As Colorado Grows, Buses Become More Important for Regional Transportation

Colorado is growing, especially in and around the city of Denver, and that means transportation resources are being pushed. Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) are looking to expand bus services as a way to deal with all the demand for travel. The CDOT has numerous road projects it would like to undertake, but those projects would cost money. "Voters so far have declined to kick in more money, most recently last fall when they overwhelmingly rejected two transportation measures," Jon Murray reports for the Denver Post.

In the meantime, more and more travelers are choosing to take a bus to get around the Region. The transportation service Bustang will take riders from Denver to nearby cities like Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Fort Collins. "Ridership has more than doubled since 2015, with much of the increase coming in just the past year. July set a new monthly record, with 22,382 boardings," Murray reports.

Being ski country, Colorado deals with traffic patterns tied to ski vacations. This issue could be an opportunity for the service. "CDOT is in talks with ski resorts as potential partners to pick up the rest of the tab for the coming 'Snowstang' service, which will cost $25 round trip, while the $10 Estes Park bus, connecting with Rocky Mountain National Park’s shuttle, will be a pilot in late August and September," Murray writes.