RTD has 79 elevators and is expanding the open-door model.

Encouraged by steep declines in illegal activity and repairs, the Regional Transportation District is extending its elevator safety initiative to more stations, aiming to reach 12 locations by year’s end to foster safer transit hubs.

The district added the Florida and U.S. 36 – Broomfield stations this month, bringing the total to 10 sites. RidgeGate and Civic Center Plaza stations are next.

The Customer Experience Elevator Program began as a 90-day pilot in March 2024 at high-volume light rail stations — Colorado, Nine Mile, and Southmoor — where doors stay open by default unless in use.

Implemented amid rising Denver crime, the pilot program addressed “hundreds of calls for service and customer complaints related to unwanted and illegal activities” in elevators monthly, as noted in prior coverage.

“Every month, RTD receives hundreds of calls for service and customer complaints related to unwanted and illegal activities taking place inside our elevators,” said then-chief of police Joel Fitzgerald in March 2024. “These activities not only impede customer access to RTD’s services but also obstruct our efforts to create a welcoming transit environment. Setting elevators to a default open status dissuades usage to anything other than what is intended.”

Passenger emails since the program started report decreased drug use at stations due to the change.

Building on its success, RTD incorporated the Sheridan, Lakewood-Wadsworth, Colfax, and Jefferson County Government Center-Golden stations from June 2024 to September 2025.

“By reprogramming the elevator doors to remain open when not in use, we’ve significantly improved security at our stations,” Sean Moran, RTD facilities manager, said. “This simple operational change has created a more secure environment for customers and maintenance staff alike. The RTD Facilities team remains committed to partnering with Transit Police to implement improvements like this program that keep the RTD system clean, accessible, and creates a more welcoming transit environment for everyone.”

January-August 2025 calls-for-service figures from RTD’s release show calls plummeting compared to 2024: “Sheridan station experienced a more than 81% reduction in calls overall, notably a 93% reduction in security-related calls for narcotics activity. The Lakewood-Wadsworth station experienced a more than 72% reduction in calls for service, including 83% fewer reports of narcotics activity and a 90% decline in elevator maintenance requests.”

“RTD is extremely pleased the Customer Experience Elevator Program continues to correlate with reduced overall incidents and calls for service at the locations,” said the current police chief, Steven Martingano in a release. “Our overarching goal is to create a transit environment that is a welcoming, convenient and enjoyable experience for all customers. The program demonstrates the effectiveness of environmental design tactics that RTD-PD is employing across the district and contributes to the overall efforts across the system to further enhance safety.”

According to the release, RTD owns and operates 79 public-facing elevators and will continue to expand the program beyond the 12 existing locations. Reprogramming an elevator costs about $436 for one hour of a contracted technician’s time. In 2024, the agency estimated that expanding the program to include all 79 public-facing elevators would cost approximately $61,350.

Denver Gazette reporter Sage Kelley contributed to this story.