Two people are dead and two were hospitalized with serious injuries after an overnight wrong-way crash on Florida’s Turnpike in Miami-Dade County caused another traffic accident early Sunday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
According to FHP, the crash happened on the northbound lanes of the Turnpike near Bird Road, where a blue Honda that was driving south in the northbound lanes collided head-on with a silver Toyota.
Both vehicles became disabled and were blocking the roadway, which led to a second crash when an oncoming white Toyota collided into the two disabled vehicles along with an FHP vehicle on scene, the agency said.
The Honda driver and the silver Toyota driver from the initial crash died at the scene, FHP said. Meanwhile, the two occupants in the other Toyota were airlifted to Kendall HCA with serious injuries. FHP said the trooper on scene was outside of their vehicle at the time of the crash and was not injured during the incident.
All northbound lanes were shut down and traffic was diverted onto Bird Road as the investigation continued.
At this time, FHP has not provided further details regarding the circumstances surrounding the crashes, as they are both currently under investigation.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — For a short while, bicycles took over Dubai ’s busiest highway on Sunday as part of an annual ride marking the city-state’s yearly fitness challenge.
Thousands of cyclists rode down the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road on the weekend morning.
Authorities shut down a portion of the expressway for the Dubai 30×30, a challenge that calls on residents of this sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates to get 30 minutes of exercise each day in November.
The road, also known as the E11, gives drivers a view of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, as well as Dubai’s silver, doughnut-shaped Museum of the Future and other sites.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. – It was a messy morning on Chelan County roads as slick roads led to a rollover crash along State Route 97. Traffic was diverted to SR-150 to SR-97A as clean up crews worked to reopen lanes.
The semi-truck was hauling a shipment of soda on Saturday morning when it slid and crashed on its side. Both lanes were blocked and shut down as troopers with the Washington State Patrol arrived on scene.
Chelan County semi crash on Nov. 1, 2025.
Southbound traffic was diverted Saturday morning in Chelan County after a semi-truck rollover crash
Law enforcement officials in the area are advising motorists to look for alternate routes if they are traveling in the area on Nov. 1.
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Bullfrog Road overpass was struck by an over-height semi on Tuesday night, Oct. 21. Contractor crews hired by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) worked for 22 hours straight to remove the damaged portion of the overpass and reopen westbound I-90.
When will I-90 near Cle Elum close for Bullfrog Road overpass repairs?
According to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office, the westbound lanes will remain open until WSDOT replaces the overpass, which will require full closures on a limited basis. Officials said most of the work is expected to happen overnight, with daytime closures possible if necessary.
What they’re saying:
“Thank you to the WSDOT crews and contractors who moved quickly to reopen westbound I-90,” Governor Ferguson said. “Our work to repair the damage is just beginning. The loss of this overpass severely impacts the Cle Elum, Roslyn and Suncadia areas. We will work as quickly as possible to replace this vital connection for the community.”
How long will Bullfrog Road overpass repairs take?
Timeline:
An updated timeline for the repair is expected by December, according to Ferguson’s office. WSDOT engineers are designing the new section of the overpass and developing a plan to allow rapid construction.
About 17,000 vehicles travel this section of I-90 each day, and about 1,500 cross the overpass daily. Travelers will learn more about potential impacts once design plans are finalized in December.
What to expect during I-90 overpass construction near Cle Elum?
When construction begins, drivers can expect full closures on westbound I-90, with traffic detoured over the on- and off-ramps.
How is WA paying for I-90 overpass repairs?
Ferguson’s emergency proclamation allows the state to seek federal reimbursement for repair costs. The Federal Highway Administration is expected to continue supporting the project despite the ongoing federal government shutdown.
WSDOT also plans to seek reimbursement from the truck operator or other responsible parties. The Washington State Patrol stopped the driver, and its Commercial Vehicle Services Division is investigating.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a press release by Governor Bob Ferguson’s Office.
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Johnston County are closed due to a crash.
The crash and closure are in between Exits 102 (toward E Main Street) and 105 (toward Bagley Road), east of Selma.
