The acting director of Mountain Valley Transit briefed the Chaffee County commissioners on July 9 about route reliability, federal reporting, facility proposals and several grants tied to fleet and site improvements.

“I’m in my ninth month as acting of Mountain Valley Transit,” the speaker said, describing a program reorganization and a renewed focus on data and compliance with the Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit Database reporting requirements.

Transit staff said drivers had been deviating from fixed routes to pick up riders, creating schedule unreliability. To address that the agency will bring riders to fixed‑route corridors rather than allow large route deviations; the speaker said this is consistent with ADA access rules requiring service within three‑quarters of a mile of a route.

Mountain Valley Transit reported operation support for recent events, including a concert at The Meadows where staff estimated they transported “over 2,000 people in 2 days.” Transit said the service covered its costs for the event and will review whether event transportation is best provided by transit or by private operators going forward.

The agency is pursuing several capital projects. It has applied for a grant that would fund design and construction documents for a potential relocation of transit offices and bus storage to the Poncha Springs Welcome Center; the transit request to the Transportation Planning Region (TPR) for that project will be considered at an August meeting. Transit asked for $750,000 to complete construction documents for the Welcome Center site, which town leaders and CDOT have reviewed for circulation improvements.

Transit also described a roughly $20,000 telematics grant to add vehicle maintenance and performance communications to its fleet and said two replacement/expansion vehicles are expected in 2026. The agency has received a separate grant to evaluate fleet electrification options and said it hopes the study will position the agency to receive one to three electric vehicles or a charging station in future funding rounds.

No board motions or votes were recorded. Commissioners asked staff to include any capital requests in the 2026 budget submission and to prioritize projects if funding is limited.

The acting director requested continued inclusion of Mountain Valley Transit in the county’s budget process to secure matching funds and to demonstrate local support for future grants.