YOUR AD HERE »

Steamboat’s transit future discussed

Christine Metz

Tuesday night, the City Council got a preview of what would be needed to complete the transit improvements suggested in the Steamboat Springs Community Area Plan Update.

More than $9 million worth of transit projects have been proposed in the plan. Transit Director George Krawzoff gave the council a PowerPoint presentation on the future of transit in Steamboat.

He talked about upgrading buses, expanding routes, placing digital cameras in all buses and looking for funding sources.



“It is a combination of investment, prioritization and getting the people to do the job,” Krawzoff said.

The community area plan listed 15 improvements that would need significant funding. The plan suggested expanding the service area in town and outlying towns. It also recommended building new park-and-ride areas and expanding the existing Stock Bridge Park and Ride.



In a 2003 transportation development plan, the Steamboat II area and Fish Creek Falls Road connecting to Tamarack Drive and the Hilltop Connector were identified as areas to expand transit service. Krawzoff said residents continually ask when those extensions are going to occur.

Expanding service to Fish Creek Falls Road could cost the city $110,000 or more a winter, Krawzoff said.

Krawzoff also talked about the plan’s intention to increase transit service to Hayden and Craig and to extend bus service to Oak Creek and Yampa. The city could share the costs with other governments and charge fares, but it would be an added expense, Krawzoff said.

The plan also calls for extending routes north and south of Mount Werner Circle and requests have been made for buses to travel farther east on U.S. Highway 40.

“The plan is really a doubling of the services that we currently have,” Krawzoff said.

Councilwoman Kathy Connell suggested the city work with the lodging community. She said lodges that provide shuttle service might be willing to stop their transportation and fund the city if their properties were included on city bus routes.

Krawzoff also talked about replacing buses and updating the buses paint schemes.

He asked that the city consider replacing the buses’ cameras with digital recorders, allowing a full week’s worth of taping instead of eight hours.

Krawzoff showed the council bus bloopers caught on tape: riders falling down bus steps, bus accidents caused by other drivers and fights that broke out on buses.

Krawzoff also talked about funding sources for the proposed projects. He discussed a countywide tax, paid parking in the downtown area, bus fares and paid advertising on buses and bus shelters.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.