DENVER — Between stops by train and bus, Terrell Burnett's feet fill the gap.
“It’s a nice little walk, especially in the heat like this," Burnett said.
Burnett just hopped off the train at the RTD Peoria Station Wednesday morning and was headed to the Salvation Army nearby where he's been staying as he looks for work.
"It’s very hard to get around in this area," Burnett said. “Everything is not in walking distance for one.”
Getting around Denver's Montbello neighborhood would be a lot easier for Burnett if only he could hitch a ride.
The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) proposed a plan to city council that would help folks like Burnett get from point A to point B a little easier within the Montbello neighborhood.
“It’s going to be called the Montbello Connector Service," explained Stephen Rijo, a senior city planner for DOTI. “A service to help move folks in the neighborhood to and from the local rail stations, sort of filling some of the gaps that exist for transportation there.”
The service would be similar to Uber and Lyft, but the city would partner with Northeast Transportation Connections to provide rides.
“Someone will take out their phone and open the app or call into the call center and say, 'I’d like a trip either scheduled in the future or right this instant,'" Rijo said.
One of three vehicles would pick up people within a 30-minute window and take them anywhere within a designated zone that makes up the Montbello neighborhood. One of the vehicles would be fully electric and one would be equipped with a wheelchair lift.
The service would run weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and all rides would be free.
“You can’t go wrong with free!” Terrell Burnett said. "And I love free."
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The city targeted Montbello for the one-year pilot program, and Rijo presented the plan to a city council committee on Tuesday.
"[Montbello is] one of DOTI’s equity areas that shows a lot of need for investment in various places," Rijo said.
The call center and app would be available in English and Spanish.
“That was something we heard loud and clear we needed to meet the community’s need," Rijo said.
Denver tried a similar pilot program in 2018 with a city shuttle service connecting downtown to the Cherry Creek area. The pilot program ended after the company chosen to operate the vehicles went out of business, Rijo said.
Funds left over from the 2018 pilot program would help pay for the Montbello Connector Service.
The program still needs city council approval, but Rijo said the service would be ready to launch in the fall.
If the program gets the green light, Terrell Burnett said he'd consider hitching a ride to rest his feet.
"I could see myself and a whole lot of others being grateful for it actually,” he said.
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