Turning Rider Feedback Into Award-Winning Transit
Core Transit takes home two statewide honors from the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies
The Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) named Core Transit the 2026 Large Community Transit Agency of the Year and recognized our Rider Education Campaign as Marketing Program of the Year.
These awards celebrate how we’re turning rider feedback into better service and traditional advertising space into space for our riders.
When riders speak, we act
For us, community engagement isn’t just about asking riders what they think. It’s about showing them what happens next.
Over the past year, rider feedback has helped shape real service changes, including expanded service to Leadville and Minturn, additional peak-hour service at Freedom Park with better options for youth traveling to and from school, and service to West Vail Mall.
At a recent public meeting, one longtime Eagle County resident described what that looks like from a rider’s perspective:
“I have lived in this valley for more than 20 years and have shared feedback with many organizations. With Core Transit, I see that feedback turns into action quickly. We told you how important a stop at West Vail Mall would be for our community, and you listened and made it happen. You give us the opportunity to speak in the language we are most comfortable with, you listen, and then you act.”
More riders are joining the conversation, too. Participation in our most recent seasonal rider survey jumped 120% from the previous season, with 47% of responses submitted in Spanish.
At the same time, more people are choosing Core Transit. In 2025, we provided 1.9 million passenger trips, a 14% increase from the previous year, while completing 99% of our scheduled trips. Youth ridership has also grown 20% since we launched systemwide Youth Fare-Free service.
We don’t just ask riders what they need. We listen, we act, and we show them what changed. That’s the kind of rider-first approach CASTA recognized in naming Core Transit the 2026 Large Community Transit Agency of the Year.
What if advertising space wasn’t for advertising?
Making public transportation easier to understand, easier to use, and welcoming for the people we serve is at the heart of how we communicate with our riders.
Like many transit agencies, we inherited bus cards traditionally used for commercial advertising. But we saw an opportunity to use that space differently. So, we gave it back to our riders.
You may have noticed our bus interiors have gotten a makeover. Commercial advertising signs have been replaced with a rotating collection of fun, colorful, Core Transit messages designed specifically to give our riders a better experience.
Inspired by real situations our riders and operators encounter every day, these messages make helpful information easier to find, from navigating the system and accessing resources to connecting with our bilingual customer service team. They also give operators another tool to answer common questions while staying focused on providing safe and reliable service.
For us, the value of that space isn’t in the advertising revenue it can generate, but in how it can better serve our riders. That rider-first approach is what CASTA recognized in naming our Rider Education Campaign the 2026 Marketing Program of the Year.
These two awards reflect the same idea at the heart of Core Transit: every journey should be an empowering and gratifying experience.
During Rider Appreciation Week, we heard stories that brought that belief to life. Residents shared that fare-free service had allowed them to give up their cars altogether, saving money and reducing stress, while visitors told us they now skip renting a car because Core Transit makes getting around the valley much more convenient.
Stories like these are what make these awards worth celebrating.
