All Roll Calls
Yes: 446 • No: 170
ColoradoSB25-1612025 Regular SessionSenate
Transit Reform
Sponsored By: Faith Winter, Iman Jodeh (Democratic), Meg Froelich (Democratic), William Lindstedt (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
Transportation & Motor Vehicles
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
Clearer transit pass prices, easier enrollment
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) must promote EcoPass to bulk buyers, prioritizing those near transit and neighborhood centers. Outreach must include current and planned service, plus yearly and monthly per-user prices; employer estimates must account for the alternative transportation options tax credit. RTD must post accessible prices, including geographic differences, and coordinate outreach with regional planners and Way to Go partners. When feasible, RTD must simplify enrollment through group signups and shared applications for related buyers. RTD must compensate Neighborhood EcoPass bulk buyers for reasonable administrative costs and report annually on outreach, administration, and surveys without an end date.
Local partners can seek extra transit
RTD can share resources and coordinate service with local governments, colleges, businesses, housing entities, and special districts. Service outside RTD's territory requires separate legal authority. By December 31, 2025, RTD must update its policy for local governments and business partners to buy extra service. RTD must consult stakeholders, review proposals, and develop plans where feasible. The law does not guarantee approval, funding, or a set amount of added service.
Regional transit gets ten-year service goals
RTD must create a ten-year plan by September 30, 2026, with state and regional transportation agencies, local governments, and subregional councils. Targets must cover service, ridership, EcoPass and income-based fare-discount enrollment, and access to frequent transit. The plan must identify projects, effects, timelines, and funding, including options within and beyond available funding. RTD must align planning with climate and travel-choice goals, measure progress, and consider ways to reduce driving through transit and walkable development. The state vision calls for 83% more transit service by 2035; RTD must update its plan with each major regional transportation plan update.
Transit leadership faces stronger public oversight
RTD's board must oversee leaders, policy, budgets, a ten-year plan, public engagement, and ridership growth, with an annual financial audit. Annual capital budgets must show project costs and financing; the board may review the chief financial officer annually. The board must meet quarterly with state transportation officials and regional planners, and twice yearly with employee labor organizations. RTD must publish progress dashboards by December 1, 2025, and update them quarterly. A temporary accountability committee in the Colorado Energy Office must report on governance, leadership, representation, and workforce issues by January 30, 2026. Committee appointments are due August 1, 2025, and its authority ends July 1, 2026. The law provides $146,720 in General Fund money for Energy Office administration in fiscal year 2025-26, assuming 0.1 additional full-time-equivalent staff.
Transit plans support affordable, walkable neighborhoods
RTD must update its housing and development policy near transit by April 10, 2026. The policy must support affordable homes and dense, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods near stations and routes. It must align with applicable transit policies, housing goals, and local parking requirements. RTD must also work with local governments on parking and travel-demand strategies that make better use of existing and new parking. These rules do not set rents, require specific homes to be built, or set household parking fees.
Transit workers get assault safety protections
RTD must follow the Federal Transit Administration's General Directive 24-1 on assaults against transit workers. Issued September 25, 2024, the directive requires actions addressing worker assaults. The requirement supports safety for transit employees and people using the system.
Transit elections bar write-ins, allow appointments
Candidates cannot win elected RTD director seats through write-in votes. If no candidate is nominated, county commissioners appoint a director; in Denver, the mayor appoints with City Council approval. For districts crossing jurisdictions, appointment power follows where the largest number of eligible voters live. The appointed director serves until the next regular November election, when voters fill the seat.
Resident votes trigger passes and charges
Covered developments must survey residents about bulk EcoPass transit passes and show the per-user cost. This covers approved multifamily or adaptive-reuse developments with at least 50 units, at least 50% residential use, in designated areas. The survey deadline is June 30, 2026, or one year after the first resident moves in, whichever is later. RTD must provide an online survey tool by January 1, 2026. If most respondents favor passes, the development must enroll; owners or managers pay centrally and may charge residents for costs and fees.
Riders get clearer service change rules
By December 31, 2025, RTD must update service standards and create a policy for announcing disruptions and replacement service. Standards must map where people are likely to use transit and publicly explain service changes against performance measures and operational analysis. They must also set objective productivity standards and require adjustments for services that fall short. RTD must update standards every two years and its disruption policy as needed, including backup plans. RTD must work with event hosts to support added ridership through service that adds to, rather than replaces, regular service.