Johnston County deputies are investigating a crash that involved two 18-wheel tractor-trailers. State Highway Patrol said the driver of the truck that is completely destroyed was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The other driver is okay.
SHP is still investigating how the crash happened.
The WRAL Breaking News Tracker saw a severely damaged truck cab next to a pretty intact tractor-trailer. There are packages and debris strewn on the side of the road.
According to traffic alerts, the road closed around 6 a.m. It’s expected to fully reopen just after 8 a.m.
Drivers can take U.S. Highway 301 to detour around the I-95 south closure.
Snow forced the closure of Interstate 70 between Silverthorne and Loveland Pass on Monday night.
The highway was closed in both directions between exit 205, near Silverthorne, and exit 216, near Loveland Pass for safety concerns, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Images taken near the Eisenhower Tunnel show snowy roads and heavy traffic.
Police chases increased tenfold in the six months after Chief Todd Chamberlain broadened the Aurora Police Department’s policy to allow officers to pursue stolen vehicles and suspected drunk drivers, a move that made Aurora one of the most permissive large police agencies along the Front Range.
Aurora officers carried out more chases in the six months after the policy change than in the last five years combined, according to data provided by the police department in response to open records requests from The Denver Post.
The city’s officers conducted 148 pursuits between March 6 — the day after the policy change — and Sept. 2, the data shows. That’s up from just 14 police chases in that same timeframe in 2024, and well above Aurora officers’ 126 chases across five years between 2020 and 2024.
The number of people injured in pursuits more than quintupled, with about one in five chases resulting in injury after the policy change, the data shows. That 20% injury rate is lower than the rate over the last five years, when the agency saw 25% of pursuits end with injury.
Chamberlain, who declined to speak with The Post for this story, has heralded the department’s new approach to pursuits as an important tool for curbing crime. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman believes the change has already had a “dramatic impact” on crime in the city.
However, the effect of the increased pursuits on overall crime trends is difficult to gauge, with crime generally declining across the state, including in Denver, which has a more restrictive policy and many fewer police pursuits.
“You throw a big net out there, occasionally you do catch a few big fish,” said Justin Nix, a criminology professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha. “But you also end up with the pursuit policy causing more accidents and injuries.”
Of those 87 arrestees, 67 had a criminal history, 25 were wanted on active warrants, 18 were on probation and seven were on parole, the monitor found.
“What we find is that people who steal cars, it’s not a joyriding thing, it’s not a one-off, they tend to be career criminals who use these vehicles to commit other crimes,” Coffman said. “There seems to be a pattern that when we do apprehend a car thief, they tend to have warrants out for their arrest, and we do see the pattern of stealing vehicles to commit other crimes. So we are really catching repeat offenders when we apprehend the driver and/or passengers.”
The soaring number of pursuits was largely driven by stolen vehicle chases, which accounted for 103 of the 148 pursuits since the policy change, the data shows.
Auto theft in Aurora dropped 42% year-over-year between January and September, continuing a downward trend that began in 2023. In Denver, where officers do not chase stolen vehicles, auto theft has declined 36% so far in 2025 compared to 2024.
Denver police officers conducted just nine pursuits between March 6 and Sept. 2, and just 16 so far in 2025, data from the department shows. Four suspects and one officer were injured across those 16 chases.
“I think there are broader societal factors at work,” Nix said of the decline in crime, which has been seen across the nation and follows a dramatic pandemic-era spike. “When something goes up, it is bound to come down pretty drastically.”
Aurora officers apprehended fleeing drivers in 53% of all pursuits, and in 51% of pursuits for stolen vehicles between March and September, the police data shows.
Coffman said that shows officers and their supervisors are judiciously calling off pursuits that become too dangerous. He also noted that every pursuit is carefully reviewed by the police chain of command and called the new policy a “work in progress.”
“I get that it is not without controversy,” Coffman said. “There wouldn’t be the collateral accidents if not for the policy. So it is a tradeoff. It is not an easy decision and it is going to always be in flux.”
