Learning from Peer Mountain Towns: How Communities are Rethinking Transportation– Kathleen Maeder

Posted on by Vanesa Aguay Guerra

As a research assistant with the Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative, I have spent the past six months supporting the Town of Crested Butte, Colorado in identifying strategies to promote walking, cycling, and transit usage in place of car dependency. As our research team analyzed the challenges facing Crested Butte’s transportation system, we learned of many other mountain towns that have made bold moves to reduce reliance on personal vehicles while also championing the needs and unique identity of their communities. Several case studies offered valuable lessons for how Crested Butte might move its transportation goals forward.

Public E-Bike Share in Eagle County, Colorado
In Eagle County, 42% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to single-occupancy vehicles.i Recognizing the need to decrease the usage of personal vehicles across the County, the towns of Vail, Avon, Edwards, and the Eagle-Vail Metropolitan District collaborated on a joint bikeshare program, beginning with a 12-bike pilot in 2020. As of 2024, the program has expanded to 155 bikes across over 30 stations, and the program received a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Innovative Mobility Grant of $50,000.ii iii By making cycling more convenient and affordable, these towns provided residents with a viable alternative to car trips, supporting the same goals of reduced car dependency that Crested Butte hopes to achieve.

Pedestrians in Durango, CO. The Town of Crested Butte can learn from initiatives carried out in peer mountain towns such as Durango. Source: Rajiv Perera, Unsplash. 

Evening Last-Mile Service in Durango, Colorado

Like Crested Butte, the City of Durango, CO recognized gaps in their existing transit service – particularly during evening hours – that restricted residents’ and visitors’ ability to travel without a car. To address this, Durango launched its DuranGO! microtransit pilot in October 2023, offering on-demand, app-based, curb-to-curb transportation from 5pm to 12am.iv Crucially, Durango was able to leverage existing resources, including its current vehicle fleet, and secure a $50,000 grant from CDOT. v Mountain Express, one of Crested Butte’s transit providers, already offers a similar on-demand service within a limited area. However, Durango’s pilot might offer insights as Mountain Express considers a geographic expansion of their program.

Resort Taxes in Whitefish, Montana

The City of Whitefish, MT chose to tackle strains on its infrastructure and affordability through a funding mechanism that placed the financial burden on visitors, rather than year-round residents. In 2021, city voters approved a 24-year extension of their 3% tax on sales of lodging, restaurants, alcohol, ski resort goods and services, and specific luxury items.vi This approach generates revenue for crucial infrastructure improvements, like pedestrian and bicycle paths, while minimizing the impact on locals. Visitor-driven funding sources could be an optimal strategy for Crested Butte to sustain mobility projects without placing excessive pressure on its community. 

While no two towns are precisely alike, the experiences of places like Eagle County, Whitefish, and Durango offered our team useful comparisons for Crested Butte. These case studies can offer both inspiration and tangible lessons learned as the Town works to implement transportation strategies that support a more sustainable, connected future. 

  1. i. Love Vail. (Accessed 2025). “Shift Bike E-Bike Share Program.”
    https://www.lovevail.org/programs/mobility/bicycle-friendly-community/shift-bike-e-bike-share-program
  2. ii. Herbert, K. (2023, April 19). “A Bike Share System Built for the Mountains.” Better Bike Share Partnership.
    https://betterbikeshare.org/2023/04/19/a-bike-share-system-built-for-the-mountains/
  3. iii. Longwell, A. (2024, March 1). “Upvalley Shift e-bike share between Vail, EagleVail, Avon and Edwards to return for third summer.” VailDaily.
    Upvalley Shift e-bike share between Vail, EagleVail, Avon and Edwards to return for third summer
  4. iv. Hill, S. and Woodruff, D. (2024, August 23). “DuranGO! Microtransit Service.” City of Durango and Colorado Association of Ski Towns.
    https://coskitowns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DuranGO-CAST-presentation.pdf
  5. v. Hill and Woodruff, 2024.
  6. vi. City of Whitefish, Montana. (Accessed 2025). “Resort Tax.”
    https://www.cityofwhitefish.gov/336/Resort-Tax