Gondola opens for summer Thursday, May 27, 2021

The Town of Mountain Village is pleased to announce that the gondola, the free public transportation that connects Mountain Village and Telluride, will open for summer 2021 on Thursday, May 27 at 7 a.m. with larger loading capacities after the last year of limited capacities due to COVID-19 concerns.

Federal regulations still require masks to be worn at all times on public transportation, which includes gondola cabins and terminals. Full capacity is now permitted as well. As was the case before the pandemic began, up to 8 people will be loaded into the gondola, regardless of their association. The singles line will return to allow for operators to maximize capacity.

“We look forward to returning to mostly normal protocols when it comes to loading the gondola,” said Mountain Village Transit Director Jim Loebe. “Federal law still requires face coverings, which we trust will keep the community safe as they enjoy shorter gondola lines than what we experienced the past year due to the pandemic.”

The gondola will be open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight through October 17, 2021. It will stay open until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights June 11 through September 18.

The following protocols will be set in place to ensure passengers and staff safety:

• No mask, no ride: per federal requirements, masks are required on all public transportation at this time for those over the age of 2. If you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing a face covering, please let operators know.
• Ventilation: Leave windows open to maximize ventilation.
• Cabin occupancy: up to 8 people will be loaded per cabin.
• Cabin cleanliness: Cabins will be disinfected regularly.

To see the status of lines at gondola stations, be sure to bookmark townofmountainvillage.com/webcams on your phone or computer for live video feeds from each gondola station.