FoYVRTA

Thank You, Yampa Valley: RTA 7A Passes + Board Meets Mon. Nov. 9

Ballot Measure 7A passed and the future of public transit in the Yampa Valley is bright. Last year, 81 percent of local residents voted to create the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority. This week, we took the next step, choosing to fund the RTA by passing a half-cent sales tax with more than 57 percent support across the Authority’s jurisdiction.

Thank you to every voter across the Yampa Valley, from Routt County and Craig, who took the time to consider the measure and make their voices heard. And thank you to the clerks and election judges in both counties for all their hard work.

This isn't about one town. It is one valley deciding that our highways should be safer, that people should have more reliable ways to get to work, and that a grandmother in Yampa should be able to get to the doctor independently. More ways to get around benefits everyone, whether or not you ever ride the bus.

Every yes, from Craig to Yampa, counted toward this victory. To our neighbors who voted no: we hear you. It is now imperative that the Authority–and all of us as residents–work together to ensure this investment delivers meaningful benefits for everyone across the valley.

Thank You

To everyone who wrote a letter, hosted a yard sign, handed out a palm card, invited us to speak, or talked with a neighbor: thank you. You were instrumental in helping carry this.

Thank you also to the organizations and neighbors who put their names on it in public, including the Yampa Valley Community Foundation (also in the Craig Press), the Western Resilience Center, Steamboat Resort, Steamboat Restaurant Association, and the Steamboat Springs City Council and Routt County Commissioners, who each passed unanimous resolutions of support.

The Work Continues at YVRTA

Voters gave the Authority the means. Now the hard part is the Authority's, and we encourage you all to come to the meetings and ask good questions.

The YVRTA Board meets Monday, November 9, 4 to 6 p.m. at Hayden Town Hall, 178 West Jefferson Avenue, with Zoom available. On the agenda:

A first executive director. Resolution 2026-033 would appoint Charles Odimgbe, one of the four finalists who visited the valley in October, and approve his employment agreement. Odimgbe is chief operating officer of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority and a former CEO of transit agencies in Rhode Island and Stark County, Ohio.
The 2027 budget, now that the election results are in. The board plans a formal budget hearing November 23.
Payroll services, a step toward having staff (Resolution 2026-032).
Updates on branding, planning a board retreat, talks with Steamboat Ski & Resort, and moving the regional bus route from Steamboat Springs Transit to the RTA.

Join on Zoom, meeting ID 856 3190 7413, passcode 488150.

The RTA Has Its Own Website

The Authority now has two homes online:

yampavalleyrta.com is the public face: news and ways to weigh in. Right now the RTA wants your opinion on three brand concepts. Take the brand survey.
yampavalleyrta.colorado.gov is the official record, with board agendas and meeting packets.

Take the RTA brand survey

Bookmark both. The more neighbors who show up and weigh in, the better this gets.

In the News

Voters approve RTA funding. The Steamboat Pilot reports the unofficial results along with the other local measures, and the Craig Press has its own version. Both note the board's executive director decision on Monday.

Mountain Rail update. At an October stakeholder meeting, state officials said the first phase of Mountain Rail, Denver to Granby, is waiting on an operating agreement with Union Pacific. Steamboat's station location study drew more than 450 questionnaire responses, with a preferred site expected by the end of the year, and Oak Creek received about $135,000 for station planning. (Steamboat Pilot) As a reminder, Mountain Rail is a State of Colorado effort, separate from the RTA.