During the August meeting, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) Director of Finance Paul Hamilton and Budget Manager David Carle presented preliminary considerations for 2026 budget planning. Efforts in progress include drafting operating budgets for each RFTA department, considering future transit service costs and accounting for potential state and federal revenue impacts on RFTA finances. Hamilton and his finance colleagues will present the first draft of the 2026 budget at the Sept. 11 board meeting. They will then spend two months refining before presenting a second draft in November. The final 2026 budget will be brought to a vote at the December meeting. Board members expressed concerns around the uncertainties attached to Colorado and U.S. transit funding.
The board also discussed the yet-to-be-defined effects of the pending closure of the Aspen Airport for construction. While that was not officially on the agenda, it is a hurdle RFTA is considering.
The frequency of ridership on the Hogback route, west of New Castle, was also raised. While there is public interest in increased service in the area, midday Hogback ridership is low and may not currently justify more frequent buses.
Following the budget presentation, David Johnson, director of sustainability and legislative affairs, shared updates about the upcoming Zero Fare pilot program. Initially proposed last winter, the initiative was officially announced at the beginning of this month and will be in effect from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. The pilot is part of RFTA’s efforts to advance regional climate goals, expand transit access and evaluate the system-wide impacts of zero-fare service.
The pilot includes the majority of service routes, including: VelociRFTA bus rapid transit (BRT), Roaring Fork Valley local routes and Hogback routes. Maroon Bells, which is a separate program in partnership with the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area and White River National Forest, is not included in the pilot. Tickets from Highlands to Maroon Lake will remain at their usual prices of $16 per adult and $10 per child under 12 and for seniors. The Maroon Bells shuttle service runs until Oct. 19, when it closes a few weeks ahead of the general seasonal closure of upper Maroon Creek Road.
CEO Kurt Ravenschlag expressed enthusiasm about the potential presented by the Zero Fare pilot.
“This is a great opportunity to make transit more accessible for everyone, while also advancing our sustainability goals,” Ravenschlag said. “By removing fares temporarily, we hope to encourage new ridership, gather valuable data and better understand how fare-free service will impact our system and our region.”
A 2026 pilot is not yet included in the 2026 drafted budget, as finance plans factor in October data from the program before deciding whether to plan for a second go round.
RFTA member jurisdictions, including the Elected Officials Transportation Committee, the City of Aspen and the City of Glenwood Springs committed over half a million dollars to the pilot to offset lost fare revenue. The pilot program will also entail collecting and analyzing data on ridership trends, park-and-ride usage and general rider feedback.
Chief Operating Officer David Pesnichak shared that “October through November is the perfect time to pilot a program like this. Our past data shows that ridership is typically lower during the fall season,” he said. “Running Zero Fare October and November will allow us to see how fare-free service impacts ridership and passenger capacities. This will both introduce new riders to RFTA regional services and remove any financial barriers to using transit.”
Regular RFTA fares will resume on Dec. 1. RFTA has compiled frequently asked questions and information for community members and transit riders regarding the program at www.rfta.com/zerofare
The next board meeting will occur on Sept. 11 at 8:30am in Carbondale. The public can also join via Webex. An agenda will be available at www.rfta.com a week ahead of the meeting.