In early November, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) CEO Kurt Ravenschlag presented to the Garfield County Commissioners. He was speaking to the role public transportation plays in regional commuting, and asked the commissioners to allot funds specifically to help cover RFTA’s Hogback services west of Glenwood Springs. Garfield County has contributed varying amounts toward this service since it began. However, some community members question whether it makes sense for the county to help pay for services that take residents to different counties for work.
Over the past two-plus decades RFTA has grown substantially. The organization originally served the Aspen area and Pitkin County, but has added routes over the years to support connections between different communities in the region. The transit authority now serves Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties from Aspen to Rifle. RFTA buses make 22 daily trips between Rifle and New Castle, and 46 trips between New Castle and Glenwood Springs.
Ravenschlag said that Garfield County at one point covered the full cost of the Hogback route services, but has decreased contributions to RFTA over the past six years. This year, Garfield County considered stopping all of its contributions toward RFTA services. That would have left funding the Hogback route entirely up to the municipalities it serves, in addition to RFTA sharing from its general funds. The City of Rifle allotted $80,000 for Hogback services in 2026, and the Town of Silt marked $40,000 for that use.
While Hogback ridership is a small percentage of RFTA’s total customers (4% of over 200,000 boardings in 2024), many Hogback riders rely on the buses to connect with other routes. Rifle and Silt residents account for more than 50% of total Hogback ridership, per RFTA public information officer Jamie Tatsuno.
“The portion of the Hogback service between New Castle and Rifle lies outside RFTA’s jurisdictional boundaries and has been purchased by Garfield County through an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the past 23 years,” Tatsuno explained. Earlier this year, the county notified RFTA that continuing to pay for the service would not be feasible moving forward.
“Through further discussions,” Tatsuno said, “Garfield County agreed to provide partial funding to allow the Town of Silt and the City of Rifle time to identify alternative solutions for funding this portion of the service.” The RFTA board of directors agreed to cover the remaining funding shortfall after Garfield County’s contribution toward the Hogback through the Fall 2026 service season.
“No funding has been identified beyond Fall 2026 for the New Castle–Rifle portion of the Hogback,” explained Tatsuno. She noted that no definite solutions had been identified as of this week. A recent RFTA survey indicated that 41% of Hogback route riders board the buses in Rifle, while 16% board in Silt. The majority of those riders exit the bus in Glenwood Springs, at 56%, with 15% deboarding in New Castle. Another 15% ride all the way to Aspen.
“The Hogback service has been a vital transit link for over two decades, connecting Rifle and Silt to New Castle, Glenwood Springs and the communities of the Roaring Fork Valley,” stated Tatsuno. She said RFTA remains committed to exploring funding solutions to maintain service for Silt and Rifle riders. The organization encourages community engagement with local governments to help ensure the route continues past 2026.
Some Garfield County representatives and community members have questioned why upvalley communities don’t contribute funds toward the Hogback, given many riders are commuting to and from work in those communities. RFTA has covered the shortfall in recent years when Garfield County paid part but not all of the route’s budget. Tatsuno explained, “The ideal split would be something that felt equitable to all parties involved.”
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