By Shannon Lukens.
Thirteen new bus drivers are behind the wheel of the Steamboat Springs Transit buses. They join a staff of 42 bus drivers total. Transit Manager Jonathan Flint says the city is now fully staffed, thanks to a good recruiting team.
“Not only have I seen they’re good drivers, but also they’re just great people. It’s just a really good group so I’m very excited for this year.”
The new bus drivers had five weeks of training and now they have their Commercial Drivers Licenses. He says it is an extensive class with a lot of federal requirements. They trained in a classroom and spent a lot of time on the road.
The Winter Bus Schedule goes into effect Saturday, Nov. 25.
Here’s more from the City of Steamboat Springs; Nov. 21, 2023.
Steamboat Springs Transit Rolls into Snow Season
Winter Operations Run from November 25, 2023, through April 14, 2024
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-November 21, 2023-With snowflakes flying and ski area opening days quickly approaching, Steamboat Springs Transit (SST) drives into winter operations for the free local winter bus starting Saturday, November 25, 2023, and continuing daily through Sunday, April 14, 2024. Regional service also shifts with the season to three daily departures.
“We’re starting the season on the right track with a fully staffed team of drivers and a week earlier than normal,” said Transit Manager Jonathan Flint. “Our goal is to have the SST fleet go fully hybrid-electric by spring and the addition of four new hybrid-electric buses, each running around $800,000, moves us closer to that objective.”
The Main Line, one continuous loop between west Steamboat/downtown and the mountain area/condominiums, will provide 30-minute continuous service in the early morning (5:55am to 7:45am) and evening (7pm to 11:45pm). No transfer is required when the Main Line- Ski Area transitions to the Main Line – Condo bound bus.
During the bulk of the day, SST will again pair the Red Line (West Steamboat, downtown, grocery stores and gondola base) with the Green Line (condominiums) running roughly between 8am and 7pm. Similarly, the Orange Line connects hotels/motels south of the ski area on US40, The Ponds and several condo properties to the Gondola Transit Center (GTC). The Orange Line runs from 8:20am to 6:20pm. For early morning and evening service, passengers will use the Main Line – Ski Area/Condo.
Getting from downtown to the mountain is fastest with the ExpreSST Line. This route provides express morning (7:52am-11:24am) and afternoon (1:12-6:04pm) service traveling directly from 3rd & Lincoln to the GTC. This express route operates every 20-minutes between eight downtown locations and the ski area.
The Yellow Zone, a free, on-demand ride service that gets you from point A to point B with the tap of a button returns. Simply download the Yellow Zone app in the Apple Store or Google Play and request on-demand rides within the service area from 7am-6:20pm, daily, which includes downtown and some of the surrounding neighborhoods. Transfers are required to go to West Steamboat, Ski Area or Condominiums.
The Purple Line runs continuous loop service to the northern condominiums, Yampa Valley Medical Center, Central Park Plaza, and the gondola base. This route features service from 8am to 6:40pm and requires a transfer to other lines to reach downtown, condominiums or west Steamboat Springs.
SST’s Regional service between Steamboat Springs and Craig makes traveling between these communities convenient, affordable, and comfortable with three daily departures in each direction as well as reverse direction service. SST’s regional rates remain the same as last year.
Steamboat Springs Transit makes every effort to operate according to the printed schedule and routing. However, circumstances such as weather, road conditions, passenger loads, traffic, and other unforeseen issues may prevent maintaining the schedule.
Use the latest in technology and never miss the bus. Learn when the next bus is due to arrive and see buses in real-time with RouteShout; plan your trip and see the fastest options for your journey with google maps; or visit your one-stop location for everything related to SST on the city’s website or call 970.879.3717.