Transit agencies seek public input

Three of the public-transit authorities whose buses serve the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado are seeking public comments about various services, from fares to route changes and more. All three – the Regional Transportation District, Greeley Evans Transport and Transfort – have scheduled public meetings in coming weeks.

RTD

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RTD, which connects Boulder County with metropolitan Denver, is studying its fare structure and will seek public suggestions at meetings in Boulder and other area locations in December. During six public meetings, transit riders shared the challenges they experience with RTD’s current fare structure.  RTD is taking that input into consideration as it studies how the agency should calculate bus and train fares based on distance, zones, type of service, transfers and issues related to cash, tickets, passes and other products.

The public can offer more feedback on fare alternatives at noon Dec. 4 in Boulder City Council chambers, 1777 Broadway in Boulder.

RTD also is studying input it received from the public in October on proposed route changes that would take effect in January. Several routes in Boulder and Longmont could be affected.

The district is proposing to add four or five round trips on its Stampede route in Boulder between 18th and Euclid streets and the University of Colorado’s East Campus and Discovery Drive. It wants to add one all-day bus for weekend service and adjust schedule times on Route 326, which serves the west side of Longmont. Schedule adjustments also are proposed for Route 204 in Boulder, Route 324 in Longmont, and the Route AB SkyRide service between Boulder, Westminster and Denver International Airport. Schedule adjustments on Route B, the regional service between Boulder and downtown Denver, would include gate changes at the newly remodeled Union Station in lower downtown Denver.

RTD is taking applications through Dec. 12 from riders who want to serve on the 2015 customer panel. The 15-member panel – including one from each RTD district – meets four times a year to provide input on policies, procedures, products and services. Participants receive a free regional monthly pass for each meeting they attend and a free annual EcoPass for the following year if they attend all four.

Greeley Evans Transit

Greeley Evans Transit has received a $1.5 million grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation to build a new, enhanced transfer center to replace the one near Lincoln Park in downtown Greeley, The change will require redesigning current bus routes, so GET is seeking suggestions from the community.

The agency already has held one open house and spent more than 60 hours reviewing more than 125 onboard surveys from bus riders. Another open house will be held from 10 to 5 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Lincoln Park Library. An online survey can be found on the agency’s website, greeleygov.com/theBus, and GET is requesting that it be printed, filled out and returned by Nov. 15.

Transfort

Transfort, the bus system operated by the city of Fort Collins, opened its MAX bus rapid transit system along the Mason Corridor last spring and instituted route changes twice in 2014. The agency’s “travel training” classes are addressing some of the resulting confusion.

The free classes, held the third Thursday of each month, are designed to help riders better understand Transfort’s schedule, routes and new rider tools.

The next class will be from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Downtown Transit Center, 250 N. Mason St. in Fort Collins. Since space is limited, those wanting to attend are asked to register ahead of time at 970.221.6620.

Besides the city buses, Transfort operates the FLEX regional route that connects Fort Collins with the COLT bus system in Loveland and RTD’s Bounder and Denver routes via two stops in Longmont. FLEX also makes a stop in Berthoud.