Telluride’s gondola system provides free transportation between the Town of Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride. It’s the first and only free public transportation of its kind in the United States. What was once an eight-mile drive between the two towns, the gondola provides a more direct three-mile route over the mountains. Over 2.5 million terminal exits are counted each year. This unique, free transportation system reduces environmental impacts caused by vehicles.
The gondola has adopted the state of Colorado’s Climate Action Plan to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020. The plan, called the Green Gondola Project, has a goal to replace 20 percent of its traditional electricity use with locally-generated alternative energy. These local alternatives include solar panels installed on gondola stations, and the purchase of solar panels through the SMPA Community Solar Array.
TMVOA is the primary funding source for the gondola that connects Mountain Village to the town of Telluride, providing approximately $3.5 million annually for operations and maintenance alone. In addition, TMVOA has funded significant improvements to the Gondola, including $6 million in 2007 and 2008 for a complete system upgrade and $1.4 million in 2017 for a redundant power system and 9 additional cabins on the mainline bringing capacity to the max of 1,070 passengers per hour or a 16% increase.
TMVOA’s obligation to fund the gondola expires in 2027 therefore, a Gondola Subcommittee has been created to strategically plan for post-2027. This committee is comprised of stake holders from the Town of Telluride, San Miguel County, Telluride Ski and Golf Company, Town of Mountain Village and TMVOA. The Subcommittee is conducting an economic impact study to better understand the economic role of the gondola.
Link to the Gondola Long-Term roadmap here
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