Rico residents will soon have the option to ride a shuttle to and from Telluride. That’s according to Rico town manager Kari Distefano, who serves on an advisory council to the board of the San Miguel Authority on Regional Transit (SMART). She tells KSJD the board approved a pilot program on October 5th that would run a ten-person shuttle from Rico to Telluride five days per week. The shuttle will likely leave Rico at 7am and return from Telluride at 5:15pm to best accommodate workers at the ski area, but she says skiers and other riders are welcome to ride as well. The SMART board’s next task will be to determine how to find drivers for the shuttle. Distefano says the board hopes to begin the service by the time the Telluride ski area opens on November 23rd.
CORRECTION 10/31: A previous version of this story stated that Kari Distefano served on the SMART board of directors. However, she actually serves on a council that advises the board. SMART executive director Amy Levek also later told KSJD that though the board had expressed interest in a shuttle, the they have not formally approved it.
