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DENVER (KDVR) –The Colorado surge in coronavirus cases has the Regional Transportation District struggling with staff absences and a need for more workers, affecting scheduled service.

“We are doing our best to maintain service within our existing resource constraints,” General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Debra A. Johnson said. “While RTD’s Operations team is working as creatively as possible in its approach to covering open shifts, our ‘people power’ is being severely affected by the prevalence of the omicron coronavirus variant.”

RTD reports 77 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 between Dec. 15 and Jan. 5., the highest percentage of positive tests since the pandemic began. The agency has been coping with unfilled positions for bus and rail operators, technicians, and mechanics.

“We know this situation creates difficulty for our customers, and we apologize for any inconvenience they are experiencing due to these circumstances that are beyond our control,” Johnson said.

Service alerts are available for RTD customers to stay updated on service changes.

A $4,000 hiring bonus is available for many RTD positions. Learn more about job opportunities on the RTD career page.