Mayor Mike Johnston has selected Jaime Lewis, a transit adviser for the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, to serve on the Regional Transportation District’s board of directors representing areas including central and east Denver.
Mayoral staffers confirmed the nomination to The Denver Post on Wednesday. If approved by the City Council, Lewis will fill a vacancy created in District A last month by the resignation of Kate Williams, who cited a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Lewis said he will step in under an agreement to serve only through the end of this year, when Williams’ second term would have ended.
Johnston chose Lewis over at least one candidate running for the board seat in the November election. In January, the winner of that race will be sworn in on RTD’s 15-member elected board, which lately has come under scrutiny by state lawmakers who want to overhaul the transit agency.
“Jaime is a forward-thinking and respected member of our community who brings a deep understanding of the transportation challenges facing our city,” Johnston said in an emailed statement. “I am confident Jaime will bring a fresh perspective and will play a vital role in ensuring that the needs of our residents are met.”
Lewis, an ordained minister and advocate for transit access for people with disabilities, served from 1998 to 2001 as a city council member and mayor in Salida. He now lives in Denver.
Political consultant Chris Nicholson, who also sought the vacancy nomination, and website designer Jacob Turner have announced they are running in the fall election for District A, which encompasses part of downtown along with Cherry Creek, Glendale and Lowry.
On the board, Lewis said he planned to focus on improving safety on RTD buses and trains, retaining drivers, and making sure the region’s public transit system is equally accessible for all residents.
“There has to be a sense of safety,” Lewis said. “Right now, there seem to be two types of riders. One type has to use transit, and they are in fear because of some of the people who get on the bus — people who are smoking meth or engaging in violent behavior. The ‘other rider’ is people who might consider using public transit but balk at doing that because of their perception that an RTD bus is a bad place to be.”
Better teamwork between RTD’s police force and the local police in municipalities with bus and train stations can boost rider safety, he said, suggesting increased patrols and law enforcement on RTD property around the stations.
Lewis, who uses a wheelchair because of polio he contracted as a child, said he has come to appreciate RTD drivers as his heroes, even as many metro Denver residents underestimate their value.
“I am transit dependent. I am in a wheelchair. And they get me where I want to go,” he said.
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