With mandate for ‘more boots and bikes and less cars,’ town of Breckenridge launches e-bike program aimed at residents

75 bikes will be deployed throughout the town to encourage car-free, one-way travel between neighborhoods, businesses and points of interest

By Robert Tann
[email protected]

An electric bike that is part of the town of Breckenridge’s new program aimed at reducing traffic and emissions is pictured with the Tenmile Range and Breckenridge Ski Area behind it. The program allows riders to take 30-minute trips for $3 before incurring per-minute charges.
Teddy Wilkinson/Town of Breckenridge

In a bid to reduce emissions, curb congestion and expand public transit, the town of Breckenridge is preparing to launch an electric bike sharing program that will run through the summer and into fall.

Beginning on Saturday, May 20, the town will deploy 75 bikes housed in more than a dozen stations. Bike sessions will only begin and end at each station, a way to encourage short, one-way trips that may otherwise be done with a car.

The program will be particularly geared towards locals, with a bike station within a quarter-mile of 14 different workforce housing neighborhoods and developments, according to Breckenridge Sustainability and Alternate Transportation Administrator Teddy Wilkinson.

“In addition to just having hubs where people live, we want to have them where people want to go,” Wilkinson said, adding that stations will also be near the Breckenridge Recreation Center, the Summit County Library South Branch, River Park and City Market.

Bikes will cost $3 to unlock for 30 minutes. Anything over 30 minutes will cost an additional 50 cents per minute. Breckenridge residents will also be eligible for a membership that costs $15 per month or $50 for the entire e-bike season, which lasts until Oct. 31. Those respective costs are currently $10 and $40 for residents who buy before June 18.

Wilkinson said the program is not intended to replace the need for bike rentals, adding that locals and visitors will still have plenty of reasons to take advantage of the town’s many rental stores for longer day trips across the county.

“The pricing is structured so that to use the e-bike share for a half-day rental would be more than double the rate of a bike shop,” Wilkinson said.

The e-bike program, instead, will offer an affordable, car-free alternative for residents making a quick trip to the grocery store, for example.

A study by the Federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed that 52% of all trips in the United States in 2021 for all modes of transit were less than 3 miles. In Breckenridge, officials said the more those trips can be taken without a car, the better the town’s overall community will be.

Climate and sustainability has been a major focus for town officials who have rolled out a flurry of policies and programs in recent years. Those include incentives to shift more residents to recycling and subsidies for home electrification projects in partnership with the High Country Conservation Center.

And reducing carbon emissions from vehicles is another key prong in the fight for a cleaner environment, officials said.

“With environmental goals, there’s not one silver bullet to fix it,” said Council member Todd Rankin. “I think all of these incremental, small things hopefully add up to a bigger success story.”

Council member Jay Beckerman said the town council has set a mandate for “more boots and bikes and less cars.”

“Having our residents get out of their car just one day a week, to change their habits just one day a week, can make a huge difference,” Beckerman said.

Outside of its benefits to the environment, biking also provides residents and visitors a better way to experience Breckenridge, he said. Whether it’s exploring the riverwalk corridor or musing at public art.

“I think that you can view the assets of our town’s core better on foot or on bike than in an automobile,” Beckerman said.

While this year’s program is a pilot, town officials said they hope to continue and even expand it into the future, should it prove successful.

The town contracted with Drop Mobility, which provided the bikes for the program, to the tune of $243,000. Half of that cost was supported by a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation, according to Wilkinson.

And with clean energy funding made available through two new federal laws, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more money may be coming down the pike for such programs, Wilkinson said.

Compared with the cost for a single diesel bus, which Wilkinson said can be as much as $500,000, the e-bike program is “a very economical way to deploy public transportation and provide a way for the public to get around,” he said.

Residents and visitors looking to use a bike will need to download the Breck E-Ride app, which will allow them to pay for their ride, look at a map of docking stations and show if bikes are available at any given time.

More information on the app can be found online at BreckERide.com

Here is what you need to know:

We have been getting many calls from our clients in Breckenridge, and all of Summit County for that matter, so we have prepared a quick summary.

Hi All,

Here is the latest information on short term rentals [as of April 10th, 2023]. As you know this issue has been very fluid, shall we say, but this is the information you need right now to figure out what your needs are when purchasing a property.

