Pitkin County staff, event organizers outline shuttle, bike and safety plans for Buttermilk concert; permit work continues

Pitkin County staff and concert organizers provided the Board of County Commissioners a progress update March 4 on the planned summer concert at Buttermilk, describing transportation plans, bike parking proposals and public‑safety coordination as the county continues special‑events permitting.

Samantha (special events permit coordinator) and representatives from the Goldberg event team described a multi‑modal ingress and egress plan based on off‑site parking with buses and shuttles, staged shuttle loading and a focus on controlling egress because most crowding occurs when the event ends. “Ingress is not as important as the egress because everybody leaves all at the same time,” Samantha told the board.

Staff said organizers plan to use off‑site lots (Brush Creek and Snowmass were discussed) with shuttles returning to a managed shuttle staging area; shuttle vehicles would be held in a closed loop and managed so they do not block public streets. The organizers and county staff are also discussing using bicycles as a transit mode; staff will require a pre‑registration process to estimate demand and plan bike parking, lighting and mounted bicycle safety measures. The sheriff’s office and Aspen Ambulance District (referred to during the meeting as “Aspen Amby”) have been engaged in planning and will help define safety, traffic and medical response protocols.

Parking for event staff and potential paid spectator vehicle parking remained undecided; staff said the county is awaiting a new lot manager contractor expected to begin work in April and will coordinate with that contractor on Buttermilk lot usage. Organizers and staff said they continue to refine the plan to avoid conflicts with other summer events, notably a concurrent music festival, and that they will commission a sound study to verify expected noise dispersion.

The county’s special‑events permitting checklist remains in progress. Meeting questions flagged several outstanding technical items, including whether an FAA review will be required for temporary event infrastructure and the need to finalize food‑service, restroom and incident‑management plans. Staff said the organizers and county will continue monthly coordination meetings and that staff are prepared to return to the board with a detailed layout and operational plan closer to the event date if the commissioners want another briefing.

Why it matters: the concert will draw large temporary crowds to a public recreation area; successful staging affects public safety, neighborhood impacts, and normal recreational uses of Buttermilk and nearby lots.

What’s next: staff will continue permitting work, coordinate with the incoming lot management contractor, conduct a sound study, refine shuttle and bike‑parking logistics, address any FAA requirements and update the BOCC in a later briefing (staff suggested June). Quotes in this article come from the March 4 joint meeting transcript.