Last November voters approved 16 of 19 transit ballot initiatives nationwide, a resounding passage rate that underscores that transit wins big when it’s put on the ballot. Some measures, like those in Michigan, extended existing taxes that fund transit, while others like in Mecklenburg County involved a modest tax increase to unlock billions of dollars of transit investment over several decades in the Charlotte area.
For one of the most interesting and complicated measures that passed in November, we look West to Colorado’s Yampa Valley where several communities banded together to reshape their region’s transportation future. Much work lays ahead, but we think the area that has produced more winter Olympians than any other in America knows a thing or two about getting stuff done!
The Yampa Valley is home to Steamboat Springs, Routt County, Craig, Hayden, Oak Creek, and Yampa. Communities in the Yampa Valley face limited transit options, steady growth, and significant congestion driven by winter ski tourism and summer recreation. In fact, Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) on the US 40 corridor leading into Steamboat had exceeded 11,000 vehicles per day. For a rural two-lane highway with winter conditions, this was a critical tipping point for safety and flow. Rather than addressing these challenges alone, local leaders chose to collaborate over two years to develop a shared solution: the creation of a regional transportation authority (RTA).
The new RTA structure allows the region to plan and operate transit services at a regional scale, raise revenue, and pursue state and federal funding more effectively. Voters approved the measure in fall 2025 by wide margins across the region—nearly 90% in Steamboat Springs alone supported it—officially establishing the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority.
Creating a new transit agency from scratch is no small feat, but it’s not unprecedented. High Valley Transit Authority launched in 2021 and successfully reimagined transit in Utah by starting with flexible, on-demand service. Yampa Valley RTA, however, must first secure sustainable funding.
The Steamboat Springs Ski and Resort Corporation has committed $1 million over three years to help the RTA get off the ground. This contribution provides important startup support, but more will be needed to launch and sustain meaningful regional transit service.
Under Colorado law, RTAs can generate limited revenue without voter approval through rider fares, tolls, grants, loans, and a small annual vehicle registration fee. To raise significant, stable revenue, the RTA will almost certainly need to pursue a local tax measure. That step requires voter approval under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), which mandates direct voter consent for new or increased taxes. The challenge ahead is political as much as financial: how does the Yampa Valley RTA translate last fall’s mandate for governance into a mandate for long-term funding?
The good news is that momentum is on their side. With a decisive win already in the bag, RTA leaders have a strong foundation to make the case that sustained investment is necessary to deliver the benefits voters have already endorsed.
Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a major year for transit ballot measures. While the full landscape will come into focus over the coming months, two efforts already stand out:
The lesson is the same from the Rockies to the Bay Area: local mandates are where the future of American transit is being secured.