The Grove at Cottonwood, a neuro-inclusive, affordable apartment community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is expected to start leasing this summer. But before anyone has even moved in, housing advocates are already sounding the alarm over the Regional Transportation District’s refusal to extend paratransit service to the site, warning that residents could be left scrambling for reliable ways to get to medical appointments, jobs and everyday errands.
According to CBS News Colorado, the Broomfield Housing Alliance formally asked RTD to expand its Access-a-Ride coverage to include the Grove at Cottonwood. RTD turned the request down. The station reports that the 40-unit community is specifically designed for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is anticipated to open to residents this summer.
RTD Points To Program Limits And Costs
RTD has framed the issue as a matter of how its different mobility programs are structured and funded. The agency describes Access-on-Demand and Access-a-Ride as separate services with different rules, and it emphasizes that Access-on-Demand is a supplemental program rather than one required under federal law. As detailed on RTD, officials have shortened service hours, added a base fare and reduced subsidy levels in an effort to hold program costs down, and say those changes factor into decisions about where extended coverage can be offered.
What The Grove Will Offer Residents
Developed by the Broomfield Housing Alliance in partnership with BlueLine Development, the Grove at Cottonwood is a purpose-built, neuro-inclusive project that will provide roughly 40 permanently affordable apartments for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Broomfield Housing Alliance notes that the community will feature on-site supports and programming, and local funding materials indicate the project moved forward with Low-Income Housing Tax Credit awards and a mid-2026 leasing timeline, according to the Broomfield Housing Alliance.
Local Transit Options And Community Concern
The City and County of Broomfield operates RTD FlexRide, a curb-to-curb service that covers many neighborhoods. But city information also makes clear that FlexRide’s hours and routing are more limited than RTD’s scheduled paratransit service, and officials acknowledge it may not fully meet the daily transportation needs of Grove residents.
Community leaders and disability advocates have urged RTD to revisit its decision, arguing that consistent paratransit access is central to residents’ independence and their ability to participate in community life. Those concerns were documented by CBS News Colorado and echoed in local planning discussions and materials.
Legal And Policy Backdrop
The tug-of-war over service to the Grove is unfolding amid a broader fight about RTD’s on-demand offerings. Advocates have gone to court to challenge fare hikes and other changes to the Access-on-Demand program, while RTD maintains that the adjustments are necessary to keep the system financially sustainable.
RTD has announced that modifications to Access-on-Demand will take effect on January 1, and the agency’s public statements on those changes, together with coverage of the federal complaint, shed light on why RTD is tightening program rules and drawing firm lines around where it will provide service, as outlined by RTD and reported by Denver7.
