The U.S. labor shortage is taking a toll on Denver’s rush hour.
The Regional Transportation District canceled trips Tuesday on its 58-mile (95 kilometer) light-rail system because there aren’t enough operators to run the trains.
The district last week announced a formal proposal to trim its timetable.
Job vacancies nationwide exceeded the number of unemployed Americans by more than 1 million in August, according to the Labor Department in Washington. September’s unemployment rate, meantime, dropped to a half-century low of 3.5%. Jobless claims nationwide are also close to a half-century low.
In a telephone interview, Tonilas said there have been other labor-related service timetable adjustments of late, though there’s “ample service—99% availability.”
The shortages mean rider may need to wait an additional 15 minutes, for example—but 15 minutes can seem like a lifetime at rush hour.
RTD currently has a shortage of 60 light rail operators and 80 bus drivers based on its budget, Tonilas said.