Riesberg's rail ride remarks spark controversy (plus audio)

To hear Riesberg in his own words, click on the Web Extras link to the right.

DENVER -- Northern Colorado leaders are poised to form a regional transportation authority, so there's been plenty of transit talk in the region.

Some recent discussion, however, focuses on Denver's transit system and a Greeley lawmaker's use of it.

The two main parties involved do not even think this is a story. But several other people disagree with them, so now Rep. Jim Riesberg's free ride on a light rail train is a story.

Riesberg, D-Greeley, said he had the best interests of his Weld County constituents in mind two weeks ago when he spoke against a bill that would allow Denver's Regional Transportation District to charge non-metro-area residents a fee to park at Park-N-Rides.

Riesberg said if RTD needs money, the transit authority should make sure people are paying to ride after they park.

On the floor of the Colorado House of Representatives, Riesberg told of how he would ride a light rail train to the Pepsi Center for sporting events.

"We would come out of the Pepsi Center, every car would be full, standing-room only, and not one single fare is paid, because you don't need to pay a fare to get on RTD -- you only have to have your ticket punched. And at those hours they had no one there to punch those tickets, and everyone rides free," Riesberg said. "I've had an RTD ticket in my pocket for years, and it's never been punched, and I've never had to buy a second one. And they could have plenty of money to expand their parking if only they charged people to use the services."

Republicans immediately seized on the second part of that quote and said Riesberg was cheating the system.

House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, chastised Riesberg in a newsletter sent to constituents. Before long, the episode wound up on radio's Mike Rosen Show, in blogs and a story in the Denver Post, and on KFKA radio in Greeley. Critics claimed Riesberg owed the transit authority something like $2,000 for his free rides.

But that simply isn't true, according to Riesberg and RTD.

Riesberg says he rode it once.

Though his floor remarks sounded like he was speaking in the plural, he said in an interview that he bought a train ticket for a one-time Pepsi Center event. On the return trip, he didn't see anyone buying more tickets.

"RTD had people there on the landing, and just got us all on trains so we could get out of there because there were so many people around," he said. "And I rode home, and never thought about it again, and those were the only times I have ever ridden on (light rail)."

Scott Reed, spokesman for RTD, sounded almost as exasperated.

"As far as we're concerned, it is way over," he said of the story. "And it should go away."

He was, however, glad to help clarify some things.

He said Riesberg shouldn't have assumed those RTD workers on the landing didn't want riders to buy tickets. But he added that when a station is crowded because of a special event, such as a Colorado Mammoth game at the Pepsi Center, some people might get through without paying.

"The expectation is that everyone has a valid proof of payment," Reed said. "But during special events, it is difficult for the fare inspectors to inspect everyone. There clearly is a potential safety issue if people are rushing to get to a train, that type of thing."

Reed said on average, about 4 percent of riders don't pay their fare share, which RTD determines by occasionally checking every single passenger and comparing them with the number of tickets.

RTD recently allowed Wackenhut security guards to also act as fare inspectors, and in the past couple months, freeloaders have dropped to about 1.5 percent of riders, Reed said.

RTD figures it's much more cost-effective to lose on some fares rather than pay tens of millions of dollars to install turnstiles and barrier systems at all stops. Even if RTD wanted to emulate major transit systems, such as New York's Subway or Washington, D.C.'s Metro, which have turnstiles and security systems, many Denver light rail stations aren't big enough anyway, Reed said.

"It just doesn't make sense. It's not economically feasible," he said.

He said he didn't know where critics came up with the large amount that Riesberg owed to RTD.

"I think they were assuming that if, gee, you rode this number of times (it would cost this much)," he said. "Well, if I won the lotto 20 times, I'd be a billionaire, but that didn't happen."

He added RTD was told Riesberg would reimburse the agency for an unpaid fare.

"But that turned out to be incorrect because he is saying that he just rode that one time, and that he did pay his fare and that he kept his ticket with him," Reed said.

Like Reed, Riesberg said he doesn't understand why the issue grew into a controversy. He thinks Republicans were looking for a way to attack him.

"They've been trying for three years to get something on me, and if this is the worst they can find, I don't feel too bad," he said.

At the Capitol is a weekly analysis column featuring topics of interest in the Colorado Legislature. To suggest ideas for this space, contact reporter Rebecca Boyle at (970) 392-4415 or rboyle@greeleytribune.com

More Online

Go to www.greeleytribune.com to hear an audio clip of Riesberg's comments on the House floor. The clip was provided by the House Republicans, but the Tribune is using it because it contains Riesberg's full comments regarding RTD and his use of light rail.