Basin or Bust

Starting today and lasting until the spring, a pair of shuttle buses will offer service from the City Different to the Santa Fe basin in what is being described as the first form of public transit to the ski slopes in the city's history.

Right now, the rides will be perfect for those who want to see the golden colors of the changing aspens. But come Thanksgiving, the buses are expected to kick into overdrive with the hope of making at least a half dozen runs per day and delivering hundreds of skiers and snowboarders.

Such shuttle services are common in just about any ski resort town, but in Santa Fe they've been a long time in coming, although certainly not for a lack of trying. Officials say there have been several attempts over the years by the private sector but to no avail.

A pilot project that's only expected to last through the spring, the service could be renewed if the customer demand is there and it's successful, says Jim Nagle, a spokesman for the North Central Regional Transit District, the operator of the service.

Santa Fe is just the latest shuttle service to be undertaken by the district, which has been operating similar services in Red River and Sipapu for the past few years, and Taos this year was just added to its route, delivering passengers from Taos to the Taos Ski Valley.

But it is in Santa Fe where service to Ski Santa Fe has been most lacking, Nagle notes. And to fill that void, the service offers 16 stops along the way in a trip that's expected to last an hour at most. Some of the key connections in the city are at the South Capitol Rail Runner station near Trader Joe's on Cordova Road and the Fort Marcy Complex, which sits at the bottom of Hyde Park Road.

Right now, a round trip costs $5, but once the ski season begins on Thanksgiving, if Mother Nature will allow, the cost is set to increase to $10. Each bus has 29 seats and will also allow for some standing room as well, Nagle says. The number of bus trips will vary, but here is a schedule.

Santa Fe Councilor Patti Bushee, who sits on the North Central Regional Transit District board, says the service is going to be great for locals and out-of-town skiers because it will provide that missing link in transportation. Too often, train passengers arrive in Santa Fe, with skis and snowboards in tow, yet find themselves in a bind trying to get up to the basin, nearly a 16-mile ride from Santa Fe with an elevation gain of 4,200 feet to the base.

"What's more, this is a safe and environmentally clean way of delivering people up to the ski area," Bushee says. "And we're hoping it will take more cars off Hyde Park Road, which is always a good thing."

In all, nearly $100,000 has been provided by different agencies to make the bus service a reality, Nagle says, adding that the city and Santa Fe County pitched in $25,000 a piece, Ski Santa Fe contributed $15,000, the North Central Regional Transit District coughed up $15,000 along with Metro RTD.

One bus was purchased for $110,000, and the second one will be leased with an option to buy at the end of the season if the service is successful, says Nagle, adding that each bus will come equipped with tire chains that can be deployed while the vehicles are moving.

To serve as an incentive, skiers and snowboarders will be given a $5 token once they disembark, which Ski Santa Fe will accept as a $5 coupon off the ski ticket.

The bad news in all this is that bicycle racks will not be provided, something that the US Forest Service decided to nix during last-minute negotiations in the name of protecting the overused Winsor Trail. But Bushee says she thinks a compromise can be worked out in due time.

Santa Fe Reporter