DENVER — On Tuesday, the Regional Transportation District Board of Directors approved its 2026 budget for $1.5 billion.

However, the approved budget still leaves a roughly $228 million deficit for 2026. RTD rail at Union Station

"Yesterday, we saw the RTD board approve a budget, and it was a budget that had a massive deficit in it. Between 2024 and 2026, we are looking at three consecutive years with budgets, with deficits of $250 million or more," said James Flattum, the co-founder of Greater Denver Transit, an advocacy group for public transportation. "By the end of '26 we're looking at about a billion dollars of deficits."

Flattum told Denver7 his concern is rooted in the budget pictures he says RTD drew last year, compared to this year. James Flattum with Greater Denver Transit

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