Denver International Airport strikes agreement to improve commutes for employees

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO)-- Denver City Council has approved an intergovernmental agreement between Denver International Airport (DEN) and the Regional Transportation district (RTD) to provide the lowest EcoPass rate for all shop and restaurant employees at DEN. 

The agreement was approved on Monday, June 26, as DEN prepares to serve its passengers as part of its Vision 100 initiative and OPERATION 2045 endeavor. 

This agreement, according to DEN officials, will allow better transportation means for concessionaire employees. 

With its previous structure, DEN shop and restaurant employees were not required to purchase an EcoPass for its employees. 

Those who chose to participate had to purchase an EcoPass for every individual employee at prices that varied depending on how many employees each employer had. 

Under this structure, according to DEN officials, smaller employees paid more per employee than larger employees. 

By grouping concessionaires into one contract through DEN, all concessionaires will now pay $632 per person per year, compared to the $1,074 per person that the smallest concessionaires would have otherwise paid. 

The newly updated structure will provide relief for smaller businesses, increase participation in the EcoPass program, and make prices fair for all concessionaires at DEN. 

The new structure will also support small businesses and employees who ride public transportation to work, creates fair opportunity and future growth of the concessionaire workforce, and establishes a structure for other DEN business partners to replicate.