Steamboat Springs and Routt County took a significant step forward Tuesday by approving a draft intergovernmental agreement to create a Regional Transportation Authority.

The RTA aims to improve transit connectivity and address transportation needs across the Yampa Valley.

Each of the six member jurisdictions — Routt County, Steamboat, Craig, Hayden, Yampa and Oak Creek, as well as Steamboat Resort — have appointed an elected official (a non-elected, non-voting representative in the case of the resort) to the formation committee to detail how the RTA would work and identify the breadth of its taxing powers.

The city of Craig approved the draft intergovernmental agreement April 8. The draft IGA has not yet been approved by Yampa, Hayden and Oak Creek. Additional hearings in each of those jurisdictions are scheduled to occur this month.

Bill Ray, the consultant hired by the RTA formation committee, presented to Routt County commissioners and the Steamboat Springs City Council in each of their second RTA public hearings Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of approving the draft IGA to keep the process moving. 

“Approving this RTA draft that’s before you is important to keep moving forward in the process so we can submit the intergovernmental agreement to (the Colorado Department of Transportation) and neighboring jurisdictions for their review and comment,” Ray said. He said jurisdictions will have until August to make changes before finalizing the agreement and moving toward a public vote.

“September 5th is the state deadline to refer ballot questions to the public … We have, I would say, until about the beginning of August to resolve and iron out a lot of these issues in the IGA around governance, funding, and service goals,” he added. 

Ray highlighted key themes from RTA public hearings held so far in all jurisdictions, including concerns about service to North Routt County residents, details about South Routt service frequency, and questions about Steamboat Resort’s financial contribution to the RTA. 

“Almost in every meeting we’ve been asked about how does that (resort contribution) work, what’s that going to look like, how is that going to be memorialized into the IGA so that that’s a lasting or a reliable commitment as part of the funding of the RTA,” Ray explained at the Routt County meeting.

County Commissioner Sonja Macys shared a memo from legal counsel Kirsten Crawford outlining two primary approaches to the resort contribution: an executed pledge agreement effective upon voter approval, or a provision in the IGA making formation contingent on a guaranteed financial contribution.

“I don’t love either of those alternatives, and I will continue to suggest that we want to have something a little more significant in terms of a commitment from our City Council peers,” Macys said, adding that she believes council is still early in conversations regarding the resort’s contribution and has not yet decided on a guarantee mechanism.

“We have long stated that we support a lift-ticket tax, as long as it’s designated specifically to innovative transportation, and you have heard us voice that by committing to a lift-ticket tax to fund the RTA,” David Hunter, Steamboat Resort president and chief operating officer, told Steamboat Springs City Council last month. 

During the public comment period at Tuesday’s Routt County meeting, Toni German, representing the Safe Crossing Committee of Brandon Circle, spoke about the importance of pedestrian safety improvements and connectivity to West Steamboat as part of the RTA. 

“Please continue to plan for the safe crossing to be an integral part of the RTA, as it impacts our kids as well as the broader community … it’s a regular occurrence that traffic traveling down (U.S. Highway) 40 comes to a halt or slows down to allow students or adults to cross the highway. This is terribly unsafe for pedestrians and commuters alike,” said German.

“West Steamboat was the original unofficial affordable housing development of Steamboat. Our neighbors are the firefighters, ski patrollers, counselors and teachers, the backbone of Steamboat Springs, and we have been isolated without access to town, unless there is a car involved, for 50 years,” she continued. “We want to get out of our cars to take the bus to work, to the ski resort, and out to dinner … connectivity to town would have a significant impact on the quality of life of these residents.”

Public comment from Emily Beyer, also representing the Safe Crossing Committee, echoed German’s call for safe pedestrian infrastructure linked to transit improvements.

The draft agreement already includes provisions for pedestrian safety improvements and expanded bus service to West Steamboat. Comments from German and Beyer reiterated the importance of keeping these priorities front and center as the process moves forward.

Routt County Commissioner Angelica Salinas emphasized the need to engage unincorporated residents and underserved areas.

“It’s really important that as we go through this plan, that we are carrying their voice forward, and that those communities receive service,” said Salinas. “Because I cannot support an RTA that doesn’t support unincorporated residents who we’re asking to pay for this.”

The commissioners agreed to promote RTA outreach to the unincorporated and underserved regions of Routt County to get feedback from those residents.

At the Steamboat Springs City Council’s public hearing Tuesday evening, similar themes emerged. Councilor Dakotah McGinlay raised concerns about outreach to North Routt residents.

“Have we reached out to North Routt? Do they just not have an interest in being a part of this currently?” she asked, noting that North Routt is not mentioned in the draft agreement. 

Ray responded that the county represents North Routt and that concerns about service and taxation had been shared with the county commissioners. 

“There’s nobody in North Routt that has reached out or emailed me one bit,” said Councilor Michael Buccino, who represents the city on the RTA committee. 

Council members also discussed service goals and potential future expansions. Councilor Joella West requested that any future affordable-housing development at Brown Ranch be included in service planning.

“I would very much like to see the (third) service goal be to include service to Brown Ranch at such a point as Brown Ranch is determined to be built,” West said.

Local bus service in Steamboat Springs currently is provided for free through Steamboat Springs Transit, but regional service between Steamboat and Craig is fare-based. Steamboat City Council member Steve Muntean asked whether passenger fares would be part of the RTA’s funding. 

“Our discussion has been that we know that the fares take about 20% of the cost of operating a line, and that the other 80% is actually made up of another tax revenue or fee revenue … having a fare-free bus system is going to cost an additional 20% just on average of operating bus lines,” said Ray. 

Ray added that the regional buses currently recover about 29% of operating costs from fares, so eliminating fares would require finding replacement funding or reducing service. The formation committee had decided to move forward with service that includes fares, he said, but since the draft agreement can be amended until August, that decision can be revisited. 

Council members agreed to approve the draft IGA as-is, with the understanding that it remains a “moving target” subject to further refinement. 

“We want to reach out to the whole county and find out why and what their needs are,” said Buccino. “What we’re here tonight to do is to approve the resolution of this draft IGA, and we’re going to take all this feedback, so keep it coming.”

City Attorney Dan Foote confirmed that City Council could provide feedback and request that the RTA formation committee consider additional issues in future iterations of the IGA.

The Routt County Commissioners and Steamboat Springs City Council approved the draft IGA without opposition, setting the stage for initial approval from other jurisdictions, continued public engagement, refinement of the agreement, and potential voter consideration of the proposed RTA later this year.