Town Council liaison highlights Link microtransit pilot, annexations and wildfire planning

Mayor Jason Gray, serving as the Town Council liaison, updated the Planning Commission on several items discussed by Town Council and partners.

Gray described a proposed Link microtransit pilot that has run in Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch and is slated to begin in Parker on April 8. He said the program is intended to address last‑mile needs and has been used for a variety of trips beyond transit connections, including shopping and errands. "They did about 62,000 rides in 6 months," Gray said of the pilot in peer jurisdictions; he noted the town's share could be about $400,000 per year and cited a county staff assertion of a "4 to 5 x" return on investment. Gray said the Council voted 7-0 on the concept and that the town would retain an opt‑out after one year if needed.

Gray also recounted recent council actions and items in progress: a small annexation/land swap involving Dawson Trails and Castle Rock, an eligibility hearing for a long-standing Catholic church to join the town, a planned groundbreaking for a new fire station in Colosso Ranch, and a wildfire resiliency plan adjusted to meet state specifications. He said some regional planning efforts — including a mobility study — are examining how to provide regional connections without legacy transit and that discussions about a separate local bus depot had paused due to funding and operational challenges.

The liaison update provided context on how Council is approaching mobility and growth decisions and signaled council interest in pilot programs that could be expanded regionally if successful. No formal actions by the Planning Commission followed the liaison remarks; commissioners asked follow-up questions and the meeting continued to other agenda items.