An elected board that makes decisions on local transit considered a series of funding requests Thursday. The Elected Officials Transportation Committee approved 3 of 4 requests for projects from Glenwood Springs to Aspen.
The board is in charge of a fund that collects money from Pitkin County half-cent sales and use taxes. Much of the money funds the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. Those behind last night’s proposals were hoping to get some of the remaining dollars.
There was unanimous support for a $1 million dollar request from the City of Aspen to remodel the Rubey Park bus transit center. The nearly 10 million project will modernize the existing bus depot, which is aging. Pitkin County Commissioner Patti Clapper was shocked at the project cost.
"Speaking as a City of Aspen taxpayer and definite user of Rubey Park. Improvements are need there, but I have to be honest, I’m having a hard time swallowing an almost $10 million project."
Last fall, the committee, also known as the EOTC, put $3.9 million toward the project. Construction is scheduled to start next month.
A majority of the board voted to fund a new pedestrian underpass at a busy intersection on Highway 82 at Basalt. The EOTC agreed to allocate $750,000. They agreed the way the intersection’s configured now, is dangerous. County commissioner Steve Child.
"Safety is huge in my mind. Somebody sooner or later is going to get hit and killed at the Basalt intersection."
That project is estimated to cost just under $5 million. The board also supported a request to pave parts of the parking lots at the base of Buttermilk.
A vote was delayed on a $335,000 funding request to help mitigate traffic congestion during construction of a new Grand Avenue Bridge in Glenwood Springs. The issue will come up again at the board’s June meeting.