Michael Farrington
Non-partisanQ1 What advisory mechanisms will you implement to ensure that evidence and scientific findings play a crucial role in your policymaking process?
“I want RTD decisions to be grounded in evidence, public data, and measurable outcomes. That means regularly reviewing reliability, ridership, safety, maintenance, and service data before major policy decisions, and making that information accessible to the public.
I also support bringing outside expertise into the process. RTD should hear not only from agency staff, but also from local governments, researchers, labor, riders, and subject-matter experts who can help test assumptions and identify unintended consequences.
Where appropriate, I will support pilot programs with clear performance measures. Try an approach, measure the results, publish (publicly when appropriate) happened, and change course if the evidence shows it is not working. Good policymaking requires a willingness to learn rather than defend a decision simply because it has already been made. We have to be willing to try things, and iterate based results, not biases.”
Q2 Colorado farmers are facing multiple threats, amidst water scarcity and rising prices for fertilizer and other imported materials. As agriculture is our #1 export sector, in what ways do you imagine using your role to support evidence-based advancements to protect and support our farmers and natural resources in the years ahead?
“Agricultural policy is largely outside the authority of the RTD Board, so I want to be clear about the role I would actually have. However, transportation and land-use decisions can still affect agriculture and natural resources in meaningful ways.
One of the strongest contributions RTD can make is supporting compact growth around existing communities and transit. Building more homes and jobs in already-developed areas can reduce pressure to convert farmland and open space at the edges of the metro area.
More broadly, I would work collaboratively with local governments and state leaders on issues involving water, growth, and natural-resource protection. I believe transportation planning should reinforce responsible land use rather than unintentionally contribute to sprawl and the loss of agricultural land.”
Q3 America has a growing AI industry, supporting cutting-edge innovation but raising issues of resource use, privacy, and economics. What is the right balance of costs and benefits for new data center construction in Colorado, and how would your policies accomplish that balance?
“Colorado should welcome innovation, but data centers should contribute to the communities they enter, not drain resources from their neighbors.
That means clear setbacks and siting standards, firm limits on water use, and large-load electricity tariffs so major data centers pay the true cost of the electricity and infrastructure they require. Existing residents and small businesses should not see higher utility costs, tighter water supplies, or degraded quality of life because a massive new facility came to town.
I also think public incentives should be tied to real, measurable public benefits such as permanent jobs, infrastructure investment, strong environmental performance, and community protections. If a project cannot show that it is adding more than it is taking, taxpayers should not subsidize it.
RTD does not regulate data centers directly, but transportation should still be part of major development planning from the beginning. Large employment centers should have realistic transit access so their growth does not simply create more traffic and car dependence, so when a place will actually have hundreds of jobs, lets make sure it has transit options.”