Year in Review: Top stories from Pitkin County, Basalt

Ray K. Erku/The Aspen Times
The nation’s largest rural public transit authority was in peril. Residents wrangled over the airport’s fate. One of the Roaring Fork Valley’s most cherished geological features eschewed extractive interests.
Looking back, 2024 in the Roaring Fork Valley was filled with contentious, monumental moments that many residents will never forget. Here are some of the top stories to make headlines throughout Pitkin County and Basalt.
RFTA avoids strike
What could’ve potentially led to a catastrophic interruption in local commutes, news broke in early September of the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority drivers union considering a strike.
Drivers of the nation’s largest rural transit service — as well as Colorado’s second largest public transportation service — sought better pay and benefits, which led to monthslong negotiations with RFTA officials.
A pause in the service, receiving an average of nearly 6,200 riders in winter 2023, would’ve meant commuters up and down the valley would’ve had to find alternate ways to get to work. The disruption would have negatively impacted valley commerce and, more importantly, livelihoods.
After months of negotiations, the union and RFTA reached an agreement in early December, narrowly avoiding what could have been a devastating blow to local transit.
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport future
Roaring Fork Valley residents have wrangled for years over whether the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport should expand its runway — and 2024 was certainly a turning point.
Since 2012, airport officials have proposed further separating the taxiway and runway centerlines to 400 feet with the goal of meeting full Federal Aviation Administration design standards. In 2024, Pitkin County and airport officials sought to finalize the proposal. Had it not, millions upon millions of federal funds would’ve likely been left on the table, leaving the county and all airport benefactors to defray maintenance and upgrade costs.
But many worry that runway expansion, which will allow larger, 95- to 118-foot wingspan planes arriving in Aspen, will create too burdensome a visitor influx. With larger planes comes more people. The more people, the less chance the upper valley has in keeping its alpine character intact.
Proponents of the runway expansion argued that not only will the area forgo federal dollars if nothing is done, but vehicle traffic will increase. Commercial airline companies will be dissuaded from landing in Aspen, causing more people to drive through the valley from places like Grand Junction, Eagle County, and Denver International Airport.
Both sides of the aisle developed petitions arguing for voting control of any runway-related proposals. In other words, any notion of runway expansion would be up to a vote of the residents — and not the airport board.
In the November election, the airport board won the ballot and thus retained its voting control over the runway. Since then, it approved its airport layout plan and looks to implement infrastructure updates.
As a foreshadowing of the future, the Embraer 175 model — possessing a 93-foot-11-inch wingspan — touched down for the first time at the Aspen airport in early December.

A land protected
Thompson Divide is an expansive, 225,000-acre piece of public forestland that includes Pitkin County. It is home to rich recreational opportunities like skiing, hiking, biking, and more.
But amid this peaceful Colorado landscape there was a storm brewing. In 2014 alone, there were 65 gas leases within the White River National Forest. These extractive leases would have affected the Divide area with drilling.
But 2024 changed the tide. In April, the U.S. Department of the Interior approved a mineral withdrawal in the Thompson Divide and Mt. Emmons area. This means, for the next 20 years, any new extractive mineral activity is not allowed on about 221,898 acres.
The new protection was ceremoniously capped off with a visit to the Roaring Fork Valley in early July from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet.

Celebrating a milestone
Pitkin County and its neighboring communities share incredibly diverse cultures, and since 1994 volunteers at English in Action have aided folks in overcoming language barriers.
The nonprofit, a group of volunteers teaching adults English, celebrated its 30-year anniversary during a summer benefit in July.
“During past English in Action Summer Benefits, people such as Madeleine Albright have spoken, highlighting the journeys of immigrants in the U.S. But for more recent Summer Benefits, English in Action has focused more on the tutor and student aspect … The goal is to highlight the relationship between students and their personal tutors and show the growth that is possible because of this relationship. It allows immigrants to become more connected members of the community,” according to The Aspen Times.
English In Action has offices in El Jebel, the Pitkin County Library in Aspen, and has strong rapport with the Basalt Regional Library. Meanwhile, it is set to open a new Center for Communication in El Jebel in 2025.

Midland Avenue near completion
Concrete has been poured. Asphalt is set.
What began in 2023, Basalt’s Midland Avenue Streetscape Project set out to make infrastructural improvements to the town’s main thoroughfare. This included underground utility and surface improvements, enhancing ADA compliance, maximizing space, beautification efforts, and more.
Following completion, the project cost about $9.5 million. The town celebrated its near completion with its Midland Block Party held earlier in December.
Though the majority of the project is complete, it is expected to be fully finished by spring 2025, according to the town’s website.

Ray K. Erku can be reached at (970) 429-9120 or rerku@aspentimes.com.
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