Contact: Nicole Valentine, Director of Communications, Summit County Government

SUMMIT COUNTY – The Summit County Open Space and Trails Department was awarded the prestigious Statewide Transportation Demand Management Innovation Grant in the amount of $50,000, the highest award amount available per grant, to help fund the Quandary Peak Shuttle program that was started as a pilot in the Summer of 2021.

Commissioner Josh Blanchard spoke on behalf of the county at a press conference held this morning to announce the awarding of nearly $500,000 in grants statewide to support "transportation demand management" efforts aimed at giving travelers more choices beyond single-occupancy vehicle travel.

“Summit County is grateful for CDOT’s support of this project and is pleased to be a recipient of the Transportation Demand Management Innovation grant for the 2022 season. With these funds, Summit County Government will be able to improve upon last year’s pilot program, assess shuttle operations and address parking lot and trailhead improvements in the area,” said Commissioner Josh Blanchard. “The Demand Management Innovation grant will help further the County’s goal to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips to popular trailheads, and increase equitable access to the incredible outdoor experiences Summit County has to offer.”

Quandary Peak is the most visited 14er in Colorado and frequently sees major parking congestion, often resulting in blocked access to neighborhoods and blocked passageways for emergency vehicles. In summer/fall 2021, Summit County, with other land management partners, launched a free trailhead shuttle program that ran daily between Breckenridge and Quandary on a 30 minute loop, additionally providing service to the McCullough Gulch Trailhead. The shuttle helped meet Summit County sustainability goals by reducing vehicle traffic on roads, and helped to provide equitable access to these trailheads by removing barriers of cost and need for a personal vehicle to access. The shuttle served 21,000 riders last season, and greatly reduced congestion in the area.

For more information on the Quandary Peak Parking and Shuttle Pilot Program visit: https://www.summitcountyco.gov/1446/Quandary

###