Transit funding requires plans and disclosures
Local transit operations funding follows a board formula using population, density, zoning, ridership, vehicle service miles, and disproportionately impacted communities. Before receiving money, eligible entities must submit service planning documents and explain improvements to service, frequency, and connections. Nonprofit recipients are excluded from added website reporting for systems serving at least one million people. Covered systems must post annual financial plans, quarterly schedules and spending, and dashboards for capital projects underway costing more than $10 million. Dashboards must show funding status, total funding, spending to date, and completion progress. The enterprise may exempt money awarded no later than fiscal year 2025-26 if the recipient submits a compliance plan by July 1, 2025.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Faith Winter
Affiliation unavailable
Iman Jodeh
Democratic • Senate
Meg Froelich
Democratic • House
William Lindstedt
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
Andrew Boesenecker
Democratic • House
Alex Valdez
Democratic • House
Chad Clifford
Democratic • House
Cecelia Espenoza
Democratic • House
Emily Sirota
Democratic • House
Jamie Jackson
Democratic • House
Javier Mabrey
Democratic • House
Jacque Phillips
Democratic • House
Kyle Brown
Democratic • House
Karen McCormick
Democratic • House
Monica Duran
Democratic • House
Mandy Lindsay
Democratic • House
Manny Rutinel
Democratic • House
Rep. S. Bird
Affiliation unavailable
Sheila Lieder
Democratic • House
Steven Woodrow
Democratic • House
Cathy Kipp
Democratic • Senate
Dafna Michaelson Jenet
Democratic • Senate
Jessie Danielson
Democratic • Senate
Katie Wallace
Democratic • Senate
Lisa Cutter
Democratic • Senate
Nick Hinrichsen
Democratic • Senate
Tony Exum
Democratic • Senate
Tom Sullivan
Democratic • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Vote • 5/7/2025
Move the first draft conference committee report for the second conference committee on Senate Bill 25-161
Yes: 5 • No: 1
Vote • 5/7/2025
Adopt the draft conference committee report CLSB 161.002
Yes: 6 • No: 0
House vote • 5/7/2025
Conference committee report: Repass
Yes: 43 • No: 22
House vote • 5/7/2025
Conference committee report: Adopt
Yes: 42 • No: 23
House vote • 5/7/2025
Conference committee report: Byd scp
Yes: 41 • No: 20
House vote • 5/7/2025
Conference committee report: Reject
Yes: 44 • No: 21
Senate vote • 5/7/2025
Conference committee report: Repass
Yes: 23 • No: 12
Senate vote • 5/7/2025
Conference committee report: Adopt ccr
Yes: 35 • No: 0
Senate vote • 5/7/2025
Conference committee report: 2nd committee
Yes: 35 • No: 0
House vote • 5/5/2025
Conference committee report: Byd scp
Yes: 44 • No: 19
Senate vote • 5/5/2025
House amendments: Not concur appt cc
Yes: 35 • No: 0
House vote • 5/2/2025
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 40 • No: 23
House vote • 5/1/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-161 to the Committee of the Whole.
Yes: 7 • No: 4
House vote • 4/28/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-161, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Yes: 9 • No: 4
Senate vote • 4/22/2025
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 23 • No: 12
Senate vote • 4/15/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-161, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
Yes: 4 • No: 3
Senate vote • 4/15/2025
Adopt amendment J.001
Yes: 4 • No: 3
Senate vote • 3/5/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-161, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Yes: 6 • No: 3
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
5/13/2025HouseSigned by the President of the Senate
5/8/2025SenateSigned by the Speaker of the House
5/8/2025HouseSent to the Governor
5/8/2025HouseFirst Conference Committee Result was to Adopt Rerevised w/ Amendments
5/7/2025HouseHouse Consideration of First Conference Committee Report result was to Reject, Discharge and Appoint
5/7/2025HouseSenate Consideration of First Conference Committee Report result was to Reject, Discharge and Appoint
5/7/2025SenateSecond Conference Committee Result was to Adopt Rerevised w/ Amendments
5/7/2025HouseHouse Consideration of Second Conference Committee Report result was to Adopt Committee Report - Repass
5/7/2025HouseSenate Consideration of Second Conference Committee Report result was to Adopt Committee Report - Repass
5/7/2025SenateSenate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Not Concur - Request Conference Committee
5/5/2025SenateHouse Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
5/2/2025HouseHouse Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
5/1/2025HouseHouse Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
5/1/2025HouseHouse Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Refer Amended to Appropriations
4/28/2025HouseSenate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
4/22/2025SenateIntroduced In House - Assigned to Transportation, Housing & Local Government
4/22/2025HouseSenate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
4/21/2025SenateSenate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/21/2025 - No Amendments
4/17/2025SenateSenate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
4/15/2025SenateSenate Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Amended to Appropriations
3/5/2025SenateIntroduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation & Energy
2/11/2025Senate
Bill Text
Engrossed
Final Act
House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Preamend
Introduced
Reengrossed
Rerevised
Revised
Senate Appropriations Preamend
Senate Transportation & Energy Preamend
Signed Act