Thirty-three people were injured in Aurora police chases between March 6 and Sept. 2, up from six injured in that time frame last year. Those hurt included 24 suspects, five officers and four drivers in other vehicles.
One bystander and one suspect were seriously injured, according to the police data.
The independent monitor noted in its October report that it was “generally pleased” with officers’ judgments during pursuits, supervisors’ actions and the post-pursuit administrative review process, with “two notable exceptions” that have been “elevated for additional review and potential disciplinary action.”
The monitor also flagged an increase in failed Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT, maneuvers during pursuits, which it attributed to officer inexperience. The group recommended more training on the maneuvers, which are designed to end pursuits, and renewed its call for the department to install dash cameras in its patrol cars, which the agency has not done.
“It sounds reasonable,” Coffman said of the dash camera recommendation. “They are not cheap and we need to budget for it.”
‘No magic number’
It’s up to city leadership to determine if the benefits of police chases outweigh the predictable harms, and there is no “magic number,” Nix said.
“When you chase that much, bad outcomes are going to happen,” he said. “People are going to get hurt, sometimes innocent third parties that have nothing to do with the chase. You know that is going to be a collateral consequence of doing that many chases. So knowing that, you should really be able to point to the community safety benefit that doing this many chases bring.”
The majority of large Front Range law enforcement agencies limit pursuits to situations in which the driver is suspected of a violent felony or poses an immediate risk of injury or death to others if not quickly apprehended.
Among 18 law enforcement agencies reviewed by The Post this spring, only Aurora and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office explicitly allow pursuits of suspected drunk drivers. The sheriff’s office allows such pursuits only if the driver stays under the posted speed limit.
Aurora officers pursued suspected impaired drivers 13 times between March and September, the data shows, with five chases ending in injury.
Omar Montgomery, president of the Aurora NAACP, said he is a “cautious neutral” about the policy change, but would like Aurora police to meet with community members to explain the impact in more detail.
“People in the community do not want people on the streets who are causing harm to other individuals and who are committing crimes that makes our city unsafe,” he said. “We want them off the streets just as bad as anyone else. We also want to make sure that innocent people who are not part of the situation are not getting harmed.”
Topazz McBride, a community activist in Aurora, said she has been disappointed by what she sees as Chamberlain’s unwillingness to engage with community members who disagree with him.
“Do I trust them to use the process effectively and responsibly with all fairness and equity to everyone they pursue? No. I do not trust that,” she said. “And I don’t understand why he wouldn’t be willing to talk about it. Why not?”
Montgomery also wants police to track crashes that happen immediately after a police officer ends a pursuit, when an escaping suspect might still be speeding and driving recklessly.
“They are still going 80 or 90 mph and they end up hitting someone or running into a building,” he said. “And now you have this person who that has caused harm, believing that they are still being chased.”
The police department did not include the case of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, who was shot and killed Aug. 30 by an officer after he sped away from an attempted traffic stop, among its pursuits this year. Video of the incident shows the officer followed Belt-Stubblefield’s vehicle with his lights and sirens on for just under a minute over about 7/10ths of a mile before Belt-Stubblefield crashed.
Police spokesman Matthew Longshore said the incident was not a pursuit.
“The officer was stationary, running radar when the vehicle sped past, and the officer was accelerating (with both lights and siren eventually) to catch up to the vehicle,” Longshore said. “The officer did not determine nor declare that he was in pursuit of the suspect’s vehicle before the suspect crashed into the two other vehicles.”
The officer, who has not been publicly identified, killed Belt-Stubblefield in an ensuing confrontation. Belt-Stubblefield, who was under the influence of alcohol, tossed a gun to the ground and was unarmed when he was shot.
Whether or not a pursuit preceded his death was one of several questions raised in the independent monitor’s Oct. 15 report, which characterized the shooting and the department’s response to the killing as a setback in otherwise improving community relations.
Flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility, the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday, when the agency also reported staffing-related delays in Chicago, Washington and Newark, New Jersey.
The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed and canceled in the coming days as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown.
During an appearance on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy said more controllers were calling in sick as money worries compound the stress of an already challenging job.
