The Regional Transportation District’s Board of Directors voted 10-5 on Tuesday to change the agency’s on-demand paratransit service, Access-on-Demand. The changes will add to many users’ costs while making the service cheaper for RTD to run — and more financially sustainable, according to supporters of the change.

Access-on-Demand offers subsidized, on-demand rides for qualified riders via certain ride-share and taxi companies. That flexibility was a driving factor in its popularity — especially because users didn’t have to pay a base fare.

The board faced intense pushback as it passed the changes.

“I’m worried and I fear if we don’t make modifications to this program, what the future of the program will be,” said Julien Bouquet, a director on the board who supported the change. “ But

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