Frequently Asked Questions

Proposed Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) formation is a collaboration between Routt County and the municipalities of Steamboat Springs, Craig, Hayden, Oak Creek and Yampa.  Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation and representatives from local employers are also engaged in this process.

Formation process is taking the collaborative, community-based transportation-planning work from the Northwest Transportation Regional Plan and the 2024 RTA Formation Report developed by Fehr & Peers to the next stage by considering an RTA to put these transportation recommendations into action.

An RTA is 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 (district) 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 by voters, the RTA can plan, finance, implement, and operate a regional transportation system within the RTA district. The transportation system can include bus service, bicycle, pedestrian, road improvements

Improvements to the region’s transportation systems will help benefit residents, businesses, workers and visitors by providing transportation alternatives to help 

• Reduce commuting times and costs
• Improve safety along key corridors in the region
• Increase transportation options to access local and regional amenities like shopping, community services, health care, schools, the airport and recreational venues 
• Address parking issues, traffic congestion, and help improve the environment, by reducing reliance on cars for daily commuting

Establishing an RTA is a formal process set in Colorado law. The process requires the jurisdictions to create an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) that will govern the RTA. The IGA will be adopted by each jurisdiction that wishes to join the RTA and then the IGA must be approved by voters at an election. 

Proposed Yampa Valley RTA formation is a collaboration between Routt County and the municipalities of Steamboat Springs, Craig, Hayden, Oak Creek and Yampa.  Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation and representatives from local employers are also engaged in this process.

An elected representative from each jurisdiction has been appointed to join the Formation Committee. That elected official represents their community and then reports back to their governing body on the RTA process. Formation Committee is supported by staff members from the local governments, an experienced legal team, transportation consultants, and community and business representatives.

An RTA has a governing board consisting of elected representatives from the member jurisdictions. It is subject to the open-meetings laws and transparency requirements expected of local governments in Colorado.

RTAs allow two or more jurisdictions to form a new local government entity to plan, finance and operate regional transportation improvements. In this case, there are communities that cover a large geographic area in two different counties, making an RTA a sensible solution to ensure representation in regional transportation decisions.

RTAs require regional collaboration and partnership and encourage communities to work together to solve transportation issues. RTAs provide a way to fund and manage improvements that solve the transportation issues.

Establishing and funding an RTA increases opportunities for the region to receive additional federal and state grant dollars to expand and extend the local investment being made into transportation improvements.

No decisions have been made yet on how to fund the proposed RTA services and an overall budget. The Formation Committee made up of elected officials from each jurisdiction are currently discussing funding opportunities. 

By Colorado law, RTAs can be funded by sales tax up to 2%, property tax up to 5 mills, lodging tax, annual motor vehicle registration fee up to $10 per vehicle, and bonding. RTA can also generate funding by competing for federal and state grants, collecting fares and user fees, and establishing public-private partnerships.

Formation Committee members have discussed the potential of a sales tax and have decided not to pursue a property tax. Under state law, a sales tax for an RTA cannot be added to groceries, prescription medicines, utilities and other items exempt from state sales tax.

Voters in the communities that are considering the RTA will ultimately decide if the RTA is created and if it will be able to receive tax dollars.

The RTA is considering the following service improvements that were identified in the 2024 RTA Formation Report through a robust community outreach campaign: 

• Increasing the number and frequency of buses on Highway 40 between Craig and Steamboat Springs.
• Establishing a new circulator bus route within Craig that would serve both local transportation needs within Craig and as a connecting service to the Highway 40 bus route.
• Providing new bus routes to unserved areas such as south Routt County and unincorporated areas along Highway 40.
• Providing new ground transportation options to/from the Yampa Valley Regional Airport for employees and visitors.
• Improving existing bus stops amenities and first-last mile connectivity to transit access points, and develop new bus stops along new, currently unserved corridors. 
• Creating new park-and-ride lots for commuters accessing the Highway 40 bus route and other new routes.
• Supporting roadway safety improvements such as crosswalks, other pedestrian improvements and wildlife crossings.
• Establishing the RTA as a stakeholder in commuter and regional rail discussions and planning, as well as allowing the RTA to provide possible matching funds toward state or federal funding.

At this point, the RTA would be a stakeholder in the planning of rail in the region. Currently, the priority for the RTA is to increase bus transit options.

The RTA’s Formation Committee meetings are open to the public and are posted online for review. You can access those meetings by visiting: RTA Formation Committee | Steamboat Springs, CO - Official Website

A series of public hearings on the RTA Formation process will take place in March and April. There will be notices provided for the public to attend and participate.

Formation Committee will begin community outreach in the Spring to provide more details about the RTA and to seek feedback from the community.