With Steamboat Springs Transit ridership growing steadily, and safety concerns along the U.S. Highway 40 mounting, Craig leaders are weighing a decision for the city’s transportation future.

That decision revolves around a potential ballot initiative to join the proposed Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority.

If approved by voters this fall, the RTA would formalize a regional transportation-based partnership among cities and towns of both Moffat and Routt Counties.

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Under the proposed agreement, Craig would be a full voting member. 

The new authority would expand and centralize transportation services across the valley. Within Craig, it could also create new intra-city circulator routes and also offer improved access to the Yampa Valley Regional Airport.

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Craig City Council members say the opportunity comes at a critical moment for the city.

“There’s somewhere around 3,000 people a day heading east away from the community,” said Craig City Councilor Randy Looper. “The current issues or recent issues with safety on Highway 40 has raised this to a higher priority as well.”

Craig’s primary connection to Steamboat Springs currently depends on three heavily used buses operated by Steamboat Springs Transit. That route, which has been in operation since the early 2000s, remains one of the few affordable commuting options for Craig residents working in Steamboat. 

But the system is nearing capacity.

“If you’re in Hayden, lots of times you don’t get a seat. If you’re in Milner, you almost never get a seat,” said Craig City Manager Peter Brixius. “He’s running about 96% occupancy of those buses.”

Craig leaders have also noted the steady growth of transportation needs within Craig itself. 

A previous transportation study examined the potential for a circulator route for neighborhoods like Columbine and Ridgeview. Without a bus service, some residents have been left to rely on rides from friends or walking long distances. Some have even turned to social media to get around the city. 

“If you’re living in Columbine or Ridgeview, and you want to go to a grocery store, yeah, it’s a long walk if you don’t have transportation,” Looper said. “And, we don’t have a reliable service from Uber or Lyft.”

For Craig, there are minimal city costs associated with current SST service.

Current costs for Craig are mostly in the form of in-kind support, such as snow removal and facility maintenance at the SST transit station on the east side of the city. The RTA proposal would represent a step up and would provide Craig a seat on the proposed authority’s board. With that seat would come the ability to shape services, both locally and regionally, going forward. 

That ability will require a new funding question to be brought to voters.

Council and staff members acknowledged that funding is the biggest hurdle.

“I hope when we do come down to a ballot initiative … the community really weighs the benefit of this and (doesn’t just say) ‘no’ because we don’t want more taxes,” Looper said.

Council members discussed several funding possibilities, some of which included a dedicated sales tax to fund Craig’s portion of the system. Some estimates for the tax ranged from one-quarter to one-half of a cent. 

Brixiuss said that a one-cent sales tax would bring in about $1.5 million annually from Craig, while Steamboat would contribute roughly $10 to $12 million.

Throughout Tuesday’s work session and in subsequent interviews with the Craig Press, City and RTA officials all noted that Craig stands to benefit immensely from the commitment and contributions of other communities to the east. 

“Another thing for people to realize is that Steamboat is paying for, by the time you look at it… somewhere around 70 to 80% of this,” Brixius said. “Yes, Craig is paying for it, but most of it is being paid for by Steamboat.”

Craig council members emphasized that joining the RTA now, rather than trying to buy into services later, will give the city a stronger say in how regional transit evolves.

“If Craig and Hayden voted down, what happens as far as service? How do you get people to Steamboat?” Brixius asked. “We will be paying for any service we want. So it’s gonna cost us one way or the other, or we don’t have any service and then we’re in worse shape than we are now.”

One of the most significant benefits Craig stands to gain, according to the council, is the proposed local circulator route — a project estimated to cost between $650,000 and $700,000 per year, not including new infrastructure and buses.

“The benefit is to have the Columbine residents get to the grocery store and back … or into town for appointments or whatever,” said Craig Mayor Chris Nichols.

Additional proposed services include more frequent regional buses between Craig and Steamboat, new routes to unserved areas in Routt County, and scheduled connections to the airport. 

With fatal accidents along U.S. 40 fresh in many minds, safer options for commuters are front and center in the public conversation, with one councilmember calling it a “a safety deal.”

The process to create the RTA includes a series of required public hearings, outreach events and surveys to gauge priorities and funding tolerances among residents and municipalities. RTA officials say the goal is to give the public as many chances as possible to shape the final version before it’s placed on the ballot in November.

“Unless you’re under a rock, you’re gonna be able to see it, and you’ll know what’s going on,” Looper said. “Or unless you don’t care.”

Ultimately, community voices will decide whether Craig joins the new regional authority—and what level of investment the city is willing to make.

“You get a vote, and you have a say,” said Looper.

The city’s second public hearing on the draft RTA agreement is scheduled for April 8. Feedback and public comment will inform the final intergovernmental agreement and funding question, which must be finalized by early August to make the ballot.