Transportation

The Gondola, which climbs and descends the front face of the ski resort, is free. No money changes hands when boarding with a bike, skis, even a dog, for the 13-minute trip between the towns of Telluride and Mountain Village (although if riding to ski or snowboard, a lift ticket is required). Locals use the Gondola to get to work, children use it to get to school and skiers use it to access the slopes. The Gondola, completed by the ski company in November 1996 in order to diminish traffic and vehicular pollution, is a one-of-a-kind transportation link owned and operated by the Mountain Village Metropolitan District. Traveling from Station Telluride, at the south end of Oak Street, the Gondola makes three stops: the first is Station St. Sophia, the ridgeline atop the ski area; next is the Mountain Village Center; and last is the multi-level parking structure in Mountain Village, also the location of the grocery store, post office and Mountain Village government offices. The Gondola has pet and handicap-accessible cabins.

The Galloping Goose is Telluride’s bus transit service. Named for Telluride’s ingenious gasoline-engine “rail bus” system used between the 1930s and 1950s, the Goose offers a free town loop as well as shuttles to Lawson Hill, Down Valley and Norwood. In Mountain Village, a free shuttle makes a loop between the Mountain Village Center and the Meadows businesses/residential neighborhood.

Dial-A-Ride is another free service that provides transportation for residents and guests in and around Mountain Village. Passengers simply call from their home or cell phone to arrange a ride anywhere in Mountain Village.

Telluride Express Specializing in transportation to and from the Gunnison-Telluride Airport and the Montrose Airport to the Towns of Telluride/Mountain Village, Grand Junction, Crested Butte and outlying areas. Also offer shared ride airport shuttles and private charters for individuals and groups for the Gunnison-Telluride Airports and Telluride area.