The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority's Hogback bus service could end in November if the agency does not secure enough funding to keep it running next winter.
The buses currently run between Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Silt and Rifle, and the loss of public transportation in the region could leave residents without personal vehicles stranded.
The Hogback serves 200,000 riders annually, with 50% boarding in Silt and Rifle, according to RFTA.
Garfield County Commissioners allocated $250,000 to RFTA for the Hogback service for 2026. Both Silt and Rifle allocated $40,000 to the service this year.
The county and the municipalities’ contributions will help fund the current winter season, as well as the upcoming spring, summer and fall seasons, but it is not enough to keep buses running after Nov. 22.
RFTA Chief Operating Officer David Pesnichak spoke at a Garfield County commissioner meeting on Tuesday. He said it was important to identify and publicize the Hogback’s end date so that customers know in advance and so the agency can reallocate resources.
“There’s also a 20% service reduction moving from the spring season into the summer and fall seasons,” he said. “That reduction is in order to spread those dollars out and meet that timeframe. We don’t want to end service in the middle of a season.”
Commissioners made it clear they will not continue to fund the Hogback service in the future, in part due to ongoing budget cuts at the county.
Garfield County has also given $750,000 to the Hogback every year since 2002. In recent years, they have cut back to half a million, and this year it has been cut down to $250,000.
The county also subsidizes the Parachute Area Transit System, or PATS.
Commissioner Tom Janksosky recognized that the loss of the Hogback service could create stress for RFTA. The Hogback serves 200,000 riders annually, with 50% boarding in Silt and Rifle, according to RFTA.
“We all know that if we don’t have service in that last month, it's just going to be chaotic because you have 100,000 rides,” he said during the meeting.
The last month of the year is one of the busiest for the authority with end-of-year holidays, ski resort openings and an increase in tourists.
Pesnichak said RFTA will continue to look for a long-term funding source for the Hogback, but he hopes to find a stopgap solution so the service can continue next winter.
The Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported on Monday that Garfield County, Rifle City Council and the Silt Town manager recently met to discuss options for the Hogback.
They suggested one option for funding would be to redirect 50% of the county’s sales tax revenue that currently goes to Garfield County Libraries to the transit service.
Garfield County could also create a mill levy for transit services, but both options would require voter approval.
