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ESTA makes sense for Red’s Meadow shuttle |
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Friday, 17 April 2009 |
By Stacey Powells
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
AmericanStar Trailways Vice-President Robert Dockerty recently issued a letter to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area’s CEO Rusty Gregory, stating he is not happy that the U.S. Forest Service decided not to exercise the option to hire them to run the Red’s Meadow shuttle for the 2009 summer season.
Funding difficulties are one of the reasons stated by Jon Regelbrugge, District Ranger for the Mammoth and Mono Lake Ranger Districts, as to why the U.S. Forest Service decided not to pick up AmericanStar’s option.
Regelbrugge said it made sense to approach ESTA (Eastern Sierra Transit Authority) to run the shuttle because it can integrate with other transportation in the area. Additionally, ESTA can apply for transportation grants from the government.
“We’ve gone after public assistance grants. Sometimes we’re successful. Sometimes we’re not,” he said.
“[ESTA] can manage and provide better service to the public,” Regelbrugge added. “That’s why we are going in that direction. It’s a benefit to the Inyo National Forest, but also to the recreationists who use the transportation systems.”
Regelbrugge said the forest service has had major concerns about sustainability to provide service over the long run.
“With ESTA being a local organization agency it makes more sense to work with them.”
“We were approached by the forest service last fall,” said John Helm, ESTA Executive Director. “They were interested in having us operate the shuttle service this summer. We are still in the middle of contract negotiations with the ski area and the forest service and hope to bring the proposed agreements to the next ESTA board meeting.”
Regelbrugge isn’t sure why AmericanStar Trailways is as upset as they are about not being back on board.
“All they were originally guaranteed was the 2007 year,” Regelbrugge said. “There were two options for renewal. We exercised the option for 2008 but declined to in 2009. ESTA wasn’t ready to take this on in 2007. Now they are.”
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Last Updated ( Friday, 24 April 2009 )
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