CDOT wants input on more FoCo-Loveland-Denver Bustang service

The Colorado Department of Transportation is surveying Bustang passengers to help determine the feasibility of expanding its “North Line” passenger service on Interstate 25 between Fort Collins and Denver, as well as its routes from Denver south to Colorado Springs and west to Grand Junction.

Bustang service between Fort Collins and Denver serves Union Station in Denver, a park-and-ride at Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 34 in Loveland, the Harmony Transit Center at Harmony Road and I-25, and the Downtown Transit Center at 250 N. Mason St. in Fort Collins. Bustang runs eight routes each way on weekdays and two each way on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Passengers are being surveyed to determine if increasing trip frequency would meet the anticipated demand for additional service. The questionnaire is available in English or Spanish when a rider logs onto Bustang’s wi-fi. Advertisements with a link and QR code also will be posted in Bustang coaches. Survey respondents will be eligible to receive Visa gift cards as an incentive.

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“Since launching in 2015, CDOT’s Bustang Interregional Express bus service has been extremely successful and an asset to travelers and commuters alike,” said Brian Metzger, CDOT assistant director for transit planning and delivery, in a prepared statement. “Demand for additional trips has spiked, and we are conducting an on-board questionnaire to determine the best expansion options to facilitate the needs of Bustang riders. Feedback is incredibly valuable for this study.”

The passage of Senate Bill 180 by the state Legislature has enabled CDOT to launch a three-year pilot program expanding service along both the I-25 and I-70 corridors. A phased expansion proposal has been identified that will incrementally increase service levels on all three routes through 2024.

Besides the Denver-Loveland-Fort Collins route, Bustang also runs “Outrider” service between Greeley and Sterling, as well as seasonal weekend “RamsRoute” service between Denver and Colorado State University; North Line service from Fort Collins and Loveland to Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos football games; and daily service connecting Denver, Westminster, Boulder, Lyons, Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Connecting through Union Station in Denver enables Northern Colorado riders to reach many other points in Colorado. Bustang routes also run south to Colorado Springs and west to Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction, as well as service from Colorado Springs to multiple stops in the Denver Tech Center. Outrider routes also serve Alamosa, Craig, Pueblo, Crested Butte, Durango, Lamar and Telluride. Its “Pegasus” service connects Denver to Avon, while its “Snowstang” routes serve the Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Loveland and Steamboat Springs winter-recreation areas.