On April 10, the RFTA board meeting was defined by driver input, welcoming new board members following Aspen’s recent municipal elections and project and strategy updates. The meeting was hosted at its usual location at Carbondale Town Hall, though around 20 people joined online.
Public comment
Edward Anderson has been driving RFTA buses for four years. “I can say it’s been a great experience. I enjoy the people I work with and interacting with passengers on my bus,” he shared. Anderson was recently named for the RFTA Pillar Award for outstanding service. He attended the meeting to represent bus operator discomfort with an intended safety insurance measure.
“I’d like to talk about the AlertMeter [test] that RFTA drivers are required to take at the start of every shift and the negative effects it has on driver retention and driver morale,” Anderson said. AlertMeter measures a person’s cognitive awareness with an image-driven test designed to detect impairment due to drugs, alcohol, fatigue and stress. “I know drivers who have quit directly because of the AlertMeter. Or the AlertMeter was a contributing factor to why they quit.” Anderson cited drivers who passed the test tired or distracted but have failed the test when fully alert and awake. He said that the test becomes harder to pass after having failed once.
He also asserted that the test has implicit bias because it is quite easy for some bus operators who are naturally inclined toward games and tests, while extremely difficult for operators who have different aptitudes. For the latter, Anderson said it causes those drivers intense stress and they study for hours in fear of failing the test. “At this point, no one has any confidence in the alert meter as a safety tool,” he claimed.
The board listened closely to Anderson’s comments and thanked him for attending the meeting and sharing his concerns. The meeting then turned to welcomes and gratitudes. Chair Greg Poschman announced an award of recognition for former Aspen mayor Torre’s public service over the years. Poschman also shared a compliment received from a citizen at Bonfire Coffee ahead of the board meeting, praising one of the bus operators.
Carbondale board representative Colin Laird publicly recognized Aspen Mayor Rachel Richards as a new RFTA board member and Aspen city councilman Bill Guth as her alternate. Laird suggested adding the alert meter to the agenda of a future board meeting to further investigate and discuss the intended safety measurement.
Richards shared that the valley commute is eye-opening and demonstrative of the magnitude of the transportation issues RFTA is working to mitigate. She thanked RFTA drivers for all they do, especially when road conditions are dangerous, and the board for the work they do in maintaining and expanding public transportation in the region.
Poschman shared a final submitted comment asking whether bus access can be increased and if it will ever be possible for dogs to be on buses and increase bike-carrying capacity. Affirming murmurs indicated interest in discussing these possibilities in the future. Pitkin County commissioner and RFTA board alternate Francie Jacober seconded welcoming Richards to the board and complimented her dedication and seriousness to public service. Jacober also shared compliments to bus operators.
Consent Agenda
Poschman presented two resolutions for consent. Resolution 2025-17 authorized approval of an intergovernmental agreement for planning and participating in a regional planning commission. Resolution 2025-18 authorized submitting a request to the Colorado Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund.
Richards requested brief comments on each ahead of the consent vote. Director of Sustainability and Legislative Affairs David Johnson quickly reviewed that the first resolution is intended to ensure documentation and oversight between multiple agencies working together. He also shared how RFTA is seeking state funding via the second resolution to help fund additional microtransit expansion in the service area. Both resolutions were approved.
Presentations and action items
Johnson shared an update about RFTA’s Fare Free Pilot Project. The concept came out of the refreshed climate action plan as an incentive to increase ridership. The program is slated to run during autumn 2025, when RFTA projects it will be able to accommodate additional riders without increasing the number of buses.
The pilot will make all regional routes, including hogback routes, free between Sept. 22 and Nov. 23. The Maroon Bells route will not be included in the pilot, given the need for crowd-control and public education programs. The implementation of the pilot is contingent on securing funding of approximately half a million dollars to compensate for the fares that would not be collected.
Board members had many questions for Johnson about details of the pilot. Other Colorado transit agencies have seen ridership increase by over 30% during three-month free transportation programs. Readers can look through the presentation deck on RFTA’s website.
The next board meeting will occur May 8 at 8:30am in Carbondale. The public is also able to join via Webex. More details will be available on www.rfta.com a week ahead of the meeting.