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A fan of RFTA

Dear Editor:

How ironic that on the day I first took the bus from the Carbondale bus parking lot to the Aspen Airport stop to catch a plane to the Midwest, I spied the front-page article (July 7) “Strapped RFTA may hike fares.” I fervently believe that every dime of U.S. government stimulus moneys should be dedicated to projects that support public transportation.

That said, I have to admit that I’m a recent RFTA convert. While I’ve been a fan of public transportation since my grad school days and subsequent career years in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City, after moving to the valley from the Front Range a few years ago, I never took advantage of RFTA. But, after my early morning ride to the airport – which took all of 45 minutes, complete with several additional stops – I’m pleased to brag that RFTA has done its job of taking my car off of Highway 82. Plus, no money spent (sorry, Aspen government bean counters) for my car to sit in the hot sun at the airport for a week …



Did I mention that the bus driver was way nicer and more helpful than his counterparts on the East Coast? No surprise there, but I am so disappointed that RFTA is not making its numbers, despite its management appearing to make serious efforts to keep the buses rolling and its local passengers well-served …

I highly recommend that downvalley residents who haven’t yet tried the bus system jump on board. What an inexpensive – and fast – way to avoid that scenic-but-tedious drive to and from upvalley locations.




Amy Barr

Carbondale