RTD is joining the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in a call-to-action campaign that supports the department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) goal of eliminating roadway fatalities.

RTD is among more than 80 organizations that have voluntarily joined USDOT’s Allies in Action effort to amplify safety and related measures. As part of the campaign, participants are sharing their commitment to taking specific, tangible steps to actively reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on America’s roads and streets. Those taking part include health and safety advocates, private sector companies, and municipal and law enforcement organizations.

“On behalf of RTD, I am proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation to support an important effort that will have a directly positive impact on communities throughout the Denver metro region,” said General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson. “The agency is focused on delivering a high-quality customer experience, and safety underpins everything we do.”

As part of its commitment, RTD will leverage GPS performance data on non-revenue vehicles to collect speed and risky driving data, provide targeted operator safety training and enhance operator safety. Earlier this year, RTD reviewed the data and identified the most frequent risky behaviors. By the end of 2023, the agency aims to reduce those behaviors by 5 percent through training and safety campaigns. RTD will also require all bus operators to complete a 10-hour driver training course. In addition, the agency will create and deploy an outreach campaign during 2023 and 2024 focused on enhancing safety awareness and reducing preventable bicycle and pedestrian accidents.

USDOT launched the NRSS in January 2022 in response to the fact that, after decades of steady declines, traffic deaths began rising in 2010 and surged in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. USDOT announced last week that close to 43,000 people died in motor vehicle traffic accidents in both 2021 and 2022. The NRSS outlines a concrete set of actions the department has committed to and adopts an approach that includes safer people, safer vehicles, safer speeds, safer roads and better post-accident care.

The campaign recognizes that reaching zero fatalities will take effort at every level of government, philanthropy, advocacy and the private sector. It also follows USDOT’s recent announcement of the first round of nearly $1 billion in funding to help local communities improve roadway safety.

To see the full list of participating Allies in Action and to watch a message from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, click here.