Glenwood Springs council approves Rafta transit center with roundabout contribution tied to traffic study

Glenwood Springs — The City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 6 to approve a Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (Rafta) transit center at 2302 Wolfson Road after staff said the project met state-criteria for location and impact with 11 recommended conditions.

Planner Watkins told the council the transit center would add nine bus bays, expanded parking and passenger amenities and is intended to support transit-oriented development and regional mobility. The staff report recommended approval subject to standard conditions addressing fire access, lighting, irrigation and other design details.

“Particular importance is number five — the project should not have a significant adverse effect on the ability of local governments to provide services,” Watkins said in introducing the 10‑41 review.

City Engineer Ryan Gordon said the transit center itself was calculated to increase traffic at the Midland/Wolfson intersection by 1.68 percent. Under the staff recommendation, Rafta would contribute a share of the cost of a future roundabout proportional to that 1.68 percent. Gordon said the city’s engineering estimate for the roundabout ranges widely from roughly $4 million to $8 million; using the midrange of $6 million produces a rough contribution of about $100,000 from Rafta based on the 1.68% figure.

Ben Ludlow of Rafta told council the transit center is not intended to add new buses or new routes but to provide layover and passenger facilities and to capture trips before they travel through downtown. “Our routes stay the same,” Ludlow said. “The bus count stays exactly the same as our baseline data.”

Several councilors pushed for more detail about the traffic study’s baseline and calculation. Councilor Schachter said she was concerned that a relatively small incremental share could leave the city carrying a disproportionate portion of the roundabout cost as other nearby development increases traffic.

Bert Raven Schlage, Rafta’s CEO, said the agency sees the project as a regional mobility improvement and welcomed continued discussion about funding the intersection improvements. “We want that intersection to work just as much as the Glenwood Springs community wants it to work,” he said.

Council discussion also focused on lighting, building colors and the need for a design that limits light spill to adjacent residential areas; staff said those elements are addressed by conditions approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and included in the staff recommendation.

After extended questioning on traffic assumptions and the city’s ability to require mitigation for other Rafta buildings that were reviewed by the planning commission, Councilor Gomez moved to approve the transit center with the staff‑recommended conditions. The motion was seconded and passed 7–0. The approval was a 10‑41 review, a state‑interest process that the council said gives it authority to require mitigation tied to impacts of the specific transit facility.

The council asked staff to continue negotiations with Rafta and other partners on broader intersection funding and to return with further details on traffic counts, timing and design for the roundabout. The approval allows Rafta to proceed with final design and permitting under the conditions in the staff report.