RTD says drug use reports have dropped, as nationwide study looks at solutions

DENVER — Drug use on RTD buses and trains remains an issue throughout the system’s widespread service area across the Denver metro.

Two years after Denver7 Investigates found hundreds of RTD operators received paid time off due to drug exposure, the agency revealed data Wednesday that suggests the issue is improving.

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RTD data shows drug activity reports on its Transit Watch app have dropped form 2,966 in 2023, to 2,124 in 2024, to only 707 through October of this year. That means 2025 is on pace to generate less than half of the 2024 total.

“What we have done collectively has been intentional about creating a welcoming transit environment,” CEO Debra Johnson told reporters Wednesday. RTD CEO Debra Johnson

Johnson cited a few key solutions, including security upg