Core Transit plans for more service across Eagle County this winter
Winter schedule will be revealed on Tuesday, with earlier and later start and end times on many routes
Jonathan Resnick/Courtesy photo
As winter approaches, Core Transit is one of the many services in Eagle County preparing for changes in operations.
The Core Transit board meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at Avon Town Hall included a reflection on the transit organization’s third quarter and a peek into its winter plans. Core Transit is the name for the combined entity that encompasses ECO Transit and the Eagle Valley Transportation Authority and provides transit service for those traveling from Dotsero, Vail, Leadville and everywhere in between.
Quarter three review
In his quarterly update, Dave Snyder, the new director of transportation who started work this summer, reviewed the third quarter of ridership, which saw more riders, and fewer accidents, than the same time last year.
Core Transit vehicles were in five accidents from July to September of 2024, compared to 13 during the same time period in 2023. Drivers that were in accidents were provided with counseling and further training, Snyder said.
“The vast majority of our operators” will also take part in skid training this week to prepare for driving under icy and snowy conditions this winter, Snyder said.
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Meanwhile, there were far more riders from July to September of 2024 compared to 2023. Ridership increased by 60%, or nearly 150,000 riders, during this time period, nearing 400,000 total riders on the system.
In May, two of Core Transit’s most popular routes 鈥斅爐he Valley route between Dotsero and Vail, and the Highway 6 route from Edwards to Vail 鈥斅�went fare-free (except for Gypsum riders). Those traveling to and from Red Cliff and Minturn on the Leadville route also receive free transit. The elimination in fares was expected to create an increase in ridership, and that correlation has become clear this summer.聽
Winter service increases
Core Transit adjusted to the increased ridership by running more frequently this summer (40% more in summer 2024 over 2023), a service improvement that will continue into the winter, with all routes maintaining or increasing operations.
Core Transit’s winter schedule will run from Dec. 1 through Apr. 13. All routes that are already fare-free will remain fare-free, and paid routes will remain the same price.
“There used to be such a difference between the summer and winter changes that it could really impact the riders’ ability to get to work at the scheduled time,” said Scott Robinson, Core Transit deputy director. “We already ramped up so much here in the summer that what we’re doing is just adding more and more to it, so I hope our riders continue to have less anxiety with the (new) schedule.”
The Minturn and Leadville routes will see the same service this winter as this summer.
The Highway 6 route will see more buses at peak times, as well as new express routes to popular stops including Walmart, Vail and Edwards. The first Highway 6 bus will leave Lake Creek at 5 a.m., 40 minutes earlier than last winter. The last westbound bus of the evening will leave the Vail Transportation Center at 1:05 a.m., almost two hours later than last year.聽The late bus is a special hybrid route that will run through the Highway 6 stops and then the Valley route stops through Gypsum, creating a late-night option for passengers.
The Valley route will see more buses at peak times and more express routes from Eagle. Some of the express routes will include stops at Sylvan Lake and 5th聽and Wall Street. There will also be new stops at Chamonix Road and Cascade Village in West Vail on some routes. The first Valley bus of the morning will leave from Gypsum at 5:24 a.m., and the last westbound Valley-specific bus of the evening will leave the Vail Transportation Center at 11:20 p.m. (in addition to the 1:05 a.m. option).
The Vail-Beaver Creek Express, which saw explosive ridership after being the first route to go fare-free last winter, will see more stops at peak times at employee housing locations in Avon, and will run every 20 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes from 11:30 a.m. through 3 p.m.
The full Core Transit winter 2024-25 schedule is due to be released on this week.
Core Transit needs 63 operators (bus drivers) to run the elevated winter schedule. Currently, the organization has 44 full-time, seven seasonal and some part-time operators, totaling 53 operators. Snyder said he hopes to train 10 or more new operators through Core Transit’s operator training program, with staggered classes beginning on two dates this month.
Snyder anticipates a starting class that may be as large as 20, so that even if some do not make it through training, Core Transit is sufficiently staffed for winter. “We’ll be ready to go for the winter schedule. We’ll be adequately staffed to handle whatever work we need to handle,” Snyder said.
Are bus numbers or maintenance still a concern?
For a year, the ability to maintain Core Transit’s fleet has been a concern, with nearly half of the buses out of service on average in the second quarter of 2024.
After much anticipation, Core Transit’s maintenance contractor, TransDev, is set to begin work next Monday, Oct. 21, which should assist in shoring up some of the maintenance holes that have plagued the buses thus far.
Core Transit is also due to receive five more buses this month 鈥� two new Gillig electric buses (the same kind used by the town of Vail), and three refurbished buses with an expected lifetime of eight more years.
Core Transit’s buses have been getting rebranded from “ECO” to Core Transit, with new outside decorations and slogans, since the new brand was launched in mid-July. So far, 23 of Core Transit’s vehicles have been rebranded, with roughly two undergoing the rebranding each week.
