The March Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) meeting moved forward several easement resolutions, created new board member positions for representatives of Garfield County and the City of Rifle and considered funding strategy options for Hogback transit services beyond November 2026. While RFTA has assured Hogback commuter routes until November, the organization is seeking collaborative solutions […]
RFTA Report
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RFTA Report: Legislative strategy, new midday Hogback route and e-bike safety
This month’s Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) meeting focused on reviewing the organization’s legislative agenda. Board members also considered lease amendments for the Brush Creek Park & Ride, and CEO Kurt Ravenschlag covered several regional updates. During board comments, Erin Zalinski of Glenwood Springs shared that she had attended a mayor’s meeting in Parachute and […]
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RFTA Report: Budget amendments, e-bikes and more
October has been a busy month for RFTA. In addition to launching the Fare Free Fall pilot program, which offers free ridership on all regional routes through Nov. 30, the transportation authority hosted Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) representatives for a site visit at its Glenwood Maintenance Facility and Operations Center on Oct. 15. During […]
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RFTA Report: Goats at work, budget drafting and local collaborations
In mid-August, herds of goats once again appeared along the Rio Grande Trail between Catherine Store and Carbondale. The popular weed-mitigation program is now in its ninth year. Using the goats for corridor flora management helps the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) minimize pesticide use and build soil health. This year, RFTA started a contract […]
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RFTA Report: Zero Fare fall pilot poised to launch Oct. 1
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 […]
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RFTA Report: Board focuses on Maroon Bells service heading into summer
The June 12 Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board meeting opened with public comments. Several community members proposed solutions for improving community services. Teresa Salvatore lives in Satank and asked RFTA to improve river access there. She said it is a public amenity that deserves more attention. Next, Aspen High School Principal Sarah Strassburger joined […]
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RFTA Report: CEO shares internal reports and responds to public comment
The May 8 Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board meeting focused on presenting results from internal monitoring reports and updates. The meeting was hosted at its usual location: Carbondale Town Hall, with some attendees online. RFTA CEO Kurt Ravenschlag presented several internal reporting methods for tracking how well the organization interacts with the public and […]
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RFTA Report: BRT Glenwood extension planning still a ways out
This month’s RFTA board meeting was hosted in Glenwood Springs, a deviation from the usual Carbondale Town Hall venue. Many members of the public chose to attend this session, and public comment saw more engagement than usual. Public commentsRobbi O’Meara of Glenwood Springs started out the public comment period. She stated that she was attending […]
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RFTA Report: Looking back with gratitude and forward with focus
The first Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board meeting of the year started quietly and quickly. There were no public comments or additions to the agenda. The group swiftly approved the December meeting’s minutes and moved on to board member comments. Board commentsSeveral board members spent time reflecting on how much they appreciate RFTA bus […]
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RFTA Report: Strike averted, budget finalized
In marked contrast to the light agenda of RFTA’s November board meeting, the December meeting agenda was full of resolutions and presentations up for approval before the end of the year. In most meetings, the board packet (available for public viewing at www.rfta.com) ranges between 50 and 80 total pages. The December packet spanned 238 […]