Aspen City Council talks transportation strategies

Aspen City Council during a Monday workshop reviewed key transportation and parking strategies to advance the Aspen Gets Us There initiative. 

The strategies, developed through a comprehensive planning process with Walker Consultants, aim to enhance the city’s multi-modal transportation system, reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and mitigate air pollution. Council’s direction will shape which strategies are incorporated into future departmental work plans and budgets.

The “Aspen Gets Us There” process involved extensive community outreach. More than 700 residents, commuters, and visitors contributed through surveys, mapping activities, and public events. Focus groups representing organizations like the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA), Aspen Skiing Company, and local emergency service providers also helped shape the vision. The resulting strategies are designed to meet Aspen’s current and future transportation needs with flexibility and innovation.

During the session, Ben Weber of Walker Consultants led a discussion on 10 prioritized strategies for short- and mid-term implementation. 

Short-term transportation strategies include combining the Mountain Valley and Cross Town fixed routes, maintaining and marketing the Downtowner service, expanding the Car to Go car-sharing program, and supporting the WE-cycle bike-share system’s electrification.

City Council member Bill Guth emphasized the need for a valley-wide focus to reduce downtown traffic, a point echoed by Council members Ward Hauenstein and Sam Rose. Mayor Torre noted that more data would be helpful to guide decisions.

“We often get some updates from the Downtowner about miles and passengers and the like, but some data is missing,” Torre said. “What is the impact system-wide for stuff like that? My question was about how many people logged in for the Downtowner but ended up not waiting for the ride. We got some data on wait times, but no data on how many people didn’t wait for the wait times.”

Torre shared his personal experience using the Downtowner, noting that wait times were sometimes up to 20 minutes — long enough that walking became a more efficient option. He said this kind of data could be useful when considering service expansion. 

Guth agreed, emphasizing the importance of convenience.

“People take the Downtowner because it’s easier and more convenient. If you have to walk or take a shuttle, then it’s not happening,” he said. “Making this more convenient, expanding the hours, and expanding the zone — within reason to something that makes sense — that is what I am looking for.”

However, Guth expressed skepticism about integrating the Downtowner into a broader multi-modal transportation system, suggesting it might not be effective.

Mid-term plans propose adjusting service routes, particularly for Cemetery Lane, and encouraging employer support for e-bike and cargo bike commuting. 

Parking strategies include adjusting Rio Grande Garage pricing, modernizing city code for parking reforms, improving downtown wayfinding signage, and revising commercial loading zones.

Weber suggested raising the parking garage rate by a dollar an hour to align it more closely with on-street pricing, an idea that council members quickly dismissed. 

Torre questioned how increasing the price would positively impact cost recovery, to which staff responded that current prices already provide a positive revenue stream. 

Weber argued that pricing incentives supporting more driving contradict the initiative’s goals.

Hauenstein emphasized that the parking structure should be fully utilized.

“We did tier fees for downtown parking during the middle of the day to increase turnover, to have 15 percent of the parking spaces available. If increasing the fees drives the cars to the street (and out of the garage), that is a bad idea,” he said. “If we can keep cars in the garage and off the street, that is better than having people driving around looking for a parking space.”

Guth added that garage rates should remain lower than street parking.

“We need to be practical. There are people who are not well served by valley-wide transit that must drive for various reasons, who work in Aspen’s core,” he said. “I think the parking garage is the right place for those vehicles, and it’s appropriate to accommodate them.” 

He stressed the importance of not penalizing those with no alternatives.

Some discussions have questioned whether focusing on shifting people out of cars and onto public transit is an outdated approach, suggesting Aspen should instead concentrate on improving traffic flow. Still, council members all agreed that alternative transportation remains a priority, and all options presented at Monday’s work session should be considered.

“There is no one silver bullet,” Rose said regarding Aspen’s transportation challenges.