DEL NORTE- Rio Grande County Commissioners voted to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Western SLV Transit Committee to help with costs associated with a traffic study for a bus route in the Valley. The agreement is between Monte Vista, Center, Saguache, Del Norte, Rio Grande County, Saguache County and the Saguache Chamber of Commerce.

Commissioners listened to an explanation of the agreement from Chairman Gene Glover who stated that “Bustang,” the company that would be developing the route, would be a huge benefit to the Valley.

“No matter how you look at it, we need this kind of service for the Valley,” Glover said. “It will be similar to when we had a Greyhound Bus route that connected here, only this one will be serving some of the more rural communities.”

The MOU states, “Western SLV met on February 13 and agreed that mutual cooperation would be the best practice to work with CDOT and specifically Bustang to develop a bus route that would serve the western half of the San Luis Valley, to include a route specifically on U.S. Highway 160 and U.S. Highway 285.”

Western SLV was made aware of a grant opportunity through the Federal Transit Administration with CDOT, Funding for Planning. Western SLV is working with local officials to secure the grant to help with the initial stages of creating a traffic study before moving forward with the route planning.

The funding would be between $15,000 and $40,000, depending on how much the company is approved for and would require a 20 percent match that Western SLV has asked to be split between the participating communities.

“The best part about this is that it will only cost the county $1,300 at the most,” Glover said. “I think that is a small price to pay for a service that will offer so much. The plan is to have the route connect the Valley with Salida, Pueblo and eventually Durango.”

Commissioner Karla Shriver spoke up on the subject, agreeing that having a bus route would significantly aid low-income families that can not afford to have a vehicle, the elderly community and would provide one more reason for people to come to the area. “$1,300 is nothing compared to the benefits this would bring to the area and the people who live here,” she said.

In the MOU it states that Western SLV will continue to meet with local officials to pursue the completion of the grant and will be actively participating in the request for quotations when the time comes to select a company to complete the traffic study.

“As I understand it, there would be one or two 35-passenger busses with bike racks,” Glover added. “People could do everything from grocery shop to attend meetings or get to appointments. There is a direct need for this in the Valley.”

Commissioner Shriver made a motion to sign the MOU as presented which was then approved by the board. More information on the project will be reported as it becomes available.