Source: PBS

Excerpt:

On a snowy February day, U.S. 24 west of Colorado Springs is treacherous. Snow-covered and icy, the highway’s curves forced some drivers off the road, leaving empty cars waiting to be towed on the shoulder.  

Days like this are part of the reason why Adrienne Schwartz started a petition for a new public bus route with multiple stops along Highway 24 through Chaffee, Park and Teller counties. The highway serves as the connection for those living in the picturesque rural towns of western Colorado to the central corridor of the state. 

“[Riding the bus] would be much more enjoyable than white-knuckle driving on your car,” said Schwartz.  

Schwartz, a part-time resident of Buena Vista and long-time visitor, found the lack of transportation options getting from the Colorado Springs airport to Buena Vista more than just annoying. After years of casually but consistently sending social media messages to Bustang, the state’s public transportation network, she decided to take it further.  

“I figured, well, maybe there’s a few people that would also need this route, but it turns out quite a few people in this area would really need this route,” she said. 

Read more: Life is a highway but these neighbors hope for a new bus route to drive it