For the week of March 26 - April 1, 2003

Aspen’s BRT transit model: could it work in our valley?

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Transportation expert Roger Millar presented a detailed overview Thursday of a long-range public-transit plan he is helping to implement in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley, which includes the cities of Aspen, Basalt and Carbondale.

Millar said the plan is a "cutting edge" model of what a public transit plan designed for a mountain valley region can look like, and noted numerous similarities between the Roaring Fork Valley and the Wood River Valley.

He noted that both regions have commuters that travel long distances to get to their jobs, relatively fast-paced growth rates, high real-estate prices that force many workers to live far away from their jobs, and resort amenities that attract large numbers of tourists.

He suggested that the Aspen model—called bus rapid transit—just might be an appropriate blueprint for the Wood River Valley.

Aspen’s BRT system was selected over two other options—taking no action or building an advanced rail system—through a lengthy public-review process, he said.

The system "aims to provide rail-type service" at a significantly less cost than rail, he explained, and establishes a permanent transit infrastructure that can be used for more advanced systems in the future.

Millar said the Aspen area BRT system will cost approximately $102 million, about one-third the cost of a rail-based transit system.

The BRT system is designed to offer frequent "express" peak-hour bus service from cities and major housing sites to Aspen. The buses will travel on designated HOV lanes that allow them to bypass most traffic and get to Aspen before most cars otherwise would, he said.

The BRT system includes numerous heated, well-lit transit centers close to residential areas, so most commuters can walk to the bus stop and "don’t have to stand out in the snow," he said.

The BRT plan also calls for trail systems to promote walking and cycling in certain areas, and underpasses that allow for safe passage under the main highway.

Millar said the Aspen BRT system could reduce the number of cars on its main thoroughfare, state Highway 82, by 10 percent. The system is projected to have 5 million users in 2008.

Traffic on Highway 82 ranges from 25,000 to 35,000 vehicles per day, he noted.

The system, which will be funded with revenues from special taxes, user fares and state and federal grants, will take approximately 10 years to complete from start to finish, Millar said.

A rail system for Aspen has not been ruled out for the long-term, he noted.

 

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