The Telluride/Mountain Village Gondola Long-Term Plan
Originally built to improve air quality in the region by keeping cars off the road, the Gondola has been shuttling approximately 3 million visitors, residents, skiers, hikers, festival-goers and commuters per year over 10,500-foot Coonskin Ridge since 1996. It is the first and only free public transportation system of its kind in the United States.
Gondola Background and Current Planning Phase
- Built in 1996 and connects the Town of Telluride and Mountain Village
- Owned and operated by the Town of Mountain Village
- Originally constructed to improve air quality and reduce traffic impacts
- Operating agreement expires at the end of 2027
- Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association (TMVOA), Telluride Ski and Golf (Telski), the Town of Telluride, the Town of Mountain Village and San Miguel County began evaluating a long-term gondola plan in 2015.
- In June 2022, the Gondola Long-Term Planning Leadership Committee – comprised of representatives from TMVOA, Telski, Telluride, Mountain Village, San Miguel County and San Miguel Authority for Regional Transit (SMART) – unanimously decided to pursue a new gondola system as the Locally Preferred Alternative.
Long-Term Planning Roadmap
View the detailed planning roadmap
Documents & Resources
Leadership Committee Meetings
September 2023: Collaborative Decision-Making Structure and the Path Forward
July 2023: Developing a Regional Gondola Strategy
January 2023: Post-2027 Operations and Preliminary Regional Funding Concepts
September 2022: Future Phase Timeline and Collaborative CapEx/OpEx Funding Strategy
July 2022: Station Planning and Funding Strategy
June 2022: Community Survey Results and Locally Preferred Alternative Decision
March 2022: Analysis of Potential Alternatives and Costs/Benefits
November 2021: Chartering, Planning Objectives and Guiding Principles
Gondola Subcommittee Documents & Presentations
- October 2021: Gondola Long Term Planning Update to San Miguel County
- May 2021: Resolution to Amend the Formation of the Gondola Subcommittee
- January 2019: Gondola Long Term Planning Presentation
Research & Historical Documents
- September 2018: Telluride/Mountain Village Gondola Use, Economic Impact Analysis & Ridership Forecast
- January 2017: Europe Research Trip Presentation
- November 2016: Phase One Existing System Evaluation and Condition Report
- July 1999: Gondola Operating Agreement Summary
- October 1999: Gondola Management Agreement Summary
Community Engagement
Latest News
- October 2022: Gondola Planning Update: Leadership Committee Talks Funding (Telluride Daily Planet)
- August 2022: Gondola Update Includes Recent Decisions, Plans (Telluride Daily Planet)
- July 2022: Gondola Leadership Committee Confirms Recommendation for New System
- June 2022: The Gondola's Future Discussed (Telluride Daily Planet)
- March 2022: Milestone for a Much-Loved Conveyance (Telluride Daily Planet)
- March 2022: Gondola Discussions Continue: March 2022 (Telluride Daily Planet)
Provide Feedback
Send questions or comments to or directly to your local government representatives (Town of Telluride, , )
Gondola Facts & Figures
Download the Fact Sheet
• 3 million trips per year
20,000+ riders per day during peak seasons – one of Colorado’s busiest transit lines
1st and only FREE transit system of its kind in the US
• 113,000+ hours in operation since 1996 – no other system in the US has moved as many riders or ran as many hours
The Economic Lift
• 32% increase in ridership (combined winter and summer) between 2011 and 2017
• Nearly 4 million projected riders in 2037 but current system is at capacity
• 70% of riders are non-resident visitors – significantly reduces the number of cars and the vehicle miles traveled within both towns
• 25-35% of trips are work or school related for local residents
• Local economy is driven almost exclusively by tourism – the free gondola itself is a critical attraction for both overnight and day visitors
• Allows Telluride and Mountain Village to share markets and leverage the strengths of its neighbor – avoiding the mountain/core town separation that plagues many other resorts
Existing System Funding and Costs
• Annual costs: $3.5M for operations and maintenance; $50k - $2M in capital and major repairs – projected to increase by at least 10% in the next 2 years
• Town of Mountain Village is contractually obligated to provide the majority of the gondola’s funding through a 3% Mountain Village real estate transfer assessment through 2027
• Additional funding comes from operating and capital grants (+$10M total), 1% of lift sales by Telski ($200k per year), Town of Telluride extended hours contributions and event operations funding
Increased Necessity for Updated Gondola System
• System is at the maximum number of cabins (57)
• Wait times are increasing during peak periods and projected to grow
• System is more than 25 years old – many parts are no longer manufactured and need to be special-ordered which leads to increased system downtime
• Parking constraints and projected increases in traffic
• No agreed-upon operating and funding plan for after 2027