“Just yesterday, … we had 22 staffing triggers. That’s one of the highest that we have seen in the system since the shutdown began. And that’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” he said.
The FAA said planes headed for Los Angeles were held at their originating airports starting at 11:42 a.m. Eastern time, and the agency lifted the ground stop at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.
The hold did not appear to cause continuing problems at LAX; according to flight tracking website FlightAware, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport saw a much bigger share of late arrivals due to what the FAA said were weather and equipment issues.
Too few air traffic controllers per shift also caused takeoff and arrival disruptions Sunday at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport and Teteboro Airport, and at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Meyers, Florida, according to the FAA.
On Sunday evening, the FAA also slowed traffic into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport because of traffic controller staffing.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Residents in a Pinellas County neighborhood are concerned about an ongoing road closure they say makes it hard for first responders to get through.
What You Need To Know
Whitney Road has been closed at Wolford Road for nearly a year in unincorporated Pinellas
Neighbors have some concerns about firefighters responding to emergencies from a nearby fire station
The project is for roadway, drainage, sidewalk and safety improvements, currently set to be done next fall
The project is on Whitney Road at Wolford Road in unincorporated Pinellas. Whitney Road closed late last year to through traffic for an improvement project.
Neighbor Perry Goosie says he has had to take the detour every time he leaves home.
“It’s usually 13-20 minutes around the closure,” Goosie said.
Since the project started in December, he has had an ongoing worry.
“My concern is for the people in my neighborhood. I’m 76 years old and everyone over there is older. If something happens, if there is an emergency, it takes an extra 13 to 20 minutes, to get around this closure,” Goosie said.
Largo Fire Station 40 is right at the start of the closure. Firefighters have told Goosie that the roadblock does send them out of their way.
“If your house is on fire, that’s extra time that your house is burning. How much worse can it get?” Goosie said.
Nearly a year later, he feels enough work has been done that part of the road could now be opened.
Pinellas County officials say the project is for roadway, drainage, sidewalk and safety improvements, currently set to be done next fall.
“I know this needed to be done. But it’s just aggravating when it takes so long,” Goosie said.
So he’s hoping the county considers opening at least part of the road before a potential emergency.
“At least at the minimum, make it so that the fire department can get through for emergency services without a problem,” Goosie said.
Pinellas County officials didn’t say if the road would reopen soon. But they say that emergency services are continuously notified of closures.
KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. – An emergency contractor will demolish the Bullfrog Road overpass after it was severely damaged when an oversized truck load struck the bridge earlier this week, state officials said Thursday.
What we know:
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said demolition is scheduled to begin Thursday, Oct. 23, with one eastbound lane of I-90 closed from 6 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25.
Westbound I-90 lanes, which have been closed since the crash, are expected to reopen early next week. Drivers are being detoured around the closure at Exit 80 near Cle Elum.
Governor issues emergency proclamation
What they’re saying:
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Wednesday that he signed an emergency proclamation to speed up the response.
“I signed an emergency proclamation today on the Bullfrog Road overpass that was severely damaged by a strike, closing the westbound lanes of I-90 underneath,” Ferguson wrote on X. “The proclamation allows us to seek federal funds and enter into an emergency contract to start work as quickly as possible. Our first priority is getting westbound I-90 reopened.”
The emergency order allows state transportation officials to bypass the normal bidding process and seek federal reimbursement for the repair work.
Westbound I-90 remains closed; detour in place
What you can do:
Westbound lanes of I-90 were closed Tuesday night after the overpass was hit by an oversized load at about 10:30 p.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. Crews have since been assessing the structure and preparing for demolition.
Drivers heading west are being directed off the freeway at Exit 80 to use the off- and on-ramps to rejoin I-90 beyond the closure.
Eastbound traffic remains open with delays expected during the demolition period.
Is I-90 closed? Here’s what we know
Here’s what WSDOT wants travelers to know about the closure and damage to the Bullfrog Road overpass.
The Bullfrog Road overpass is closed.
To keep I-90 traffic moving, travelers on Bullfrog Road cannot access the westbound on-ramp to I-90.
