Garfield County commuters will soon have a new way to reach the Roaring Fork Valley, with a bus service that will connect Parachute and Battlement Mesa to Rifle.
The county approved a grant of nearly $280,000 dollars for the new service. By taking passengers from Parachute to Rifle, it will connect people to the RFTA bus system, which runs from there, through Glenwood Springs, to Aspen.
Parachute town manager Stuart McArthur says the bus service was also designed with Colorado Mountain College in mind. One of the proposed stops is the CMC campus in Rifle, and planners will likely build the schedule around evening classes.
According to Garfield County officials, bus stop locations have not yet been finalized, but the Willow Park Apartments and the site of the old Kum and Go in Battlement Mesa; the park and ride and Cottonwood View Apartments in Parachute; and Walmart, CMC, Grand River Hospital, the Garfield County Administration buildings and the park and ride in Rifle are all potential stops.
Funding for the project will also consist of $100,000 from the town of Parachute.
McArthur says he expects service to begin in June 2020. The service will only run on weekdays.
