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Mountain Valley Transit reports ridership growth, warns of funding uncertainty and seeks facility space
Summary
Mountain Valley Transit told Chaffee County commissioners it surpassed 20,000 annual rides in 2024, is adding local board representation and is pursuing building, fleet and staffing changes while cautioning that state and federal funding uncertainties leave about six months of operating reserves.
Mountain Valley Transit reported to the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners that the system exceeded 20,000 annual rides in 2024 and that Chaffee County riders accounted for 16,416 of those trips.
The transit representative said the system logged 62.8 rides per service day in Chaffee County, provided 1,325 wheelchair-accessible rides (about 8.7 percent of local trips) and recorded 190,880 miles in-county. Using the federal mileage reimbursement the speaker said the mileage represents roughly $133,616 in avoided private automobile costs for riders.
The transit representative described a series of operational changes and needs: board-level turnover after the executive director left in October 2024, new board members and local representation added from Salida and Poncha Springs, expanded driver certification and vehicle inspection requirements tied to Medicaid revalidation, a plan to recruit a new executive director and to convert one driver to an operations manager, and a move to a modernized, electronic payroll and human-resources system.
On facilities, the transit representative said the agency needs more exterior space for vehicle parking and passenger boarding and is looking for a new site in Chaffee County because current locations lack sufficient parking and shelter for buses and riders. Staffing and fleet maintenance needs were described as immediate operational priorities; the speaker said a board member, Dave Moore, saved about $40,000 in a few months by attending to vehicle maintenance and procurement practices.
Transit also flagged capital and operating funding risks. The representative said Mountain Valley Transit is “heavily dependent on CDOT” and that state funds managed under the FASTER program and federal grants matter for operations; the system currently has roughly six months of funding on hand. The agency is pursuing electrification planning (a 5–7 year study horizon) and local circulator services for Salida and Buena Vista, and discussed employer vanpool programs that would offer payroll-tax savings to participating businesses.
Commissioners asked about schedules and capacity; the transit representative agreed to share route and schedule materials and noted the statewide multimodal grant cycle will open in February and could be a funding opportunity for valley-wide priorities.
The presentation closed with a request for continued local partnership on site search, circulator design and grant applications.
