Industry News
Public transit in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is going to look very different this winter for skiers visiting Steamboat Resort.
On July 22, the Steamboat Springs City Council approved a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation (SRRC) to offer more public transit to the resort. Under the MOU, Steamboat Resort will pay $200,000 to the Steamboat Springs Transit (SST) service for additional busing during weekends and peak periods.
Alongside the additional transit services for weekends and peak periods, the transit service will expand the Yellow Zone in the Blue Sage, Highpoint, and Brooklyn neighborhoods. The city is also adding transit services focused at high-traffic areas, such as the Gondola Transit Center and downtown.
More Transit for High-Volume Areas
The additional transit service is designed to help offset the impacts of Steamboat’s new parking system. With the new parking system, Steamboat hopes to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles by encouraging carpooling or using public transit.
-
1How a Young Norwegian Couple Who Live in a Van is Changing the Way We Look at Steep Skiing → -
2Catastrophic Ski Injuries: Why Fewer Skier Visits Aren't Making Slopes Safer →
-
3Steamboat Springs, CO, Introducing New Winter Transit Scheme →
-
4Verbier Retires Switzerland’s Oldest Gondola After 56 Years →
-
5Nevados de Chillan Fire Out Of Control — Resort Closed Tomorrow →
As a part of the new system, Steamboat Resort will offer paid parking throughout the season at the Upper Knoll and Lower Knoll lots before 1 p.m.. Guests with three or more people in a car will be allowed to park in the Upper Knoll Lot for free on weekdays or weekends with a pre-booked reservation. The system also introduces additional paid parking during peak dates at the Meadows lot for cars with fewer than three people arriving before 1 p.m..
To further address the single-occupancy vehicle concern, Steamboat Resort is adding signage and free parking for uphill access before 9 a.m. in the Gondola Square garage. “We all recognize that there are many unknowns for the community around this program,” Council President Steve Muntean said at the July 21 meeting. “With winter on the horizon, council is committed to addressing potential challenges proactively and focusing on the impacts within the city’s control.”
To accommodate this new parking system, the city is adding transit services on weekends and peak dates when resort traffic is high and when paid parking policies are in use. This includes the expansion of transit for the Yellow Zone in the Blue Sage, Highpoint, and Brooklyn neighborhoods. According to the city, “these two areas were identified as having the greatest potential to minimize impacts and provide alternatives to driving.”
While the expanded transit services are only planned for the 2026-27 winter, they could be renewed annually for up to two additional years if agreed upon by the City Council and the SRRC.
The New Transit System’s Impact
For skiers and snowboarders visiting Steamboat Resort, additional transit services around the city could make getting to the resort easier while avoiding parking fees. With more buses running more frequently and by expanding into high-traffic areas, guests can get to the slopes without a car.
With parking changes reshaping how guests will access the resort, the expanded transit system hopes to create a more efficient experience while reducing single-occupancy car traffic.