Eastbound I-90 travers going to Suncadia/Roslyn area need to use exit 85 to State Route 903.
Travelers on westbound I-90 needing access to south Bullfrog Road and Leisure Lane will detour to exit 78 and go east on I-90 to exit 80.
Investigation ongoing
What’s next:
The Washington State Patrol continues to investigate the incident. Photos and video shared by troopers show a large section missing from the bridge and debris scattered across the roadway below. No injuries were reported.
Once the damaged overpass is demolished and debris cleared, WSDOT crews will work to reopen westbound I-90 lanes. No timeline has been announced for rebuilding the Bullfrog Road bridge.
Officials urged drivers to plan for delays, follow detour signs, and check real-time updates on the Snoqualmie Pass X account.
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Washington State Patrol (WSP).
The driver in a single-car crash early Wednesday morning is facing charges of driving while impaired, Raleigh police said.
Police said the driver was driving at a high speed when he crashed through an intersection into a wooded area off East Millbrook Road and Hargrove Road around 2:45 a.m.
The car took out a traffic control sensor and crashed through a fence, into trees. Officers said it pulled out a tree as well.
The driver and his two passengers were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The WRAL Breaking News Tracker was on the scene as a tow truck tried to pull the car out of the woods for about 45 minutes.
The car was badly damaged.
Officers said a corner of the intersection is used as a bus stop for kids. The damaged traffic control sensor may impact students’ ability to get to the bus stop safely.
WRAL is working to find out when the sensor will get repaired.
The driver, whose name was not relased, is also charged with careless driving and reckless driving.
Raleigh police said the crash remains under investigation.
SHELBY, N.C. — Teen drivers in North Carolina have a way to take an important step toward getting their license without having to go to the DMV office.
What You Need To Know
Teens trying to advance to a Level 2 limited provisional license can now take their road tests with a certified private driving school
At least 25 private driving schools are currently certified in North Carolina
The NCDMV says the new initiative aims to lower wait times at driver’s license offices
The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles announced in October that teens trying to advance to a Level 2 limited provisional license can now do so by taking their road tests with a certified private driving school.
Safe Lane Driving School in Shelby is one of at least 25 certified schools across the state.
“Pretty neat to be one of the first schools to be able to give those road tests,” owner Phillip Glover said.
The recent change made by the state DMV gives teens and parents a choice to skip the DMV office and gives them more flexibility since certified driving schools can do the test on nights and weekends.
“Also, it gives a relief to the DMV employees, that they don’t have to leave the office and do the work,” Glover said. “And they don’t have to be out of the office for 20 minutes to go do a road test.”
The NCDMV says the new initiative aims to lower wait times at driver’s license offices.
The change adds not only convenience but also comfort. Some teens may be able to take what may be a stressful test with a familiar face.
“Just talking to some of the teens already that have taken the road test through us, the stress level of coming here doesn’t exist for them,” Glover said. “They felt better about [the test].”
As more people learn about this change, Glover thinks demand will only increase.
“I think it was a great idea that the commissioner and the governor came up with, thinking outside of the box of how we can improve the DMV for the citizens of North Carolina,” Glover said. “And I think they’re going in the right step.”
This change comes as the state is making other improvements at the DMV. That includes the sign-in process, which now allows drivers to watch their place in line on their phones and receive a text when it’s their time to come back to the office.
They’ve also added nearly 65 examiners, thanks to the mini-budget passed by the legislature in the summer.
A new law also allows eligible North Carolina drivers without a Real ID to renew their licenses online, which a spokesperson with the NCDMV says about 4,000 drivers took advantage of on the first day.
For a full list of certified driving schools in North Carolina, click here.
Stream New York’s #1 news – Accuweather – original content 24/7
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) — Multiple people were injured after a U-Haul van collided with a LinkNYC kiosk in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, according to officials.
The FDNY said the crash happened shortly after 3 p.m. at East 57th Street and Madison Avenue.
