BH & CC Tramway

Innovative BH&CC Tramway Earns Federal Award

The BH&CC Tramway, a groundbreaking shuttle system blending the area's rich history with a state-of-the-art global positioning system, has been awarded the prestigious 2007 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Ridership Award.

The BH&CC Tramway is one of the first transportation systems to earn the inaugural FTA Award for Success in Enhancing Riderhip Award . The honor, according to the FTA, "aims to shine a spotlight on the nation's top transit providers who truly make a difference in their communities."

The Tramway was chosen based on its ridership gains and the broad transferability of its initiatives. The award will be presented at the American Public Transportation Association Conference on March 12, 2007.

Reflecting the area's thriving gaming industry, the Tramway's six shuttles are named the Jack, Queen, King, Ace of Hearts, Little Joker and Big Joker. The system offers 16 bus stops connecting visitors, residents and workers to casinos and historical attractions in Black Hawk and Central City.

Aimed to reduce traffic congestion and increase convenience , the Tramway experienced instant success when it debuted in May 2004. In its first year of operation, ridership doubled to serve nearly 600,000 travelers.

Situated 40 miles west of Denver , Black Hawk and Central City are two of Colorado 's oldest cities that have grown into the state's top gaming destination. The cities are listed as a National Historic Landmark District — the National Park Service's highest historic designation. With congestion and parking at a premium in the narrow canyon location, the cities partnered with casinos to address accessibility issues.

Providing a cohesive identity, the shared transit system features shuttles wrapped in colorful bus graphics. The entire system boasts dynamic signage, mapping, brochures, and NextBus technology that blends GPS with cellular phone technology to provide waiting passengers with real-time arrival information at all 16 bus stops. The Tramway was one of the first transit projects in the nation to offer the revolutionary transit tracking system.

"We are thrilled to be recognized at the federal level for a system that has been so successful on the local level," says Philo Shelton , the City of Black Hawk 's director of public works and president of the Black Hawk Transportation Authority.