The Northwest Chamber Alliance supports SB25-161: Transit Reform

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NEWS RELEASE
April 10, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Northwest Chamber Alliance supports SB25-161: Transit Reform

The Northwest Chamber Alliance advocates for the passage of House Bill 161 for Transit Reform, moving Colorado further towards ridership and sustainability goals

BOULDER, Colo. – Today, the Northwest Chamber Alliance announced its support of SB25–161: Transit Reform for our regional business community.

The Northwest Chamber Alliance advocates for regional business interests with a unified voice. Transportation is a critical need for our regional workforce, as well as our state. The need for RTD transparency, good governance, and enhanced ridership are all aspects of SB25-161: Transit Reform, that our 7 chambers can support and will continue to advocate for with a unified voice to our business community.

“Every member of our Northwest Chamber Alliance wants RTD to succeed in their transit service mission,” said John Tayer, President and CEO of the Boulder Chamber. “It’s critical to the mobility of our regional workforce. It’s critical to our shared regional economic vitality mission. And while we recognize that RTD is making strides in service improvements, SB25-161 and HB24-1447 will provide greater assurance that RTD’s transit investments are fully transparent and aligned with other regional transportation goals. That is how we build business community confidence in the efficiency and effectiveness of our regional transit system.”

“Transit equity is economic equity. SB25-161 represents a critical step toward building a more accessible, affordable, and sustainable transit system for all Coloradans—especially for those in historically underserved communities. At the Latino Chamber of Commerce, we believe that better transit means better access to jobs, education, and opportunity,” said Carla Colin, President of the Latino Chamber of Commerce Boulder County.

“SB25-161 moves RTD in the right direction—more accountability, better service, and stronger community partnerships. Reliable, connected transit is essential for meeting the workforce and customer needs of Superior’s businesses,” said Renee Alaniz, Executive Director of the Superior Chamber of Commerce.

The benefits of SB25-161 for our Northwest Chamber Alliance business community are…

1) Accountability Reform, by implementing increased oversight, SB25-161 makes sure RTD practices improved governance structure
2) Expanded access to EcoPasses and Low-Income Programs, will increase accessibility to transit for our workforce
3) Transparency: By implementing public dashboards, passengers get real-time data, meaning users can more readily access and track transit performance and safety
4) Increased Affordable Housing: SB25-161 plans to accelerate the rate of development for transit-oriented communities, increasing walkability and ridership bringing us closer to our state climate goals.
5) Shorter Wait: SB25-161 addresses the need for more frequent routes, getting riders to their destinations in a timelier manner

About the Northwest Chamber Alliance
The Northwest Chamber Alliance – comprised of the Boulder Chamber, Broomfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Latino Chamber of Boulder County, Louisville Chamber of Commerce, Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce, and Superior Chamber of Commerce – was formed in 2016 as a coalition of chambers focused on regional issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life. The Northwest Chamber Alliance member chambers of commerce represent approximately 380,000 employees and 3,700 businesses, ranging from large international corporations to small businesses, startups, nonprofits and public institutions.

Contacts
John Tayer, Boulder Chamber President and CEO: 303-919-2248
Katey McNeil, Executive Director of the Lafayette Chamber: 303-666-9555
Carla Colin, President, Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County: 720-385-8221
Leslie Espinoza, Executive Director, Superior Chamber of Commerce: 303-554-0789 x1
Gillian Millar, Executive Director, Louisville Chamber of Commerce: (303) 666-5747
Scott Cook, CEO, Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce: 720-864-2872