About the Project
Jointly, Routt County, the City of Steamboat Springs, and the City of Craig are studying how the formation of a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) would benefit residents, visitors, and workers in the Yampa Valley.
What is an RTA?
- Regional Transportation Authority
- An organization, enabled by Colorado state statute, that can be formed with the approval of a majority of voters within the clearly defined geographic boundaries of the proposed RTA. The "authority" is essentially an agreement between at least two governmental entities that forms a third governmental entity that administers the transportation system.
- Once approved, the RTA can plan, finance, implement, and operate a regional transportation system within the RTA boundaries.
- The transportation system can include transit, bicycle, pedestrian, roadway, airport ground transportation, air service, and railway transportation services / infrastructure.
How can an RTA help me?
- An RTA could provide numerous benefits for those living, visiting, or working in the Yampa Valley Region, including:
- Improved transit options for getting to work, school, and activities
- Greater access from affordable housing to work, school, and community amenities
- Reduced traffic and parking pressures
- Improved and safer roadway conditions
- More recreational and commuter opportunities on regional amenities (such as trails)
Explore the tabs below to learn more about the formation and function of an RTA.
Timeline
- Summarized previous local and regional planning documents relevant to the development of an RTA
- Reviewed RTAs in Colorado
- Analyzed existing regional transit service characteristics
- Evaluated community conditions through demographics and travel patterns
- Noted the current transportation assets in the Yampa Valley
- Developed a draft list of potentials projects the RTA could accomplish
- Developed from conversations with community stakeholders and the project's advisory committee
- The project list does not represent the final list of projects the RTA will accomplish
- Developed high-level cost estimates for projects
- Estimated potential revenue that can be generated for the RTA
Thank you to those who provided input online and at the open houses!
- Monday, September 11th
- Routt County Health and Human Services Building – Community Room
- Monday, September 11th
- Center of Craig
- Wednesday, September 13th
- Hayden Town Hall
- Wednesday, September 13th
- Oak Creek Town Hall
Thank you to those who attended the RTA Formation Strategies Panel on 12/1/23!
- The project team will use input from the public, stakeholders, and the advisory committee to narrow down the list of potential projects
- The projects will be evaluated on their ability to:
- Increase connectivity
- Promote safety
- Increase economic activity
- Provide convenience for users
- A full report will be delivered and presented to the community
- The report will cover:
- Existing conditions
- Proposed conditions of the RTA
- Funding mechanisms that will be used
- If an RTA is to be pursued, voter outreach and education will be critical ahead of a potential ballot initiative
- November 2024 would be the earliest a vote for the RTA would occur
Projects
An RTA can accomplish projects related to transportation. This includes, and is not limited to, buses, bicycle, pedestrian, roadway, air service, and rail projects.
Examples of what an RTA could potentially accomplish in the Yampa Valley include:
- Increasing the number and frequency of buses from Craig to Steamboat Springs
- Extending the Yampa River Core Trail
- Providing additional ground transportation to / from the airport for employees and visitors
- Creating more park-and-ride lots for bus commuters along Highway 40
- Funding roadway safety improvements
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RTA Examples
Colorado has a larger number of RTAs than most states, with most Colorado RTAs located in mountainous and rural areas similar to the Yampa Valley. Examples of Colorado RTAs include:
Transportation Services Provided by the RTA
- Regional transit improvements
- Transit-related facilities (housing, maintenance)
- Local air service minimum revenue guarantees (MRGs)
- First / last mile transit related bike and pedestrian facilities
Funding Sources for the RTA
- 0.5% sales tax dedicated to the RTA
- 0.5% existing transportation sales tax from the county to ECO Transit
Website
Transportation Services Provided by the RTA
- Commuter fixed route
- Off-season fixed route
- Local shuttle
- Support for bike paths
Funding Sources for the RTA
- 1/4 cent sales tax
- 0.75% mill levy on properties
- Real Estate Transfer Assessment (used for reserve)
Website
Transportation Services Provided by the RTA
- RTA commuter free bus
- Senior bus service
- Air service
Funding Sources for the RTA
- 1% sales tax
- Aggressive applications for state and federal funds
Website
Funding
Funding Mechanisms
By Colorado law, the local funding mechanism for an RTA can be established in multiple ways. RTAs across the state have employed different combinations of these financing strategies to best serve their communities, and the Yampa Valley RTA would likely utilize a select few mechanisms. The following financing strategies are all the available mechanisms that the Yampa Valley RTA could potentially use, and exact funding will be determined through a ballot initiative:
Description
- No more than 2% on every transaction
Advantages
- Can lower the impact on individual's personal finances, depending on how it is structured
- RTAs can structure the sales tax collection to include/exclude certain sales (such as grocery stores)
- Can be a large revenue source in a tourist-based community
Challenges
- Can vary year-to-year depending on the broader economic situation
Potential Revenue
- $$$
Personal Financial Impact
- No more than $2 on a $100 shopping trip, but likely to be $0.50 to $1.50.
