The Colorado Clean Transit Enterprise (CTE) has made its first grant award to support and expand local transit services, providing $455,000 for Fiscal Year 2026 to the Gunnison Valley Regional Transportation Authority (GVRTA). The annual awards are expected to increase in future years, ranging between $550,000 and $625,000. The formula grant program was developed earlier this year with input from stakeholders such as GVRTA.
The funds will be used by GVRTA to double peak frequency on its main commuter route running from the City of Gunnison through Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte during non-winter months. This change will allow buses to serve every stop at 15-minute intervals throughout the year. A second phase of the project will extend 15-minute headway winter peak service from 6:21 a.m. until 5:45 p.m. GVRTA’s proposal highlighted recent growth in both transit service and ridership within the region.
“Senate Bill 24-230 created a first of its kind revenue stream to support transit operations in rural and urban areas across the state. Thanks to this important new law, we are quickly seeing results for Coloradans,” said CDOT Executive Director and Clean Transit Enterprise board member Shoshana Lew. “This first grant, which will double frequency on key commuter routes in the Gunnison area such as Gunnison, Crested Butte, and Mt. Crested Butte, shows how dollars are immediately being put to work in areas where transit successfully helps people get to their jobs, schools, businesses, and other destinations. I appreciate the hard work of the Clean Transit Enterprise staff in executing this program so efficiently.”
CTE reached this milestone after quickly developing programs based on legislation passed in 2024. During 2025, CTE established goals and policies for its programs while staff held virtual town halls with agencies statewide to help design these new grants. Program eligibility requirements were set using feedback from these sessions before an allocation formula was approved for use starting July 1.
Agencies interested in funding submitted Letters of Intent ahead of CTE’s formal notice of funding availability released on July 17.
“The Gunnison Valley RTA is excited to be able to expand our schedules through this partnership with the Clean Transit Enterprise board and staff,” said GVRTA Executive Director Scott Truex. “This increase in service will benefit our community by allowing better and more consistent access to jobs in our valley, and it would not have been possible without these new funds. CTE funds have flexibility that will enable us to purchase the vehicles we need to expand the service and then fund the cost of the expanded operations. We are very grateful for the support of the CTE and for this opportunity to better service the residents of our community.”
“As Chair of the Clean Transit Enterprise Board, I’m proud that we are delivering on the promise of Senate Bill 24-230 so quickly. Even though we just launched this program, we are already getting resources into the hands of local transit providers like the Gunnison Valley RTA. This award shows how new investments can make an immediate difference for Coloradans — improving mobility, cutting emissions, and strengthening connections between communities. It’s an exciting first step in a long-term commitment to grow transit options across the state,” said Clean Transit Enterprise Board Chair Cris Jones.
