The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority board recently decided that it would partially fund a three-year plan to continue the Hogback bus route.
Despite this, the future of the route is not guaranteed.
The Hogback route — which serves passengers in Silt and Rifle — will end on Nov. 23 if full funding cannot be found.
The plan will give these municipalities — along with Garfield County — time to work toward a long-term funding solution by supporting the current service for up to three years while the three governments find a dedicated funding source.
At the July 9 board meeting, RFTA CEO Kurt Ravenschlag said the authority needs these governments to decide soon if they are signing on to the plan, because RFTA begins developing its winter bus schedule next month.
“That is the emergent nature of this. That’s why we went from zero to 100 trying to work on this,” he said.
“In September we have to know what we’re including in that winter service plan … Does it include Hogback or does it not include Hogback?”
Also in the three-year plan, RFTA will initially provide the lion’s share of funds to the Hogback route, but it would decrease its funding over time as Rifle and Silt increased their contributions.
Earlier this month Rifle City Councilors also voted to support the plan.
Alicia Gresley is the Rifle city councilor on the RFTA board. She said the three-year plan is a step in the right direction.
“The fact that they’ve made it a top priority to find viable solutions to transit in the whole region — it’s bigger than just funding the Hogback,” she said.
“I do think this is us showing a sign of partnership in good faith that we also want to find a resolution.”
Now that Rifle has approved the plan, RFTA is waiting on Silt and Garfield County to do the same as soon as possible.
