At its May 14 work session, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) heard an update from outgoing Transportation Coordinator Kevin Bruce and his replacement, Andrew Mylroy.
Bruce opened the meeting by noting that his departure has “nothing to do with the county” and that he is moving to be closer to family in Colorado Springs.
He then discussed the construction of the transit center, stating that the project encountered problems shortly after breaking ground due to finding rock closer to the surface than expected.
The first approach taken to remove the rock by the use of a chemical fracturing compound failed, Bruce explained, requiring the contractor to move on to blasting the rock.
He indicated that Buildings by Design, the general contractor for the project, expects to pour “footers” for the foundation in the next few weeks, with a roof likely being on the building by August, most outside work finished by winter and the overall project done by April 2025.
Commissioner Ronnie Maez asked if there would be more change orders on the project in the future beyond the rock removal work.
Bruce explained that there may be change orders related to heating in the bus bays, screening of heating and cooling mechanisms on the roof, and the potential relocation of an employee entrance on the outside of the building, which he stated would help make it easier for employees to enter the building and reach the primary employee staging area.
He stated that relocating the employee entrance would make it closer to employee parking and would involve the changes to a planned supply closet and technology room in the building.
Maez commented that he would like to know the expense of this change, with Bruce explaining the change would have to come before the BoCC for approval.
Bruce added that the county has consumed about $150,000 of $283,000 of contingency for the project and that there is a possibility that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will provide additional funding for cost overruns, although he stated that this would be a “one-shot deal.”
Maez commented that he hopes the county will not have to do this, and Commissioner Veronica Medina added that she thought that this would be likely given the need to relocate utility lines for the project.
The group then discussed the options for relocating the utility lines, with Bruce noting that the water and sewer lines at the location are not buried at an appropriate depth due to the amount of rock present.
Commissioner Warren Brown noted that these lines were installed by previous owners of the area and not by the county.
Bruce then discussed vehicle acquisition for the Transportation Department, explaining that the department is expecting to receive a new bus in June that was originally scheduled to arrive in March but was pushed back due to manufacturing delays.
He then stated that this bus, like many other elements of the Transportation Department, is heavily supported by grants, with the county only paying 20 percent of the bus cost.
The department also received funding for a fully grant-supported electric vehicle and charging infrastructure, Bruce explained, which will likely be used for paratransit around Pagosa Springs.
He added that there is an option to purchase an additional battery package for the bus, but that he recommends that the county acquire the vehicle and “see how it works” prior to moving forward with additional purchases.
Maez asked what the range of the vehicle when fully loaded would be.
Bruce stated that the range of the vehicle is about 150 miles, although this varies based on weather conditions and that this “works pretty well” for para-transportation and senior transportation.
He added that the funding for charging infrastructure could be used to help offset costs for the transit center, which has two charging stations in its plans.
Bruce then covered two grant-supported, propane-fueled, low-emissions buses that the county received grant funding from CDOT for last year and which Bruce indicated the county could likely have by “this time next year.”
He recommended that the county remove an older bus that is currently used as a spare once these vehicles are added to the fleet for Mountain Express Transit (MET).
Bruce stated that having the additional vehicles would allow the MET to increase its capacity to provide services.
He then discussed the MET task force, which was formed between the Town of Pagosa Springs and the county to examine ways the MET might provide relief during the U.S. 160 reconstruction project scheduled to occur downtown in 2025.
Bruce stated that adding weekend service was a potential option discussed by the task force, but that the task force also determined that the MET would likely not be able to provide all the solutions that would be needed during the construction project and pivoted toward examining options for off-street parking.
He explained that there is a wide range of potential parking options, including a lot by the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library that the library is willing to provide for parking and proposals to turn a portion of Town Park into a parking area.
The group then discussed parking options, with Maez pointing out that the town planning commission is also looking into parking options and that, at a recent meeting of the task force, the agreement was to delay further meetings to determine what conclusions the planning commission might reach about parking options.
Bruce also mentioned other parking options, including potential parking in the River Center area that would be dependent on the town completing a pedestrian bridge over the San Juan River to better connect that area to downtown Pagosa.
