YOUR AD HERE »

Breck revisits transit routes due to growth

ROBERT ALLEN
summit daily news
Summit County, CO Colorado

Extended service hours, beer on board and trips to Denver are among suggestions Breckenridge Free Ride passengers have offered in rider surveys intended to guide the bus service.

Most comments were positive, such as “Love it,” and “You guys rock!” according to the Breckenridge transit operations plan.

But others complained of limited hours and late buses.



“Some drivers are really unfriendly. I ask ‘How are you?’ and he’ll just stare at me,” according to one survey respondent.

The Town of Breckenridge is seeking public input as it considers adjusting routes on the transit system.



Population expansion north of town and was among factors that led the town to revisit the routes, said James Phelps, assistant public works director.

“The biggest goal is efficient, convenient, effective service,” he said.

The Town is using the consultants from Colorado Springs to gather riders’ and residents’ sentiments through surveys and public meetings.

About 15 attended a meeting at the Breckenridge Police Department last week; many shared desire for service to upper Warrior’s Mark along White Cloud Drive.

Bilingual rider surveys taken in March garnered more than 900 responses, with 11 percent in Spanish and 89 percent in English.

Only 28 percent of the respondents were year-round residents; 43 percent were visitors.

Some suggested service to Blue River and Alma; more buses in the morning; better coordination with other bus systems, among many others, according to the LSC survey results.

LSC principal Albert Stoddard said there were many requests for service to Blue River, but that this hasn’t been considered much because it is another community “well outside of town.”

He said the route would be more applicable to Summit Stage, which has also used the consultants’ services.

“They’ve looked at it (a Blue River route) in the past,” Stoddard said, adding that funding is an issue.

A more likely expansion would be one suggested by the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance, which would like a route to visit historic sites, mines and museums for the town’s 150th anniversary next year, he said.

Officials also are considering altering service to better fit seasonal trends.

Phelps said the transit evaluation is geared more toward quality service than saving money, which is always “on the back of people’s minds.”

The Town is not considering cutbacks similar to the Summit Stage.

The next public meeting will be at 5 p.m. on July 28. The location remains to be determined.

The consultants expect to present results to Breckenridge Town Council at an Aug. 12 work session.

To submit comments regarding the Town transit system, e-mail them to LSC@LSCCS.com.

Robert Allen can be contacted at (970) 668-4628 or rallen@summitdaily.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.