Industry News
This November, voters in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and surrounding areas will decide if they want to create the Yampa Valley Regional Transit Authority. However, following a Steamboat Springs City Council meeting on September 2, voters will not get to decide to levy a tax on lift tickets sold at Steamboat Ski Resort to pay for regional transit. The Steamboat Springs City Council voted not to let a lift ticket tax appear on the November ballot despite the resort backing out of a promise to provide $1 million per year for 20 years to support a regional transit system.
The Yampa Valley Regional Transit Authority would work to provide bus service to and from the Yampa Valley Regional Airport in Hayden, as well as increase bus service along Highway 40 between Steamboat Springs and Craig. Future projects will include bus circulation in Craig and eventual connection to Oak Creek, Yampa, and South Routt County. Bill Ray, a consultant on the project, estimated the annual operating cost for 45 minute service on Highway 40 to be around $550,000 per year. Construction and operation of the other components of the system could be much more.
For more than a year, Steamboat Ski Resort had promised to contribute $1 million per year for 20 years to ensure the success of the regional transit system. Just a few weeks ago, Roger Levanduski, Vice President of Finance for the resort, said in a formation committee meeting for the regional transit authority that they needed more time to secure the proper approvals from Alterra, who owns the resort. Members of the committee were beyond frustrated with the resort’s decision, including Routt County Commissioner Sonja Macys, who said:
“You guys signed off on the written materials that went out to all of our voters that said that in print. You also signed off on a poll that went out in April that talked about whether or not that contribution was going to be meaningful to voters’ decisions…we have been talking on behalf of the resort about your generosity and how you’ve been enabling this action, and I am very regretful that I’ve been doing that.
In an email to SnowBrains, Maren Franciosi, Communications Director for Steamboat Ski Resort, responded:
“What has been reported as “walking away” was the offer of a shorter-term commitment to avoid delaying the process while we were able to finalize the structure of the longer-term agreement. We want to reiterate that we are committed to the long-term success of the regional transit authority…We are not retreating on our commitment to funding a robust and innovative transportation system. We will continue to show up and partner with our community to find solutions to challenges that we face.”
Steamboat’s President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Hunter offered a one-time commitment of $1 million, saying, “We have a million dollars on the table to support and stand up this regional transit authority, and all we’re asking for is some more time on the side in parallel to work through the details of the longer-term agreement.”
Just a few days later, the resort came back and said it could offer a three year commitment of $1 million per year, but with the ability to walk away if Steamboat Springs voters passed a lift ticket tax. This commitment comes on top of an agreement the resort signed on August 5 to provide $2.75 million to Steamboat Springs Transit. Language for November ballot measures had to be submitted by September 5, so whether the resort intended to act in good faith or not, backing away from the previously made commitment put the Steamboat Springs City Council and other Regional Transit Authority participants in a bit of a bind to decide what to do. It is likely that a lift ticket tax could raise more than $1 million each year, but the city has been unable to estimate revenue from this tax since the resort has refused to provide data on skier visits. Franciosi said in her email to SnowBrains “If the alternatively discussed lift tax was imposed at $6M annually it would include $1M annually to fund the regional transit authority in place of the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation contribution in which case, we requested the ability to terminate the regional transit authority pledge.”
A lift ticket tax may destroy any willingness for the resort to be a willing participant in future public projects. On the other hand, several council members feel as though the resort has already shown itself to not be a reliable partner. “From my perspective, the resort’s good faith has been used up…there is very little incentive for them to do anything other than what they’ve been doing and what they have done: pay lip service, say they will do it in good faith, and then when the rubber meets the road, say they didn’t have enough time, so I no longer trust the resort’s good faith,” Councilor Bryan Swintek said. City Attorney Dan Foote, who has been involved with negotiations with the resort, said in a recent city council meeting “I will say that in my personal experience, I do not see much evidence that people at Alterra consider there to be a partnership with the city.” Franciosi responded to these statements in an email to SnowBrains, saying “We value our relationships with the City and the County as critical partners to solving challenges that face our region. We acknowledge our role in the tension that was created over the last several weeks and we are committed to staying at the table and rebuilding trust to remain the consistent partner we have been for decades.” Further, she said that Alterra and the resort are in lock-step on their priorities and both “the importance of regional transit system and the need to work with our local partners.”
A regional transit system could help alleviate traffic and parking problems stemming from growth of the resort and town, but only if implemented strategically. Addressing first and last mile issues, how riders access the bus line and get to their final destination, will be critical in determining ridership in the transit system. Additionally, transit systems can take a long time for people to adopt, requiring years of funding for almost empty buses running at regular schedules. Imagine the next two-foot powder day weighing the odds of getting fresh tracks between waiting at the bus stop hoping the bus isn’t late versus circling the parking lot for the fourth time in a vehicle hoping to find just one more spot. People may be more likely to try for the bus if they heard a friend had success or if they tried it on a lower stakes groomer day. Transit systems need time to develop and catch on, and that’s why the $1 million per year pledge from the resort was such a huge commitment, because that level of funding could easily see the transit system through the first couple of years of uncertainty. Losing that commitment means the city now has to weigh the benefits of a regional transit system against other projects that could benefit the community, like affordable housing projects. The resort’s August 5 commitment to help fund Steamboat Springs Transit at $2.75 million per year could free up room in the city budget to provide additional funding to the regional transit authority if a long-term agreement cannot be reached with the resort over specific support for the regional transit authority. Franciosi made it clear that Steamboat Ski Resort is committed to public transit, saying “We see the regional transit authority as essential to our region’s future, specifically for our workforce and the many locals that live throughout the Yampa Valley. That is why we are committed to supporting funding the regional transit authority and continuing to work with our partners throughout the region.”
Voters will decide on final approval of the creation of the Yampa Valley Regional Transit Authority this November. After that, negotiations will continue with the resort over long-term support of the transit system. While a lift ticket tax will not appear on the ballot this year, future city councils may send the issue to voters in future elections, especially if talks with the resort deteriorate. Traffic and parking in ski towns continue to be immense challenges for local governments. The November election could help Steamboat Springs and the rest of the Yampa Valley chart a course towards a solution.
More from Zach Armstrong:
- Why Ski Patrollers at Park City Initiated The Biggest Ski Patrol Strike In History
- Why is the Return of Rob Katz to Vail Resorts as CEO Such a Big Deal?
- The Idaho Supreme Court Could Change Ski Area Liability Law All Over Again
- Forest Service Budget Challenges Threaten Avalanche Center Operations Nationwide
- How Eldora, CO, Ski Patrollers Finally Got Their Union
