Snowmass Council Picks $5M Transit Center Option 1B

What happens to the bus stop you use every morning when the town decides to spend five million dollars on it?

That’s the question hanging over the Snowmass Mall Transit Center as the Town Council weighs its next move. It’s not just about where you wait for the bus. It’s about whether that concrete slab becomes a sleek, modern hub or stays a relic of 1968, just with a few new toilets bolted onto the side.

The council got the latest update Monday. Staff recommended Option 1B. It’s the pricier of the two immediate choices, but it’s the one that builds a new shelter and an office space that won’t have to be ripped out later when Phase 2 finally happens. Phase 2 is the big one — the two-level center that houses both the RFTA depot and the Village Shuttle. That beast is still estimated to cost between $45 million and $60 million.

Picture this: You’re standing at the bus stop. The wind is whipping off the mountain. The old shelter, built over fifty years ago, leaks. Now, imagine Option 1B. You’re under a new roof. There’s an office nearby for staff. And right next to it, four pre-fabricated bathrooms. They’re self-cleaning. They can be moved if the town decides to shuffle things around later. That’s the pitch.

The financials are tight but manageable. Option 1B costs between $5 million and $5.25 million. That fits within the $6 million available from the Elected Officials Transportation Committee. Option 1A would have been cheaper — around $2.5 million, but it leaves the old shelter standing. It flattens the western end of the mall. It adds saw-tooth bus bays. But it doesn’t give you the new shelter or the dedicated office space.

Staff argue that Option 1B yields "considerable benefits to RFTA and Mall users in the mid term." They say it doesn’t preclude any future project on the site. Translation: You can build the nice stuff now, and the big stuff later, without having to demolish what you just built.

Snowmass Transportation Director Sam Guarino says construction could start as soon as 2027. That means next summer. The project would take four to six months. They’re aligning it with the airport closure to minimize disruption. RFTA buses would still come to the mall, though the exact logistics of how they navigate the new layout are still being worked out.

Here’s the thing though. The phased approach started back in 2025. Phase one was supposed to include depot improvements. But the 2026 capital budget discussions killed that idea for this year. Council approved funding to keep designing, hoping to build later. Now, they’re fast-tracking a simpler first phase. It’s an interim plan, as Clint Kinney called it. But it’s a $5 million interim plan.

The bathrooms are pre-fabricated. That’s a key detail. They’re modular. They can be moved. If the town decides to change the transit center’s location or design in Phase 2, those bathrooms don’t have to be trash. They’re assets. That’s the kind of flexibility locals want to hear about when they’re looking at their property taxes.

Not exactly a permanent solution, but it’s a step up from the current setup. The old shelter is a ghost of a different era. The new option brings in modern amenities. It adds safety. It adds comfort. And it keeps the project on a path that doesn’t require tearing everything down in five years.

The council has to decide. They have the money. They have the timeline. They have the design. What they don’t have is a guarantee that Phase 2 won’t get delayed again. But for now, the recommendation is clear. Go with Option 1B. Build the new shelter. Add the offices. Fix the bathrooms.

And then wait. Wait for the buses to roll in next summer. Wait for the saw-tooth bays to fill with vehicles. Wait for the rest of the $45 million to materialize. The mall transit center isn’t just a bus stop anymore. It’s a statement. A statement that Snowmass is willing to spend money to make the commute easier, even if it means paying a premium for the privilege.