The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“Even a little joy is a good thing…”
[ by Mark Reaman ]
Starting in September your dog will be allowed to ride with you on Mountain Express buses. At their May 27 meeting, the board approved the move to permit pooches on the transit agency buses beginning September 7. The idea is to start the program after the busy summer season.
“After hearing back from some of our staff, and receiving feedback from both town councils, I recommended to my board that we proceed with a policy to allow dogs on Mountain Express vehicles,” explained Mountain Express managing director Jeremy Herzog. “I am excited about this new policy. While this change will not address many of the big picture issues in our community at the moment, I hope it’s the kind of change that does bring people some great joy. Even a little joy is a good thing right now.”
Herzog said the board’s intention with the action is to increase ridership, provide a safe trip for all passengers, not burden staff and “provide a fantastic customer experience.”
Under the proposed rules, dogs will be required to wear so-called “soft muzzles” while in transit. Each bus will have a stock for those who may not carry one. “We hope local residents who use the service frequently purchase their own muzzle. We’ll reach out to Mountain Tails to see if they will consider stocking them locally,” he said.
Before boarding, the dogs will have to be registered with either the town of Crested Butte or Mt. Crested Butte. Herzog said the bus system and towns are working together to understand what the process looks like and that information will be conveyed in an upcoming marketing campaign. “We will use the summer to conduct a marketing campaign to inform the community of the particulars of the policy, as well as prepare ourselves operationally. I hope if it’s done right, it might be a policy that sticks around a long time,” said Herzog. “But we’ll be open to how it’s working, and make any refinements that are needed along the way.”
While no hard limit will be imposed on the number of dogs allowed on the bus at one time, Herzog said drivers would have discretion to ask a pooch to take the next bus if they feel it’s not safe. “We plan to have a training by a local vet to help educate drivers on what maybe some of those signs look like,” he said.
“I recognize this will add something to the plate of our drivers, ambassadors and supervisors, but I think it’s a win for the community,” concluded Herzog.
