RTA Ballot Issue 7A: What It Does, and How to Help It Pass
RTA Ballot Issue 7A is the half-cent sales tax that funds the Yampa Valley RTA, on the November 3 ballot. Why we are voting yes, what it costs, the dates that matter, and how to help. Everything else is at friendsofyvrta.org/7a
Last November, voters in all six communities of the Yampa Valley said yes to forming a Regional Transportation Authority, 81% in favor. That vote created the RTA. This one funds it.
Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. provided initial seed funding. Now, sustained community funding is needed to launch robust service and keep the RTA operating for the long term. That question comes to you this fall as RTA Ballot Issue 7A. It is a long ballot this year, so look for 7A: it is the one that funds the RTA.
Now, let's fund it!
Friends of YVRTA is campaigning for a yes, and everything you need is in one place: friendsofyvrta.org/7a.
Vote YES on 7A to:
✓ Make Highway 40 safer and reduce congestion. Anyone who drives between Craig, Hayden, and Steamboat Springs knows the dangers. Regional transportation provides a reliable, safer alternative to driving.
✓ Add more buses, more often, and routes where there are none. More frequent buses between Craig and Steamboat Springs, a circulator in Craig, and new routes to South Routt and the neighborhoods along Highway 40.
✓ Revive rail. The State and local governments are working to bring back passenger rail. The RTA will represent us in that effort and make sure our valley has a say in the decisions that affect us.
✓ Strengthen our regional economy. Robust transportation helps keep a stable workforce to teach in our schools, provide health and senior care, and protect our communities with public safety teams.
Why we are for it
Safer roads. Highway 40 connects Craig, Hayden, and Steamboat. Thousands of us depend on it every day, and we all know the dangers. More transportation options mean safer alternatives for residents and workers, and a safer road for everyone on it, whether they ride the bus or not.
The freedom to get where you need to go. Out here, getting around too often comes down to one truck, one set of keys, and one person's schedule. A bus that shows up gives everyone another way to go, on their own terms: the teenager headed to a first job, the parent whose car is in the shop, the neighbor who has stopped driving. For many households a second vehicle is a necessity only because there is no other way to get to work. Dependable bus service gives those households a choice. Nobody should have to ask for a ride.
A ride you can count on. More buses, more often, and routes where there are none, from Craig to South Routt. That is what neighbors getting neighbors where they need to go looks like.
What it costs
$0.50 on every $100 spent. No tax on groceries, gas, prescriptions, or home heat. A household that spends $1,000 a month on taxable purchases would pay about $5 a month. Because it is a sales tax, visitors help pay for a significant portion, on every meal out, hotel night, and souvenir.
The tax rate cannot go up without another vote. How the money is watched, and the full ballot title, are on the 7A page.
Key dates
Starting October 5: ballots go out by mail. Routt County mails first; Moffat County about October 9.
October 12: drop boxes open.
October 19: in-person voting opens.
October 26: last day to register and still get a ballot by mail.
November 3: ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Postmarks do not count; in the last week, use a drop box.
Four ways to help this week
- Talk to a friend or neighbor. A person you trust saying "I'm voting yes" does more than anything we can mail.
- Follow, share, and boost us. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, then share, repost, and tag a friend!
- Put up a yard sign. Email hello@friendsofyvrta.org
- Write a letter to the editor. One paragraph is plenty: the Steamboat Pilot and/or the Craig Press.
Want to canvass, table at an event, add your name, have us speak, or chip in?
Safer roads. More buses. A ride you can count on. RTA Ballot Issue 7A is an investment in a safer, more connected, and more accessible Yampa Valley, today and for the long term.
Let's get it done, Yampa Valley. Vote YES on RTA 7A!
More ways to get around. Better for everyone.
Stay Connected
Follow Friends of the Yampa Valley RTA on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky!
