This month’s online meeting started quickly with approval of the June minutes. During public comment, community member Kathleen Brehm spoke up about her injuries and experience stemming from a collision with an e-biker. She requested the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) and Pitkin County establish a self-report database for accidents and mechanisms for enforcement around speeding and the types of e-bikes used on local trail systems. Brehm stated that she is disappointed there are subsidies for e-bikes given the danger they pose. Board Chair Greg Poschman thanked Brehm for sharing her comments.
Vice Chair Alyssa Schenk shared that on July 4, it took her almost two hours to get to Aspen from Snowmass Village on RFTA buses due to how full they were. She noted that while she was glad people were using the buses, the experience highlighted that the capacity for major holidays was inadequate.
Aspen Mayor Rachel Richards, also a RFTA board member, thanked CEO Kurt Ravenschlag for his participation in the Transportation Coalition for the 21st Century. Richards expressed her appreciation for having a “true transportation expert in the room” and suggested that RFTA put together a short report on what the towns and organizations in the Valley are already doing regarding transportation. Richards also shared that the City of Aspen is officially requesting a reevaluation of the preferred alternative for the entrance to Aspen, but that the team is cautious due to changes in the Federal Transit Administration.
Poschman seconded Richards’ comments about the coalition meetings and agreed that Ravenschlag’s presence was highly valuable. Basalt Mayor David Knight updated the board that moving forward, Ryan Slack and Dieter Schindler will be representing Basalt.
Schenk, also the mayor of Snowmass Village, referred back to Brehm’s public comment and asked if there would be time designated to discussing safety measures on the Rio Grande Trail, specifically regarding e-bikes. Ravenschlag highlighted that anytime public comment concerns are raised, the board addresses those during the following board meeting and will do so in this case during the August meeting. He stated that conflicts and risks around e-bikes are issues that RFTA seeks to address.
The Board quickly consented to four resolutions on the agenda. These included two authorizations for grant applications: one to the Colorado Department of Transportation and the other to the Federal Transit Administration. There was a brief conversation about the status of federal grants in general. Ravenschlag shared that so far indications are that federal grant programs continue to function.
The third item was to accept the RFTA 2024 audited financial report based on the agenda supplement prepared by RFTA Finance Director Paul Hamilton and Administrative Officer Michael Yang.
The fourth resolution authorized amending the deed of the interim trail easement for the RFTA corridor of the Rio Grande Trail within Pitkin County by extending it through Dec. 31, 2050.
Sustainability and Legislative Affairs Director David Johnson introduced David Kennedy, the principal and CEO of Corona Insights, to present the results of 2025 onboard passenger surveys. The key findings and survey result summaries are viewable in the board agenda packet linked on RFTA’s website.
The next board meeting will occur on Aug. 14 at 8:30am in Carbondale. The public is also able to join via Webex. An agenda will be available at www.rfta.com a week ahead of the meeting.