Complete Colorado: When public agencies charge citizens to access public records, the message is clear: such information may be public in name, but not in practice. That’s why the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) new policy to waive the cost of an extra hour of processing time for records requests that serve the public good is more than just a procedural tweak—it’s a real step forward for government transparency.

Beginning July 1, RTD will waive an additional hour of staff time for open records requests made for journalism, academic research, community advocacy, or by everyday citizens trying to understand how their government works. Most requests are fulfilled in under two hours, meaning this simple change will make the vast majority of inquiries free of charge.

And that’s exactly how it should be.

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