Mailbag: Senior EcoPass renewal too cumbersome

You may be aware of the new $15 EcoPass price for seniors in Lyons. $15! A great bargain, right? Yes, certainly, but the process for getting the 2020 senior EcoPass is quite cumbersome for those Lyons seniors who already have a 2019 bus pass.

Last week, I was told at Town Hall that each senior must make payment and obtain a signed EcoPass Authorization Form from the town (easy enough). Then, the applicant must take the signed form in person to one of two Boulder (or several Denver) RTD sales windows and have a new photo taken there. Town Hall says they are unable to take the photo and process the renewal, even though the town is able to take the photo and process the application for new applicants. (I witnessed this with my housemate.)

I was also told at my Town Hall visit that all renewing seniors must apply for the senior priced EcoPass so that the town could minimize their reimbursement owed to RTD. In fact, they said, any senior who has already paid for the regular priced 2020 EcoPass would soon find it to be invalidated. (This is my case.)

My concern is all of the extra individual trips to Boulder necessary to meet the requirements. One of the two RTD sales windows offered is available only four hours per day, Monday through Friday. Could we not have an RTD representative come to Lyons at a pre-set time and avoid all the individual trips? Or, better yet, have RTD authorize the town to take the photos and process the renewals as it does for first-time applicants.

With this question in mind, I called RTD Customer Care and a Boulder RTD sales window and was given a phone number for “the lady who runs the EcoPass program,” named Val at 303-299-2382. Last name unknown. I left a voicemail message for Val. I also asked for the name of the RTD director who represents our district. We are in District O, and our rep is Lynn Guissinger. Her contact information is on the RTD website.

Joan Treece
Lyons, CO