Boulder County Community-wide EcoPass Feasibility Study

Charlier Associates recently completed a feasibility study for a community-wide EcoPass program for Boulder County. RTD, the Denver region transit agency, has a well-established bulk rate discount pass program, the EcoPass, which has been in place for about 20 years. Boulder County has been experimenting with community-wide EcoPasses in a couple of the smaller towns in the County (Nederland and Lyons). Ridership response has been robust and the County is considering expanding the program countywide. However, such a large program (over 300,000 people live in the county) would be much more complex and challenging than the small town programs have been. Issues of system capacity, equity, and cost are were carefully studied. Other issues include whether the program should be for residents or residents and in-commuters, how to handle the University of Colorado component of the program, and how to price the program contract in a way that preserves RTD’s underlying fare and pass policies.

Here is a link to information about the Lyons version of the program: http://www.townoflyons.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=284&Itemid=379

A local news story about the project can be found here: www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_20045259