On Wednesday, Nov. 5, community members celebrated a ribbon cutting for the town of Winter Park’s first electric bus.

“This milestone marks the beginning of The Lift’s transition to a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035,” the town stated in a press release.

The first two buses set to arrive were funded through a combination of grants, totaling $2.1 million. Mountain Parks Electric has also pledged $100,000 toward future electric vehicle purchases, the town stated.

The Lift’s transit development plan estimates a $19.3 million investment to complete the transition across the 24-bus fleet.

“We are elated to have the first electric buses added to our fleet and serving our community,” Winter Park Transit Manager Charles McCarthy stated in the release. “The Town is committed to both our global and local connectivity and creating a healthy and thriving environment for residents and visitors. This is a fantastic step in achieving the goals we’ve set for ourselves as an organization.” 

Lift’s winter schedule

Lift transitions to its winter schedule on Nov. 17, adding local eight routes to Grand County’s bus lines.

The routes run from 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days per week from Winter Park Resort to the towns of Winter Park, Fraser and Granby, according to its website.

The lift offers service to:

• Winter Park Resort
• Winter Park hotels
• Downtown Winter Park restaurants and shops
• Fraser Vally Rec Center
• The Foundry, Bowling and Movies
• Headwaters Center
• Rendezvous Event Center
• Fraser and Granby
• Amtrak Fraser-Winter Park Station

During the winter, the bus offers free on-call service from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week, between designated stops in Winter Park and Fraser. Those interested in scheduling a pick-up can call 970.726.4163.

The Lift Rider app allows users to track buses in real time. For more information on routes and scheduling a ride, visit the lift website.