing some of the amendments, saying they would not serve to motivate Johnson and the rest of the RTD staff.
“We’re creating a set of goals that is potentially creating a toxic environment for any employee to want to work here,” he said.
The tougher goals largely won the approval of public commenters, including Sen. Faith Winter, who is helping draft a coming RTD reform bill that will aim to boost ridership. Johnson’s new ridership goal amounts to approximately a 5 percent increase over the previous year.
“Tonight, I’m here about the goals… and how very appreciative I am that they are including things like ridership, increasing customer service, increasing safety,” Winter told the board during public comment.