Officials say three people suffered minor injuries after the van collided with the LinkNYC kiosk on the north side of the street.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
ENGLEWOOD — Metro Denver budtender Quentin Ferguson needs Regional Transportation District bus and trains to reach work at an Arvada dispensary from his house, a trip that takes 90 minutes each way “on a good day.”
“It is pretty inconvenient,” Ferguson, 22, said on a recent rainy evening, waiting for a nearly empty train that was eight minutes late.
He’s not complaining, however, because his relatively low income and Medicaid status qualify him for a discounted RTD monthly pass. That lets him save money for a car or an electric bicycle, he said, either of them offering a faster commute.
Then he would no longer have to ride RTD.
His plight reflects a core problem of lagging ridership that RTD directors increasingly run up against as they try to position the transit agency as the smartest way to navigate Denver. Most other U.S. public transit agencies, too, are grappling with a version of this problem.
In Colorado, state-government-driven efforts to concentrate the growing population in high-density, transit-oriented development around bus and train stations — a priority for legislators and Gov. Jared Polis — hinge on having a swift public system that residents ride.
But transit ridership has failed to rebound a year after RTD’s havoc in 2024, when operators disrupted service downtown for a $152 million rail reconstruction followed by a systemwide emergency maintenance blitz to smooth deteriorating tracks that led to trains crawling through 10-mph “slow zones.”
The latest ridership numbers show an overall decline this year, by at least 3.9%, with 40 million fewer riders per year compared with six years ago. And RTD executives’ newly proposed, record $1.3 billion budget for 2026 doesn’t include funds for boosting bus and train frequency to win back riders.
Frustrations intensified last week.
“What is the point of transit-oriented development if it is just development?” said state Rep. Meg Froelich, a Democrat representing Englewood who chairs the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee. “We need reliable transit to have transit-oriented development. We have cities that have invested significant resources into their transit-oriented communities. RTD is not holding up its end of the bargain.”
At a retreat this past summer, a majority of the RTD’s 15 elected board members agreed that boosting ridership is their top priority. Some who reviewed the proposed budget last week questioned the lack of spending on service improvements for riders.
“We’re not moving the needle. Ridership is not going up. It should be going up,” director Karen Benker said in an interview.
“Over the past few years, there’s been a tremendous amount of population growth. There are so many apartment complexes, so much new housing put up all over,” Benker said. “Transit has to be relied on. You just cannot keep building more roads. We’re going to have to find ways to get people to ride public transit.”
Commuting trends blamed
RTD Chief Executive and General Manager Debra Johnson, in emailed responses to questions from The Denver Post, emphasized that “RTD is not unique” among U.S. transit agencies struggling to regain ridership lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson blamed societal shifts.
“Commuting trends have significantly changed over the last five years,” she said. “Return-to-work numbers in the Denver metro area, which accounted for a significant percentage of RTD’s ridership prior to March 2020, remain low as companies and businesses continue to provide flexible in-office schedules for their employees.”
In the future, RTD will be “changing its focus from primarily providing commuter services,” she said, toward “enhancing its bus and services and connections to high-volume events, activity centers, concerts and festivals.”
But agency directors are looking for a more aggressive approach to reversing the decline in ridership. And some are mulling a radical restructuring of routes.
Funded mostly by taxpayers across a 2,345 square-mile area spanning eight counties and 40 municipalities — one of the biggest in the nation — RTD operates 10 rail lines covering 114 miles with 84 stations and 102 bus routes with 9,720 stops.
“We should start from scratch,” said RTD director Chris Nicholson, advocating an overhaul of the “geometry” of all bus routes to align transit better with metro Denver residents’ current mobility patterns.
The key will be increasing frequency.
“We should design the routes how we think would best serve people today, and then we could take that and modify it where absolutely necessary to avoid disruptive differences with our current route map,” he said.
Then, in 2030, directors should appeal to voters for increased funding to improve service — funds that would be substantially controlled by municipalties “to pick where they want the service to go,” he said.
Reversing the RTD ridership decline may take a couple of years, Nicholson said, comparing the decreases this year to customers shunning a restaurant. “If you’re a restaurant and you poison some guests accidentally, you’re gonna lose customers even after you fix the problem.”
