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RFTA and Forest Service to keep funds in the valley

courtesy photo/RFTA

The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) Board of Directors meets Thursday. Among the topics they will discuss is a contract with the federal government.

A portion of fares for the Maroon Bells shuttle go to RFTA, and a portion go to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness. Currently that money goes to a Forest Service general fund and is not required to be put back in the valley.

If the board approves an amended contract Thursday, the revenue collected by the Maroon Bells bus fares will go directly toward staffing the area’s access point during the busy season. The five year contract calls for 65 cents of each ticket sold to be earmarked for the Forest Service to use only in the White River National Forest. For 2017 that translates to  $51,043.20.

The board will also try to reconcile feedback from Glenwood Springs officials regarding a stalled access plan to the Rio Grande Railroad Corridor, and receive updates from a cell-phone study being used to determine commuter’s transportation habits.

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