Meeting to detail FLEX service changes, new Loveland transit center

FORT COLLINS — Proposed January service changes for FLEX regional bus service between Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Longmont and Boulder will be detailed at an open house Thursday afternoon that is sponsored by Transfort, the city of Fort Collins’ public transit agency.

The changes are largely related to the scheduled Jan. 4 opening of the city of Loveland’s new North Transit Center at 37th Street and Grant Avenue, which will replace stops at U.S. Highway 287 and 37th Avenue and at the Food Bank of Larimer County.

A location study was conducted in 2016 that presented several options for where the transit center could be built, and in March 2018 the city of Loveland acquired the 3.86-acre property as the official location. Because of the timing of the city’s lease agreement with the Food Bank, which ends this year, as well as increased ridership of FLEX and the City Of Loveland Transit (COLT) city routes, the city quickly moved on the construction after the City Council approved funding for Phase 1 on Feb. 21. Ground was broken in April, and in July the city was awarded a Charging Ahead Colorado grant to provide eight electric-vehicle charging stations at the site.

The new transit center will include an 88-space parking lot, a concrete island large enough to accommodate eight buses, shelters, landscaping and underground infrastructure to support hybrid and electric buses.

“It’s more of a park-and-ride now,” said Candice Folkers, the city of Loveland’s transit manager, but it’s designed to possibly add a building in the future.”

The proposed service changes, to be outlined at the open house from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Transfort’s South Transit Center, 4915 Fossil Blvd. in Fort Collins, would realign the northern transfer point in Loveland from the Food Bank to the new Loveland North Transit Center. Southbound FLEX to Loveland and Longmont trips would depart a few minutes later from the Fort Collins South Transit Center, and minor time adjustments would be made to enhance connections with COLT routes in Loveland and Regional Transportation District routes in Longmont.

The FLEX express route to Boulder would not serve the new Loveland North Transit Center but would stop along U.S. 287 at 37th Avenue.

Comments on the proposed service changes can be provided at the meeting or at transfortinfo@fcgov.com or 970-221-6620.

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