By Bob Wilson
Last week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Transportation celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Bustang – the state-run inter-regional passenger express bus service that connects major population and employment centers, local and national transit systems, the mountains and plains, and everything in between.
“This milestone marks ten years of a successful service that Coloradans continue choosing,” said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. “Over the past decade, Bustang has significantly increased ridership and grown its reach — providing access to an expanding range of popular destinations that serve both residents and visitors. This past year, Bustang served almost four times its initial customer base — helping to reduce traffic congestion, especially in busy areas like the I-70 mountain corridor — with a cleaner alternative.”
On July 13, 2015, Bustang began providing passenger service on three routes, connecting Denver to Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Glenwood Springs, with an initial ridership of 103,000. Ten years later, it provides service along 20 routes, connects all four corners of the state and has boarded nearly 2.1 million passengers. Annual ridership has more than tripled, growing to 351,000 passenger trips in the twelve months that just concluded. To serve this fast-growing ridership, CDOT has been building out mobility hubs along major corridors to more quickly and conveniently connect riders with local amenities and their next Bustang ride.
“As we mark this milestone, it’s important to look at the range of riders who benefit from the service Bustang provides — ranging from commuters on the I-25 corridor who can take advantage of improved infrastructure that adds efficiency to their commutes, to travelers along I-70 seeking a safe alternative to traversing the mountains in the snow,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “Bustang is a national model for how transit can work across urban and rural areas, and provide consumers with more choices.”
As resources have allowed, Bustang has continued to increase service to fulfill public demand:
2015: Bustang: Fort Collins-Denver/Colorado Springs-Denver/Glenwood Springs-Denver (weekdays only)
2015: Bustang West Line: Glenwood Springs-Denver – weekend service added
2015: RamsRoute: Fort Collins/CSU-Denver (weekend service)
2016: Bustang to Broncos: Fort Collins-Empower Field/Colorado Springs-Empower Field
2017: Bustang North & South Lines: Weekend service added
2018: Bustang Outrider: Lamar-Pueblo (extended to Colorado Springs-Dec.) Alamosa-Pueblo/Gunnison-Denver/Durango-Grand Junction
2018: Bustang West Line: Extended from Glenwood Springs to Grand Junction
2019: Bustang to Estes: Denver-Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park (summer weekends/holidays)
2019: Snowstang: Denver-select ski resorts (winter weekends/holidays)
2021: Bustang Outrider: Craig-Denver
2022: Pegasus: Shuttle van service between Denver and Avon
2022: Bustang Outrider: Service extended to Crested Butte
2022: Bustang Outrider: Sterling-Denver/Sterling-Greeley
2023: Bustang Outrider: Trinidad-Pueblo
2024: Outrider: Service to Denver International Airport via Sterling-Denver route
2024: Bustang North & South Lines: Six to 12 daily roundtrips
2024: Bustang West Line: Four to 15 daily roundtrips
Bob Wilson is Statewide Communications Manager with Bustang.