The RTD ridership numbers show an overall public transit ridership decrease by 5% when measured over the 12-month period from August 2024 through July 2025, the last month for which staffers have made numbers available, compared with the same period a year ago.
Bus ridership decreased by 2% and light rail by 18% over that period. In a typical month, RTD officials record around 5 million boardings — around 247,000 on weekdays.
The precautionary rail “slow zones” persisted for months as contractors worked on tracks, delaying and diverting trains, leaving transit-dependent workers in a lurch. RTD driver workforce shortages limited deployment of emergency bus shuttles.
This year, RTD ridership systemwide decreased by 3.9% when measured from January through July, compared with that period in 2024. The bus ridership this year has decreased by 2.4%.
On rail lines, the ridership on the relatively popular A Line that runs from Union Station downtown to Denver International Airport was down by 9.7%. The E Line light rail that runs from downtown to the southeastern edge of metro Denver was down by 24%. Rail ridership on the W Line decreased by 18% and on R Line by 15%, agency records show.
The annual RTD ridership has decreased by 38% since 2019, from 105.8 million to 65.2 million in 2024.
A Regional Transportation District light rail train moves through downtown Denver on Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Light rail ‘sickness’ spreading
“The sickness on RTD light rail is spreading to other parts of the RTD system,” said James Flattum, a co-founder of the Greater Denver Transit grassroots rider advocacy group, who also serves on the state’s RTD Accountability Committee. “We’re seeing permanent demand destruction as a consequence of having an unreliable system. This comes from a loss of trust in RTD to get you where you need to go.”
RTD officials have countered critics by pointing out that the light rail’s on-time performance recovered this year to 91% or better. Bus on-time performance still lagged at 83% in July, agency records show.
The officials also pointed to decreased security reports made using an RTD smartphone app after deploying more police officers on buses and trains. The number of reported assaults has decreased — to four in September, compared with 16 in September 2024, records show.
Greater Denver Transit members acknowledged that safety has improved, but question the agency’s assertions based on app usage. “It may be true that the number of security calls went down,” Flattum said, “but maybe the people who otherwise would have made more safety calls are no longer riding RTD.”
RTD staffers developing the 2026 budget have focused on managing debt and maintaining operations spending at current levels. They’ve received forecasts that revenues from taxpayers will increase slightly. It’s unclear whether state and federal funds will be available.
RTD directors and leaders of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, an environmental group, are opposing the rollback of RTD’s planned shift to the cleaner, quieter electric hybrid buses and taking on new debt for that purpose.
Colorado lawmakers will “push on a bunch of different fronts” to prioritize better service to boost ridership, Froelich said.
The legislature in recent years directed funds to help RTD provide free transit for riders under age 20. Buses and trains running at least every 15 minutes would improve both ridership and safety, she said, because more riders would discourage bad behavior and riders wouldn’t have to wait alone at night on often-empty platforms for up to an hour.
“We’re trying to do what we can to get people back onto the transit system,” Froelich said. “They do it in other places, and people here do ride the Bustang (intercity bus system). RTD just seems to lack the nimbleness required to meet the moment.”
Denver Center for the Performing Arts stage hand Chris Grossman walks home after work in downtown Denver on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Riders switch modes
Meanwhile, riders continue to abandon public transit when it doesn’t meet their needs.
For Denver Center for the Performing Arts theater technician Chris Grossman, 35, ditching RTD led to a better quality of life. He had to move from the Virginia Village neighborhood he loved.
Back in 2016, Grossman sold his ailing blue 2003 VW Golf when he moved there in the belief that “RTD light rail was more or less reliable.” He rode nearly every day between the Colorado Station and downtown.
But trains became erratic as maintenance of walls along tracks caused delays. “It just got so bad. I was burning so much money on rideshares that I probably could have bought a car.” Shortly before RTD announced the “slow zones” last summer, he moved to an apartment closer to downtown on Capitol Hill.
He walks or rides scooters to work, faster than taking the bus, he said.
