Castle Rock residents will be hopping off the bus starting in January.
The shuttle-bus service, operated by the nonprofit Clean Air Transit Co., or Catco, is being eliminated in 2011. That was the direction the council gave staff recently as it prepares a new budget for the upcoming year.
The service already was reduced this year because of budget woes. Riders were required for the first time to pay a dollar per trip.
Town officials had considered going to voters to see if they want to help pay for the service, but the town has other, more pressing needs that voters could be asked to subsidize in the near future.
Bob Watts, Castle Rock’s transportation-planning manager, said three shuttle buses provide service on two routes during the day. The third bus is used during peak hours.
The budget for Catco this year was about $370,000, Watts said.
At a meeting next month, town officials will discuss providing some sort of demand-based service for those who are disabled or elderly or simply cannot drive.
The shuttle-bus service was free from its inception in 1994 until this past March, paid for out of the city’s general operating budget.
Faced with the down economy, Castle Rock Mayor Ryan Reilly said, officials have to move the money to other critical departments, such as public safety.
He said ridership has also dropped drastically since the $1 fee was introduced in March.
“At this point, it almost doesn’t make sense to run the service anymore,” Reilly said.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
