It has been an active 2023 for the newly formed Eagle Valley Transportation Authority (EVTA) as we lay the groundwork for the improvement and expansion of regional transportation services in the Eagle River Valley over the coming months and years.

Last November, voters in unincorporated Eagle County; the towns of Avon, Eagle, Minturn, Red Cliff and Vail; and Beaver Creek Metropolitan District approved the creation of the Eagle Valley Transportation Authority along with a new half-penny sales tax to be collected to fund EVTA’s operations and future service improvements. EVTA’s goal is to enhance regional collaboration and improve regional transit to better address the transportation needs of our workforce, employers, residents and visitors.

Six months into this project, we hear you asking: What is really happening, and when will I see results?

Although EVTA-branded vehicles and services are not yet on the road—and won’t be for another year or so—we’ve been busy building the foundation it will take to make this happen. Since the passage of the ballot measure, we’ve established an organization capable of working in a transparent, accountable way toward delivering on its promises. This includes seating the Board of Directors, made up of your elected representatives; establishing financial and transparency policies; developing an Interim Strategic Plan to keep us focused on critical priorities over the next two years; and collecting and managing the 0.5 percent tax that will be put toward expanded EVTA operations. We’ve also begun naming and branding work so that once these services are rolling, you’ll be calling them by a new name that feels right.

ECO Transit, the county’s current regional transportation provider, will provide a strong backbone for future EVTA services. Current ECO Transit riders can expect consistency in service, routes, and coverage as we work through this transition.

Existing services and routes will be maintained using the original voter-approved half-penny sales tax that is collected County-wide—which will continue to support all communities in the existing service area, including those that did not opt in to the new authority. That means ECO Transit services to Gypsum, Leadville and Lake County—communities that are not currently EVTA members—will continue. Similarly, local transit services in Avon, Vail and Beaver Creek will continue to operate as before, but will benefit from a higher level of coordination with EVTA and future opportunities for cooperation and integration as they are identified.

A critical component of our work includes building an organization that can assume the responsibility for operating ECO Transit. In June, EVTA announced Tanya Allen, the previous director of ECO Transit, as the authority’s executive director. Under Tanya’s direction, EVTA is focused on establishing its operational, HR and other procedures; ensuring continuity of service and smooth transitions for existing ECO Transit staff; and hiring for new positions essential to a stand-alone transit agency. This needs to be done in order to fully transfer existing operations from Eagle County to the new authority, which is expected to take place in 2024. 

Simultaneously, work is underway at ECO Transit to update operations, communication and vehicle-maintenance protocols; acquire new buses; and upgrade facilities and other transportation equipment to support EVTA’s plans for service improvement and expansion. For the EVTA to realize its vision for the expansion of regional transit services, it will need to attract and retain exceptional staff and stay up to date on vehicles, facilities, and equipment. 

As for improved services to be funded by the EVTA sales tax, the authority’s Board and leadership are focused on quickly implementing increased frequency, expanded service hours and improved travel times, district wide for the Winter 2023/3024 season. The Board is evaluating what increases to the infrastructure, vehicles, and drivers, are needed to create a free-fare transit zone from Edwards, though Avon, Beaver Creek and Minturn, to Vail as outlined in the EVTA formation language. Determining how, where and when this can be successfully implemented for the 2023/2024 season is currently being evaluated and will be announced with the schedules this fall.

At the same time, EVTA will begin work on its long-term transportation and capital plan, looking to chart out the future of the Eagle Valley’s transportation network and identify the best and most efficient way to allocate these additional transportation resources for the next 10 years.

Our goal as we undertake this work is to keep you updated and informed on progress towards the results you want to see: a more accessible, efficient and affordable transportation experience. The EVTA Board holds regular meetings at noon on the second Wednesday of every month. We invite the public to attend these meetings and provide public comments. These monthly meetings currently are being held at the Avon Town Hall.

In addition, EVTA will be providing regular updates to the Board of County Commissioners; councils in Avon, Eagle, Minturn, Red Cliff and Vail; and the Beaver Creek Metro District board. A schedule of those meetings is available on EVTA’s web site at www.eaglevalleyrta.org. Please visit the web site for Board meeting agendas, minutes and other updates. In addition, an archive of videos from the EVTA’s monthly board meetings are available at www.highfivemedia.org/evta.