Similarly, Honor Morgan, 25, who came to Denver from the rural Midwest, “grateful for any public transit,” said she had to move from her place east of downtown to be closer to her workplace due to RTD transit trouble.
Buses were late, and one blew by her as she waited. She had to adjust her attire when riding her Colfax Avenue route to Union Station to manage harassment. She faced regular dramas of riders with substance-use problems erupting.
Morgan moved to an apartment near Union Station in March, allowing her to walk to work.
She still hoped to rely on RTD for concerts and nightlife, and to reach DIA for work-related flights at least once a month. But RTD social media posts have alerted her to enough delays on the A Line that she no longer trusts it, she said. To reduce her “anxiety” and minimize the risk of missing her flights, she shells out for rides — even though these often get stuck in traffic.
She and her boyfriend recently tried RTD again, riding a train to the 38th and Blake Station near the Mission Ballroom. They attended “an amazing concert” there, she said, and felt happy as they walked to the station to catch the train home.
A man on the platform collapsed backward, hitting his head. He was bleeding. She called 911. Her boyfriend and other riders gathered. She ran across the street to an apartment building and grabbed paper towels. RTD isn’t really to blame, but “I just wish they had a station platform attendant, or someone. I do not know head-injury first aid,” Morgan said.
The train they’d been waiting for came and went. An ambulance arrived. They got home late, the evening ruined, she said.
“His head cracked open. He had skin flaps hanging off his head. This was stuck in my head, at least for the rest of the night.”
Jonathan Sharp walks his son Oliver to a bus stop on Gulf to Bay Boulevard and Thornton Road each morning, near the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
“On the walk to the bus stop, it’s pretty peaceful,” Oliver said. “But then when we get on the sidewalk, it pretty much makes me feel unsafe.”
Cars zip just feet away on Gulf to Bay as Oliver and his dad wait for the bus.
But it’s what happens when the bus arrives that has Sharp very concerned: Drivers not stopping for the bus.
A Clearwater father reached out to me because many drivers don’t stop for his son’s school bus on Gulf To Bay Blvd. This is video he took.
According to state law, drivers should stop there in both directions because there is no physical barrier. Full story on @BN9 all day. pic.twitter.com/YMx4lYfTxG
“We watch cars every day. I’ve had to scream and yell at traffic and wave my arms and flail around to try and get traffic to recognize that they have to stop in both directions,” Sharp said.
He says sometimes even drivers on the same side of the road don’t see the bus.
“People won’t care. They’ll come out and it’s almost like they’re confused. They’ll slow down for the bus or just drive right by. Other people are going way over 45 MPH,” Sharp said.
According to state law, drivers on both sides of Gulf to Bay Boulevard should stop because there is no physical barrier between the two directions.
Clearwater Police Department officials say they have targeted this area several times since school started with patrols and will continue to do so.
(Courtesy of FLHSMV)
Sharp is grateful for that — but he wants to remind drivers to always watch out for buses and students.
“It’s not up to them to post officers here every day. It’s up to the residents to go ahead and follow the state law,” Sharp said.
Police also say they are working with the city and school system on making this location safer, including possibly moving the bus stop. Pinellas County Schools said they would have someone from their safety team at the stop this week.
A deadly crash near Durham blocked the westbound lanes of Interstate 40 on Sunday, leaving some drivers stuck in traffic for several hours.
The crash was first reported before 5:45 a.m. at Exit 282 for Page Road. Very heavy delays were visible on traffic cameras until 11 a.m., when the lanes reopened.
Durham police said at least one person was killed in the crash. WRAL News is working to learn how many cars were involved and if anyone else was injured.
At 10:45 a.m., at least two left lanes appeared to remain closed, and traffic was inching along as cars were trying to merge over to the right to get out of the standstill. Once cars were able to merge to the right lanes, they were are able to take the Page Road or continue on I-40.
Two experienced and well-trained firefighter/paramedics have joined the Gloucester Fire Department as lateral transfers from the Amesbury Fire Department.
Nicholas Meyers and Tyler Rogers, both Gloucester natives and Gloucester High School graduates, were sworn in Tuesday by City Clerk Grace E. Poirier.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