• Is it investment, short term or long term?
• Is it mostly for family?
• Do you use it in the summer and want to rent it during ski season to get those big rentals?
What are the ramifications of these permits that are needed when you go to sell your property as it will have an impact on the buyer that is considering this purchase. Also, another thing to consider when purchasing your property is the cost of the permit itself as they are not transferable when sale occurs. This sounds overwhelming but that is where we come in as your Breckenridge realtors. Roger and I (The Moens) have been here for 26 years and our job is to help you navigate these issues with ease and help you to understand what exactly you are purchasing and the long term affects as well. Breckenridge real estate is so fun to own and we can help you with the dream, however we want you to go into it educated and have confidence about your purchase.

There is an online map available, showing the locations of all of the various zones: resort, and zones 1, 2 and 3. Contact us for details. 970.376.2038

The number of homes sold in Summit County is continuing to decrease each month but home prices are remaining at a record high, according to February real estate data.

The findings come as brokers have been predicting a slight shift in the housing market, eyeing a tilt toward buyers who they say may be more empowered to negotiate home prices amid a post-COVID market boom. But sellers are still nearly reaping their full asking price.

There were 19.3% fewer sales than a year prior, but that number is about 18% better than we did last month. The median sales price is up 20.4% over the same time last year. Another federal reserve rate hike could flatten our market again, but as for now, even with this upward trend, sellers are receiving about 97% of their list price.”The average home transaction in February for both single- and multi-family housing was $1,484,891,” according to our highest average Recently released from Land Title.

Many people are holding onto their homes as they have lower interest rates and want to keep those where they are. There seems to be indicators of the market going back to normal even with the interest rates increasing. Part of this is the time of year and also people’s fears. If the interest rates hit up to 6% that is still pretty cheap money. We just all got spoiled with those super low interest rates. So demand is there to purchase, and there are still buyers out there just less to choose from. This puts the market at a more equal playing field, so to speak, as it has been a buyers market for so long since COVID-19.

The 4th of July is one of our favorite events in Breckenridge. Our town just shines!!

Fireworks, BBQ cookouts, and all things red, white, and blue – it’s beginning to look a lot like the 4th of July! Breckenridge Colorado is one of the most fun places in the U.S. to celebrate America’s favorite holiday. From backyard cookouts to full-blown firework shows, Breckenridge has plenty of activities planned to celebrate this national holiday. Here are our favorite 4th of July celebrations in Breckenridge that you can enjoy with your family this year.

Parades

One of our favorites is the parade in Breckenridge. It is so fun to see your friends, neighbors, and local businesses going down the street waving to everybody. We love the small town feel. Some years there are more than 35,000 people joining in on the fun!

If you don’t see what you are looking for in Breckenridge, you can also check out the celebrations in Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Keystone and Copper Mountain. One of the great things about being in Summit County and owning property here, is that there are always so many fun activities in the surrounding towns. You can’t do them all! Believe me I have tried.

Parties

Most importantly, we have a huge party at our office at ReMax. 220 S. Main St!!! 9:00 am to 12 noon. It is a great spot to watch the parade. Come by for food, drink and front row seats. Just tell them you are working with us, Roger and Teresa Moen.

National Repertory Orchestra

The National Repertory Orchestra, a symphonic orchestra and academy that offers fellowships to young musicians that are interested in professional music careers, does a concert before the fireworks. They do a fantastic job every year. (Teresa says: “It just makes me cry every time!”)

Before moving to Breck 23 years ago, I had never been in a small town. I really just fell in love with the community and the gorgeous landscape. This is the place to be for Fourth of July. I am so proud of this town and feel fortunate to be here everyday.

Check out this link for more activities on the 4th of July.

Independence Day Celebration

As the short-term rental market has boomed in recent years, rules and regulations to oversee the industry have not necessarily kept up. The Breckenridge Town Council recently passed new rules to try to balance the interests of rental owners with the concerns of neighbors who live near these properties.

What’s Changing?

The Town of Breckenridge approved a new fee structure for licensing short-term rentals (an annual fee of $25 – $150 based on the number of bedrooms) and a new process for inspections (the town will try to reach owners before inspections unless it’s an emergency). However, a new 24-hotline to report complaints is drawing the most attention from owners.

Who You Gonna Call?

When a complaint is called in, the hotline will contact the “designated agent” listed on the rental license, who will have one hour to resolve the problem. The agent doesn’t need to be the owner or a property management company – a friend, family member or neighbor can serve as an agent, but must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to complaints.

