Site search
sponsored by
Home
News
ENLARGE
The Summit Stage rolls up Boreas Pass Road Friday with Breckenridge Ski Resort and the Ten Mile Range in the background. A public meeting will be held June 19 to ask fresidents for ideas about how to better improve the free, local transit system. Stage officials are looking hard at the Breckenridge-to-Frisco route, and others.
<b>Summit Stage open house</b>
When: June 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Loveland Room, Summit County Senior and Community Center.
Comments can also be sent to info@summitstage.org.
When: June 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Loveland Room, Summit County Senior and Community Center.
Comments can also be sent to info@summitstage.org.
SUMMIT COUNTY - The Summit Stage is considering some of the most significant route and schedule changes since its inception, and the free community transit service is asking for guidance from riders.
"We know we have to make some changes, and we need your help," said Summit Stage director John Jones, asking area residents to mark the date of the upcoming open house on their calendars.
Past public sessions on proposed schedule shifts have been poorly attended, Jones said, adding that up-front comments are needed to help the organization's board make the best decisions.
Case-in-point was the Main Street service cut to the Frisco-Breckenridge route last year. Jones said meetings about the proposed change were advertised, but only a handful of people showed up. After the change was initiated, dozens of residents complained and caused the Stage to shift its route again. At the heart of the current process is a $98,000 study by a California-based transit consultant, funded in part by a $26,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The study factored continued residential growth, increased commuter traffic from outside county boundaries and the addition of new facilities like the planned Colorado Mountain College campus in Breckenridge.
Up to now, the Stage has always managed to plan its operations internally, but as the equation grows more complex, an outside look with fresh eyes could help ensure the best outcome, Jones said.
When the Stage altered the direct service between Frisco and Breckenridge, the county decided to take an in-depth look at the overall route and schedule structure. Preliminary results from a winter ridership survey shows that some changes are needed, Jones said.
"We know we have to make some changes, and we need your help," said Summit Stage director John Jones, asking area residents to mark the date of the upcoming open house on their calendars.
Past public sessions on proposed schedule shifts have been poorly attended, Jones said, adding that up-front comments are needed to help the organization's board make the best decisions.
Case-in-point was the Main Street service cut to the Frisco-Breckenridge route last year. Jones said meetings about the proposed change were advertised, but only a handful of people showed up. After the change was initiated, dozens of residents complained and caused the Stage to shift its route again. At the heart of the current process is a $98,000 study by a California-based transit consultant, funded in part by a $26,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The study factored continued residential growth, increased commuter traffic from outside county boundaries and the addition of new facilities like the planned Colorado Mountain College campus in Breckenridge.
Up to now, the Stage has always managed to plan its operations internally, but as the equation grows more complex, an outside look with fresh eyes could help ensure the best outcome, Jones said.
When the Stage altered the direct service between Frisco and Breckenridge, the county decided to take an in-depth look at the overall route and schedule structure. Preliminary results from a winter ridership survey shows that some changes are needed, Jones said.
"We need to compare that to the summer rider survey and roll that into any suggestions we get on June 19," Jones said, referring to the upcoming open house at the Summit County Senior and Community Center.
<b>Frisco to Breck fix</b>
One thing Jones is determined to fix in the Frisco to Breckenridge service. Jones said he realized in retrospect that cutting the service was a mistake.
"The stops at 6th and Main and Granite are high-volume stops and need to be served," Jones said. "We will get this fixed by the time we go back to a winter schedule on Nov. 18, with two buses per hour on Main Street."
The exact configuration of that service will be affected a significant boost in rider numbers at the hospital, Jones said, likely to be caused by the county moving social services from the County Commons to the Medical Office Building at the hospital, midway through the route. The new Frisco to Breck schedule may initially include some "slack time" to provide some leeway for the anticipated growth.
<b>Frisco to Breck fix</b>
One thing Jones is determined to fix in the Frisco to Breckenridge service. Jones said he realized in retrospect that cutting the service was a mistake.
"The stops at 6th and Main and Granite are high-volume stops and need to be served," Jones said. "We will get this fixed by the time we go back to a winter schedule on Nov. 18, with two buses per hour on Main Street."
The exact configuration of that service will be affected a significant boost in rider numbers at the hospital, Jones said, likely to be caused by the county moving social services from the County Commons to the Medical Office Building at the hospital, midway through the route. The new Frisco to Breck schedule may initially include some "slack time" to provide some leeway for the anticipated growth.
Another big factor on that route will be the addition of the new CMC campus and affordable housing units along Airport Road at the north end of Breckenridge, Jones said, explaining that it's not possible to add a significant stop without tweaking the system.
The Stage will also be looking at the possibility of adding park and ride facilities for incoming commuters from Grand, Park and Lake counties, according to Jones, who said the number of people driving in from those outlying areas continues to grow quickly.
After the June 19 meeting, the plan is to work on fleshing out the suggested changes and making some formal presentations to the Summit Stage board at its Aug. 29 meeting.
That would be followed shortly by another public meeting, timed to enable the Stage to finalize the changes for the shift back to a winter schedule in November.
Along with the June 19 open house, the public can submit comments directly to the Summit Stage by e-mail to info@summitstage.org.
<i>Bob Berwyn can be reached at (970) 331-5996, or at bberwyn@summitdaily.com.</i>
The Stage will also be looking at the possibility of adding park and ride facilities for incoming commuters from Grand, Park and Lake counties, according to Jones, who said the number of people driving in from those outlying areas continues to grow quickly.
After the June 19 meeting, the plan is to work on fleshing out the suggested changes and making some formal presentations to the Summit Stage board at its Aug. 29 meeting.
That would be followed shortly by another public meeting, timed to enable the Stage to finalize the changes for the shift back to a winter schedule in November.
Along with the June 19 open house, the public can submit comments directly to the Summit Stage by e-mail to info@summitstage.org.
<i>Bob Berwyn can be reached at (970) 331-5996, or at bberwyn@summitdaily.com.</i>