Maez commented that the county would have to consider road improvements and additional law enforcement on Pike Drive, Cemetery Road and nearby roadways as this could potentially become a detour for some residents to avoid the construction.
Bruce then discussed work on the Aspen Springs park-and-ride location, indicating that funding for design and engineering for the location has been secured and the project has been added to the statewide Transportation Improvement Plan, which will provide greater support for pursuing further grant funds, although no construction funding has been secured.
He added that the Transportation Department submitted two grant applications, including one to CDOT and one to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which would potentially provide funding for the park and ride and that the project could be phased depending on the funding available.
He stated that the FTA grant would be announced the second week of July, with the CDOT funding likely being announced afterward.
Bruce indicated that the Transportation Department has been participating in transportation planning and that getting potential county priorities, such as the park and ride or a Bustang Outrider stop in Pagosa Springs, on the CDOT 10-year transportation plan would be critical in making the projects succeed.
He explained that the department has also engaged local stakeholders and distributed surveys to assess interest in an Aspen Springs bus stop.
He stated that, as part of the Zero Fare for Better Air program in 2023, the MET offered a stop in Aspen Springs which had a limited impact, partially due not having a convenient location to stop in the area.
Bruce also noted that Archuleta School District might have an interest in the park-and-ride location as well, as it would provide a location for loading students into school buses.
Maez asked if it would be possible for the county to create a temporary parking area at the park-and-ride site, which Bruce stated might be possible, but he did not have a “good answer” for.
Bruce then discussed the MET’s operations, noting that one of the MET’s employees broke her hip and that the MET began the hiring process for an additional bus driver position the BoCC had approved for the 2024 budget once this occurred, as this staff member being unable to work for several months created the need for another position.
He also stated that the transportation budget was impacted by the Town of Pagosa Springs declining to provide $7,000 to $10,000 of funding for the MET as part of a larger decision to not provide funding for service organizations.
The commissioners and Bruce noted that most of the MET’s stops are located in town limits, although Bruce stated that the MET has made efforts to expand its services to other areas of the county.
Bruce also noted that expanding operations and administration is a challenge given these elements of the overall MET receive far less grant funding than the acquisition of new vehicles.
Medina asked the potential for growth with the new transit facility would be.
Bruce replied that there is a “huge potential for growth” with the new vehicles the MET is acquiring, including expanding service to Aspen Springs.
He added that the department could potentially ask for expansion funds from CDOT to help support this expansion, including potential support for a new mechanic position.
Bruce also discussed the Zero Fare for Cleaner Air program, indicating that the Colorado Legislature had not yet approved any funding for this program in 2024 and that the cost to support providing free fare on the MET would be between $1,500 and $2,000 a month for the summer.
He added that the Transportation Department is also working on completing the purchase of grant-funded bus shelters and has identified “more locations than we have shelters,” providing flexibility if a location does not “work out.”
Bruce added that he is working with tourism authorities to ensure that grant-funded MET signs will match the current town signage patterns.
He concluded his updates by discussing the appointment of a representative to replace him on the Southwest Regional Transportation Planning Region (SWTPR) committee.
Bruce explained that he currently serves as the primary county representative on the SWTPR, but recommended that his replacement be a commissioner due to the commissioners having a “broader view” of infrastructure than the transportation coordinator.
He added the coordinator also serves on the Regional Transit Coordinating Council, which has a representative on the SWTPR, and that, by having the coordinator serve on the SWTPR, it limits the ability of the coordinator to serve as the council representative on the SWTPR and give the county additional input.
“You could have two voices on the TPR where now you’ve only got the one,” Bruce said, adding that he felt having a different person being the primary SWTPR representative would be “valuable.”
“That’s good feedback,” Medina said.
Medina added that she currently serves as the alternate on the SWTPR.
Bruce’s report then concluded with the commissioners expressing that they would miss him and appreciate his work.
At the May 21 BoCC meeting, the BoCC considered appointing a representative to the SWTPR.
Brown expressed interest in acting as the primary representative, which the other commissioners expressed no objections to.
The board then unanimously voted to appoint Brown as the primary county representative to the SWTPR.
josh@pagosasun.com
