Briefs Transportation

by Alissa Johnson

Concessions at the airport

Nicky’s Donuts, which has locations in Gunnison and Crested Butte, has also set up shop at the Gunnison Crested Butte Regional Airport. It’s now possible to grab a cup of joe and a donut while waiting for your flight.

Gunnison ski packages selling

Special promotions featuring airfare and lodging in Gunnison are selling. According to John Norton, executive director of the Gunnison Crested Butte Tourism Association, more than 150 tickets had sold as of January 15.

“Econo Lodge has booked more people than any other property,” Norton said at the latest meeting of the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority. “I said it at the last meeting, but people will fly and stay in Gunnison.”

Hearing from business travelers

The RTA is hosting two meetings in February and March to hear from business travelers. The first meeting is this Friday at 9 a.m. at the Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Business.

Originally the meetings were scheduled to address the cancellation of spring service by United Airlines. The goals have expanded to understand how deep the market is and travelers’ general needs.

Changes to winter bus schedule

Due to winter travel challenges as well as the extra time it takes for the RTA buses to go into Crested Butte South, some adjustments were made to the winter bus schedules. See the full schedule at www.gunnisonvalleyrta.org.

Cold temps challenge buses

The January cold snap took its toll on the RTA buses, causing the diesel fuel to gel. The buses were run on a clear diesel fuel to try and help the problem while Alpine Express looked into other solutions.

 

Understanding transportation needs

The RTA increased the budget for strategic transit and senior mobility from $30,000 to $40,000 to reflect the full scope of the project. “We’re putting a quarter million dollars a year into [senior transportation]. It’s worthwhile to get a really good plan,” said Scott Truex, RTA executive director.

Musical board seats

RTA board member Roland Mason took over as chair of the board, replacing county commissioner Paula Swenson. County commissioner Jonathan Houck will serve as vice chair, and Crested Butte mayor Glenn Michel is secretary.