The Regional Transportation District (RTD) will pay for the first mile of Bird and Lime scooter and e-bike rides to two Denver-area light rail stations under a new pilot program launching this winter.

The program is the work of University of Denver graduate school student Joel Cox and it aims to address a key barrier to public transit.

The First Mile Free pilot program will subsidize the first mile of rides to and from the University of Denver and Decatur-Federal light rail stations through 2026 and 2027, with RTD investing more than $60,000 annually through its partnership program. The West Corridor Transportation Management Association received $61,277 from RTD annually for the two-year initiative.

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