Description
- No more than $10 per vehicle
Advantages
- Constant revenue source
- Easy to understand
- Minimal personal impact
Challenges
- Limited potential to fund operations of an RTA
- Impacts locals instead of visitors
Potential Revenue
- $
Personal Financial Impact
- No more than $10 per year per vehicle, but likely to be closer to $5 per vehicle
Description
- No more than 2% of the price of an accommodation
Advantages
- Only impacts sales of accommodations
- Can be a large revenue source in a tourist-based economy
- Doesn't impact local taxpayers
Challenges
- Can vary year-to-year depending on the broader economic situation
- Could be seen as excessive taxation on the lodging industry
Potential Revenue
- $$
Personal Financial Impact
- No more than $2 on a $100 hotel room, but more likely to be $0.50 to $1.50.
Description
- No more than 5 mills on taxable property
Advantages
- Can be a large revenue source
- Provides mechanisms to address housing affordability
Challenges
- Only impacts property owners
- May have a bigger financial impact on those who have lived in the area for a long time and have been negatively impacted by high appreciation
Potential Revenue
- $$
Personal Financial Impact
- No more than $500 for every $100,000 of property value, but likely to be closer to $50 to $100 for every $100,000 of property value.
Description
- Funding generated by enterprises owned by the RTA through bonds and contract with other governmental / private entities
Advantages
- Additional funding sources based on each enterprise's functions
Challenges
- Can vary depending on the enterprise's function
- Limited revenue potential for ongoing operations
Potential Revenue
- $
Personal Financial Impact
- N/A
Description
- Funding issued by the RTA
Advantages
- To be used for any corporate purposes
- Supports capital projects
Challenges
- Dependent on other revenue sources
- Limited revenue potential for ongoing operations
Potential Revenue
- $
Personal Financial Impact
- N/A
*Federal and state grants should not be the sole funding mechanism
Description
- Grants applied for by the RTA
Advantages
- Can help fund one-time projects with large costs
- Can support ongoing operations
- Relatively stable source of operational funds
Challenges
- Can vary depending on funding availability, especially for capital projects
- Competitive process with applications every year
Potential Revenue
- $
Personal Financial Impact
- N/A
Description
- Fares and user fees are paid by users of the RTA
- Public-private partnerships is additional funding with different interested institutions, corporations, and other private entities.
Advantages
- Does not impact people who do not directly use the transportation system
Challenges
- Minimal/varied revenue for RTA activities
Potential Revenue
- $
Personal Financial Impact
- Fare cost
For the RTA to accomplish the various transportation projects, a consistent funding source is required. Most projects can be funded through a mix of federal and local funding. Typically, capital investments require a 20-25% local contribution and operational investments require a 50-60% local contribution.
Other Info
Why does an RTA focus on a regional approach? Can't each community provide their own transportation?
The lifestyle and geography in rural communities, like the Yampa Valley, contribute to more dispersed travel patterns. For example, people more frequently travel to other towns for work, groceries, or recreational activities. Because travel is not happening in one town or city, it's more beneficial to have a regionally focused transportation system than multiple single local transportation systems throughout the region. Having a regionally focused transportation system also facilitates more coordinated planning, financing, implementing, and operating of a transportation system. An RTA provides a solution where all jurisdictions can have a voice in planning regional transportation that benefits everyone in the community.
What are capital investments?
Capital investments are more focused on the start-up of transportation services and can include:
- Acquiring buses
- Installing bus stops
- Installing trails
- Building maintenance and administration facilities to support transit operations
What are operational investments?
Operational investments are more focused on the daily tasks of transpiration services and include:
- Paying bus operators
- Regular maintenance of buses and bus stops
- Regular maintenance of roads and trails
- Support staff
What are the geographic boundaries of an RTA?
- The current partners in the development of the RTA include Routt County, the City of Steamboat Springs, and the City of Craig. These three entities could be included on the ballot for voters to determine the need for the RTA, but the RTA boundaries can evolve over the course of the RTA development process and after the RTA is established.
- The project team has connected with other jurisdictions of interest like the Town of Oak Creek, the Town of Yampa, the Town of Hayden, Moffat County, and other communities in the Yampa Valley
- There are examples of other Colorado RTAs where smaller communities were not originally included in the RTA at the time of the vote but later joined after seeing the success and benefits of the RTA
What would happen to SST if an RTA were formed?
- SST would continue to operate its local services within Steamboat Springs as it currently does, while the current regional route from Craig to Steamboat Springs would likely be transitioned to the RTA
