Garfield County reaches service agreement with RFTA – Garfield County, Colorado
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Colorado town with cars in traffic and shuttle RFTA public transportation bus.

Garfield County reaches service agreement with RFTA

Hogback bus route from New Castle to Rifle set to end on Nov. 22, 2026

PRESS RELEASE
February 20, 2026

Garfield County has agreed to an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) on funding for the Grand Hogback corridor route that stretches from New Castle to Rifle. The Board of County Commissioners has agreed to an intergovernmental agreement that includes $250,000 in funding for the route through the summer and fall, with service ending on November 22, 2026.

The county has partnered with RFTA to help subsidize the Hogback route since 2002 but is ending its funding subsidy of the service due to budget constraints.

David Pesnichak, RFTA chief operating officer, told the board that RFTA is funding the route through this winter and the spring season to the tune of $406,849. With the gap in funding, the Hogback service is slated to end on Nov. 22, 2026.

“We took the $250,000 that was contributed through Garfield County and the $40,000 from the Town of Silt, and the $40,000 from the City of Rifle, and worked to expand that out to the end of the fall season,” he told the board. “You’ll also see that there’s a 20 percent service reduction moving from the spring season and into the summer and fall. That service reduction is in order to spread those dollars out.”

Pesnichak added that ending a service season prematurely has impacts to both equipment and personnel, as well as on communications to customers.

“This is providing service to around 200,000 rides annually,” he said. “About 100,000 of those are boarding between Silt and Rifle, so right about 50 percent are within the service area we are looking to end service on unless other funding is identified.”

Pesnichak said that RFTA is looking into other long-term funding sources for the route.

“If another long-term funding source, or even a stopgap source is identified, we are able to add in that winter service, we just need to have that in time to schedule that service, so usually by October,” he said.

“If we don’t have service in that last month, it’s going to be chaotic,” said Commissioner Tom Jankovsky.

He added that Garfield County should join the RFTA board as a non-voting member.

“I think we should take up RFTA on that invitation because there’s no doubt that we are ending our funding,” said Commissioner Tom Jankovsky. “To communicate that to the RFTA board is important and we should attend these meetings.”