Aspen, CO – Commuters and residents are encouraged to evaluate public transit options alternatives during the Castle Creek Bridge / Hallam Street Improvement Project. A central option for commuter traffic and cross-town access is the bus system. The City of Aspen approved two additional buses between the Brush Creek Intercept Lot and Rubey Park to help reduce wait times and accommodate additional riders during peak travel times. In town, there are four free bus and shuttle routes connecting popular destinations in the city and the Downtowner shuttle with free door to door service in the core.
“The additional RFTA buses during the morning and afternoon rushes are intended to boost the incentive to park and ride instead of waiting in traffic,” said city transportation director, John Krueger. “Coming into town, the bus has a dedicated lane from the airport to the roundabout meaning you’ll likely be able to bypass much of the morning queue. The most significant time reduction for bus riders is seen in that afternoon peak. The buses have a separate lane for most of Main Street and they don’t have to take the Power Plant detour again missing most of those delays.”
RFTA bus service is free from the Brush Creek Intercept Lot through Aspen. Parking at all RFTA Park and Ride locations including the Intercept Lot and Buttermilk is free. Buses do not have to take the Power Plant detour and are given priority whenever possible. Buses have some of the shortest travel times in and out of town especially during the morning and evening rush hours.
WE-cycle is another flexible option that works particularly well for short trips. Currently twenty stations are located throughout the city with new locations at Fourth Street, the Roundabout, the Aspen Recreation Center and Hotel Aspen. The first 30 minutes of each WE-cycle ride is free in Aspen with time resetting with each ride. It costs only 50 cents per additional minute.
The City of Aspen also offers a free carpool matching service through commuterconnect.net. Carpools of two or more adults may pick up a daily carpool permit at the Airport Parking Information Kiosk, allowing for free parking in designated carpool or residential spaces in Aspen.
“Peak times are when we see the longest delays. We have seen some new bus ridership and carpooling, but there is still room for change. The project has made tweaks to detour operations including traffic control and signage changes, but there is no silver bullet,” said Krueger. “We want to provide options to residents and commuters traveling into and around town Not everything will work for everyone, but take a look at the options, see if there is an alternative that may work better for you and give it a try.”
Monthly Project Update Meeting – May 23
The project team invites the community to participate in the next monthly project update meeting occurring at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23 in the Sister Cities room at City Hall. The meeting will cover upcoming work schedules, traffic impacts and will begin looking at impacts for August and September. Following the meeting, there will also be a conference call recap at 5 p.m. Conference Call information is available on the project website, castlecreekbridge.com.
Additional Meeting Dates: 6/27*, 7/25, 8/22, 9/26, and 10/24
*The June 27 meeting will just be the conference call at 5 p.m. On July 25, there will also be an 11 a.m. session.
Those unable to attend the meetings are encouraged to sign up for project update email to receive the latest project information and to reach out to the project team at any time with questions or concerns.
Public Information:
Sign up for project news and updates by visiting the project website, castlecreekbridge.com or by contacting the project information team via call, text or email. Project background, maps and other helpful information is available to view on castlecreekbridge.com.
Website: http://castlecreekbridge.com
Email: info@castlecreekbridge.com
Hotline (call or text): 970-618-5379