Mixed Reaction to the New Rules

The new rules are intended to be less restrictive than measures in similar resort communities, which is good news for vacation rental owners in Breckenridge. Vail, for example, requires a response within 30 minutes of calls to the complaint hotline. Owners who manage their own short-term rental properties or use a property management company are worried about the burden of responding to complaints within one hour, especially if the call may come in the middle of the night or require a visit to the rental unit.

An Ounce of Prevention

There are things you can do to try to avoid trouble with the new rules. Parking, noise and trash are the most common complaints concerning short-term rental units in mountain communities like Breckenridge. Try to head trouble off at the pass by including your neighborhood rules in your marketing materials and rental agreements and remind guests of the rules when they arrive. Post a friendly reminder near your trash cans about being careful with garbage – think bears! – and ask guests to keep the volume down so everyone – visitors and neighbors – can enjoy everything Breckenridge has to offer.

If you’re looking for a vacation home or investment property in Breckenridge or have questions about the latest trends and topics in our real estate community, please contact The Moen Team. Secondly, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see the latest news.

We’re here to help!

To read the new rules and regulations from the Breckenridge Town Council, go to: https://www.townofbreckenridge.com/home/showdocument?id=16079.

Condo sales in Breckenridge have slowed down in 2016. The reason for this is a low inventory. The demand is still high.This is the lowest the inventory has been since 1998 and that is the farthest back I can go with my available data. So what we do have listed is selling in a matter of days if it is priced right. This graph shows that even though the number of sales are down, if you want to purchase an investment property, Breckenridge has the lion’s share of the county market. This is also why investors purchase in Breckenridge.

We had a great year and so appreciate everybody that contacted us. We just broke our personal 20 year record!! Yahoo! 2017 is going to be awesome.

Here is what is going on with the market.  The final numbers are not in yet, but I did do a quick check to see where the market is as of today for last year. The average sold price for residential sales and if that holds the increase in 2016 is just over 7%. Oh, and the average sold price for residential sales (homes, townhomes, condos, duplexes) is right at $595,000! The list price to sold price is  at an average of 97.4% with a high of 106% so not much wiggle room.

If history repeats itself there will be more inventory in the spring but as you can see they go quickly. My listings in 2016 were selling before I could get them in the MLS.

Roger and I wish you and your families as great New Year of health and happiness!

Summit County real estate is booming. Really booming.

In the beginning of this year, it was predicted that Summit County would receive and approve the same amount of building permits as they did in 2015. This prediction has already been proven inaccurate. In fact, the county has received many more permits this year.

Last April, the town of Silverthorne approved 25 new residential development permits—a huge jump from only six permits in April 2015!

People from all over the USA are coming to Summit County in droves. Some of them plan to live here all year round. Some are second homeowners. A few are real estate investors. Whatever their reason for being in Summit County, they’re buying homes in Summit County left and right.

In order to keep up with the demand for housing and real estate in Summit County, developers are snapping up land all over the area, mostly in the northern part of Silverthorne, and putting into motion new residential development projects faster than you can say, “Welcome to Summit County.”

Many of us Summit County locals aren’t happy with the construction boom in the area. Who could blame us? Construction vehicles and large pieces of construction equipment are everywhere. The roads have gotten a bit more crowded. Public places have gotten a little noisier. Summit County is changing, and we hear you loud and clear.

However, what if we told you that the rapid growth of Summit County is actually a great thing, especially for us locals?

It really is! Just hear us out.

With more people coming here, Summit County is making a lot of money in sales tax and excise taxes. To avoid getting bogged down in the details and numbers, let’s take a look at Silverthorne in particular:

• According to Summit County’s 2016 budget report, the county’s sales tax revenue was predicted to increase by 2% this year. However, by April, Silverthorne had already exceeded that goal. Its year-to-date sales taxes had risen by 2%. From January 2016 through April 2016, the town of Silverthorne alone brought in $3.16 million.
• Silverthorne is making a killing on its excise-tax collections. It went up 440.7% compared to April 2015 and 259% year-to-date compared to the previous year.

So what does this mean for us?

Better roads, nicer public facilities, cleaner parks, improved bike trails, and increased maintenance for other departmental services provided by the county.

Two percent of all sales taxes across Summit County go toward these programs and services. In addition to that, up to 2.5% of the sales taxes go to their respective towns. The percentage depends on the town. For example, Silverthorne takes 2%.

Just when we’re starting to think that Summit County couldn’t get any nicer, an opportunity arises for it to do so. Do you have any ideas on how Summit County should spend its newfound money? Let us know!