All six Yampa Valley member jurisdictions have officially approved an intergovernmental agreement for formation of a Regional Transportation Authority, setting the stage for review by the Colorado Department of Transportation and neighboring governments. 

The milestone culminates months of community engagement and hearings across Routt and Moffat counties, as officials and residents weighed the benefits and challenges of a coordinated regional transit system.

The approvals by Steamboat Springs, Routt County, Craig, Hayden, Oak Creek and Yampa mark the clearing of a critical hurdle for the proposed RTA, which aims to expand and improve public transportation options across the Yampa Valley.

The RTA’s draft intergovernmental agreement will now be sent to CDOT and adjacent jurisdictions for review, with further opportunities for public input and final revisions expected through the summer.

Bill Ray, the consultant guiding the RTA formation committee, emphasized at Hayden’s April 17 town council meeting that the process is far from over. 

“This is not the last chance you’re going to have to review and make changes to this (intergovernmental agreement),” said Ray. “We’re going to be getting feedback throughout the spring and early summer, and then we’re going to make those final revisions into August, when we’ll make those final decisions on approving the (intergovernmental agreement) and sending it to the voters.” 

The second round of public hearings in Yampa, Oak Creek and Hayden revealed both enthusiasm and concern about the RTA’s potential impact. In Yampa, Mayor Stacy Geilert questioned service reliability and pointed to the unique needs of South Routt residents. 

“I know one of the things that was brought up was the length of time they’re going to run empty before they give up and say they’re not going to run anymore,” Geilert said. 

Ray responded that such decisions would fall to the RTA board after formation, but he stressed the importance of long-term commitment.

“A true transit agency would expect to run a service for a significant length of time to build that kind of reliability, repetition so that folks have a chance to get to know the service and want to use the service,” said Ray. “The first day the bus runs, it’s not going to be full … you have to build ridership by reliability and frequency.”

“If ultimately, there is no ridership, then yeah, there would be hard decisions to make,” Ray added. “But I think the important thing is, if the town of Yampa joins the RTA, the town of Yampa will be on that board to help make that decision.”

Geilert also mentioned the differing implications for riders who live in Yampa versus Craig. 

“The guys that are riding it from Craig to Steamboat, live in Craig. They have grocery stores, everything’s there, whereas we don’t have everything here,” said Geilert. “We have to either go to Steamboat, Oak Creek or South (Routt) to get our groceries, and that’s something that you guys as an RTA need to think about.”

“When you get people that don’t drive, don’t have vehicles, are disabled, older, whatever, how do they get from the bus stop in Steamboat to where they need to be?” she added, highlighting the need for first-and-last-mile solutions and comprehensive planning.

The proposed RTA service plan includes a fixed-route bus along U.S. Highway 131 from Steamboat through Oak Creek to Yampa, with three hours of service each morning and evening, seven days a week. 

“That service goal could be 90-minute frequency, so a bus coming from north to south every 90 minutes and south to north every 90 minutes, or increased frequency would be (every) 45 minutes,” Ray explained. “The 90-minute service is right now modeled to cost about $300,000 a year to operate. The 45-minute service would be about $550,000 a year, and it’s envisioned that would be a 20-passenger bus with wheelchair lift accessibility so that bus could service a broad range of potential riders.”

Ray noted that additional seasonal activity buses are being considered for peak recreation periods, but cautioned that many operational details, including fare structures, final schedules and stop locations, would be determined after the RTA is formally established — if it indeed passes final voter approval — and a professional transit planning firm is hired.

RTA funding is expected to come primarily from a sales tax, with projections showing a 1% tax could generate about $12 million annually across the region, said Ray. Steamboat Springs would contribute the largest share, around $8 million, with the remainder coming from Craig, Hayden and unincorporated Routt County.

“We’re doing two models right now, up to that $12 million number and what services would look like there, and then a lesser service plan at a 0.5% sales tax,” Ray explained at the Hayden meeting.

In Oak Creek, concerns about parking and bus stop locations were front and center. Town Trustee Bernie Gagne asked if new bus stops would be located on Main Street, given the town’s parking constraints. 

“The actual siting of bus stops is very premature. After the RTA is created, then that level of transportation planning would then happen,” said Ray. “They would reach out with the town, work with you as a town to find out where those stops should be, could be and would be most beneficial.”

Throughout the hearings, Ray stressed that local governments will retain a seat at the table, with each jurisdiction appointing a representative to the RTA board. 

With all six jurisdictions now on board, CDOT and neighboring governments will review the agreement. Further community outreach, including polling and surveys, is planned for May. If all goes according to schedule, voters could see the RTA formation question, and possibly its associated tax proposal, on the ballot in November. 

As the process continues, local leaders are urging residents to stay engaged by visiting SteamboatSprings.net/RTA.

“We need to try to get people’s opinions on this instead of it showing up on the ballot in November, because we know how that goes sometimes,” said Hayden Town Council member Camilla Haight. “If we’re wanting to be open and transparent, let’s start trying to pull people in.”