Transit Planning

Transit planning is essential to how people move around our region today. It will be even more important in the future as the region continues to grow. While RTD is the region’s transit planning agency, DRCOG plays a key role in ensuring transit is available to persons of all ages, incomes and abilities.

2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan Coordinated Transit Plan (2050 MVRTP Coordinated Transit Plan)

The 2050 MVRTP Coordinated Transit Plan provides a framework for the coordination of transit services in the DRCOG region. The 2050 Transit Element was adopted spring 2021, and governs the process for awarding funds for transportation for older adults and persons with disabilities, as well as specialized transit.

The 2050 MVRTP Coordinated Transit Plan addresses federal requirements, identifies strategies to address the transportation needs of our region’s older adults and individuals with disabilities, and emphasizes our region’s integrated approach to coordinating an array of fixed-route and human-service transit services. This plan serves as the federally-required Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan for the DRCOG region.

Human Service Transportation Coordination

Human service transportation includes specialized services for older adults and individuals with disabilities. It can also include services for persons with low-income offered in areas where there is limited or no fixed route services. Several agencies provide human service transportation throughout the region. 

DRCOG works with the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council (DRMAC) and other groups to improve coordination of human service transportation. This includes serving on DRMAC’s Board in an ex-officio capacity. DRCOG (transportation and Area Agency on Aging staff), DRMAC, RTD, and other stakeholders collaborate in the planning, development, and implementation of regional coordination strategies. DRCOG also provides input to RTD and CDOT on their selection of projects to receive federal and state grant funding within the DRCOG region.

FTA 5310 and TIP Human Service Transportation (HST) Set Aside

Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities - Section 5310 provides formula funding to states for the purpose of assisting private nonprofit groups in meeting the transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities when the transportation service provided is unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate to meeting these needs. DRCOG administers the FTA 5310 program in its role as Designated Recipient of those funds for the Denver-Aurora Urbanized Area. For further details on how DRCOG administers the program please see the DRCOG 5310 Program Management Plan. CDOT administers the FTA 5310 program for areas in the DRCOG region outside of the Denver-Aurora Urbanized Area including Small Urbanized areas (Boulder, Louisville-Lafayette, and Longmont) and areas outside of urbanized areas mostly on the plains and in the foothills.

In 2018, DRCOG adopted a set-aside of $4 million over four years for Human Service Transportation (HST) as part of the FY 2020-2023 TIP Policy. The HST set-aside provides a dedicated funding source to improve mobility for vulnerable populations, including older adults, low-income individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. This set-aside complements FTA 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities and Older Americans Act/Older Coloradans Act dollars by funding identified needs that are underfunded or underserved by those sources.

RTD FasTracks Review

DRCOG is charged with approving financial plans and vehicle technology for RTD rapid transit projects, such as FasTracks. DRCOG has performed this role for individual light rail corridors and in 2004 when FasTracks went to the voters.

In order to approve financial plans and vehicle technology DRCOG previously required RTD to submit an Annual Report to DRCOG on FasTracks. Now, rather than a prescribed annual review, DRCOG requires a FasTracks Plan Change Report only when RTD proposes changes from the most recent DRCOG-approved FasTracks Plan. In addition, DRCOG required RTD to prepare the 2014 FasTracks Plan Baseline Report to serve as a basis for identifying future changes in addition to status reports. DRCOG reviews the changes, identifies those of significance, and takes action it deems appropriate. The DRCOG Board approved the Baseline Report Review and Determination Report in November 2014.

Visit our resource library to review previous review and determination reports by DRCOG and RTD’s reports submitted to DRCOG.