The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s (RFTA) July 11 board of directors meeting kicked off with community comments. Rachel Richards made a passionate argument regarding community support for the entrance into Aspen. Mark Rinehart suggested that the transit authority prioritize expansion of electric vehicle charging capabilities through the Valley. And general appreciation was expressed for the July 1 launch of the Carbondale Downtowner pilot program. 

Vice Chair Greg Poschman provided a brief report of his visit to Washington, D.C. on behalf of RFTA. He shared input he received for options to incentivize bus companies to respond to electric bus requests for proposals.

David Knapp, Ph.D, who is contracted with RFTA to oversee leadership training and support the CEO transition period, provided an update. He explained that management within RFTA is performing admirably. Knapp described the coaching program in progress and praised outgoing CEO Dan Blankenship for his continued commitment. Knapp shared that the Department of Transportation has a very high opinion of RFTA, an indicator of the authority’s reputation within the broader transportation ecosystem. It is likely that RFTA will allocate additional funds to extend Knapp’s role through the end of 2024.

South Bridge

Ryan Gordon, the city engineer for Glenwood Springs, gave an update on the proposed South Bridge Project. Gordon said the original intent of building the bridge was to establish a critical evacuation route for South Glenwood. The current plans link South Glenwood neighborhoods to Highway 82, the Rio Grande Trail and creates a looping ability for the transit network. It’s projected to reduce travel time in the area by seven to 12 minutes during rush hours, alleviating congestion and reducing emissions. 

Thanks to a nearly $50 million Rural Surface Transportation Grant, there is hope to start construction in early 2026. Some changes have been made to the design. Originally proposed as a concrete bridge, it is now planned as a steel girder bridge, which could save approximately  $10-12 million and reduce the timeline of construction by about a year. The proposed height of the bridge was decreased by 12 feet, which should improve access to adjacent buildings and entail less roadwork. Some minor adjustments were made for sidewalks, including additional pedestrian crossings.

After explaining the updates, Gordon opened the conversation for questions and comments. There was brief discussion as to whether this could be considered a commuter bypass. Gordon assured that the intent is to alleviate pressure on the community in the area, not create a bypass. 

A community member wanted to know RFTA’s role in the project beyond it already committing $4 million. The project’s designers have pondered how to best provide South Glenwood residents with RFTA access, stated Gordon, but at present no further funding is being requested. 

Gordon emphasized that not moving forward with the project at this stage would be a massive risk, given work done over the past two decades. He reminded the board that growth projections made in the mid-2000s were over 40% higher than the population is today.

Strategic Plan

The meeting turned to a strategic plan update from Kurt Ravenschlag, the incoming CEO. There was discussion and agreements around language for the strategic plan updates the board discussed earlier in the year. Most of the conversation was around Objective 2.7, which entails developing a trail between Glenwood and New Castle based on established precedent. 

“This is important. I would expect people to want to use this,” said Poschman. The consensus was to keep the objective, but to also be mindful about the potential perception that RFTA is responsible for trail development. 

Some other minor revisions were made, including: adding emphasis to an objective about affordable employee housing and combining two objectives under Section Six, environmental sustainability. The board will review the strategic plan again at the August meeting for final approval. 

The final public session of the meeting was a presentation from RFTA’s Jason White and Stantec consultant Analy Castillo on the Zero-Emission Vehicle Transition Plan. Castillo presented thorough data to support the recommendation that RFTA continues to move gradually toward a mixed fleet of fuel cell electric buses (hydrogen) and battery electric buses by 2050. Like the strategic plan, the final resolution will be on the agenda at next month’s meeting. 

Agendas, which include minutes and Zoom links for upcoming meetings, are available at www.rfta.com/board-meetings