The Regional Transportation District will start accepting applications for its long-awaited discount program starting July 29, according to a press release the agency issued this afternoon. The cost to ride buses and trains in the Denver Metro will go down 40% for people who qualify for the new income-based program. 

To qualify, residents must earn 185 percent of the federal poverty level, which is broken down by the number of people who live in a household:

Household size / income: 

• 1 person: $23,107 
• 2 people: $31,284 
• 3 people: $39,461 
• 4 people: $47,638

The program, called LiVE (pronounced like “live your best life,”), will be welcome news to low-income riders of RTD, an agency with base fares that are some of the highest in the nation. 

The discount applies to a range of fares, including passes and individual tickets. Examples of new ticket prices include:

Discount Fare / Full Price*

• 3-hour pass: $1.80 / $2.80
• Regional: $3.15 / $5.05
• Airport: $6.30 / $10.30

*Includes discounts for using a MyRide Smart Card or the Mobile Tickets App instead of cash.

RTD developed the program over two years with input from of a 25-member working group, according to RTD.

For more information or to enroll starting on July 29, visit RTD’s LiVE program website.

Streetsblog will cover this story in more detail in the coming weeks.