Bustang

Bustang is an intercity bus service in the U.S. state of Colorado. Service began in 2015 and originally traveled between Denver and Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Glenwood Springs. Service has since been expanded to connect Grand Junction, Durango, Gunnison, Alamosa, Pueblo, Fairplay and Lamar among others. It is Colorado's first state-run bus service. Capital costs are paid for from various state and federal sources, and operating costs are covered 60% by fares. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .

History

Bustang service began on July 13, 2015. Service was originally provided along three lines: the West Line from Denver to Glenwood Springs along I-70, the North Line from Denver to Fort Collins along I-25, and the South Line from Denver to Colorado Springs also along I-25. The Colorado Department of Transportation estimated that there would be 87,376 passengers during the Bustang's first year of operation, however, ridership surpassed 100,000. At first the buses ran only on weekdays, but weekend service was quickly added along the West Line to accommodate skiers and along the North Line through the "RamsRoute" program. RamsRoute was intended for students and only ran one round-trip bus per weekend. Regular weekend service to both Fort Collins and Colorado Springs was added in 2017. First year revenue totaled over $1,000,000, which was enough to cover 38% of Bustang's costs.

In 2017, communities across Colorado began to lobby for expanded Bustang service. This came after the second year ridership for the Bustang reached 156,000. In early 2018, service was added between Lamar and Pueblo along US 50. The new program was dubbed "Outrider" and focuses on rural Colorado. The Outrider program was expanded in May by adding a line between Pueblo and Alamosa. Later that summer the West Line was extended to Grand Junction, with hopes that the route would hit 15,000 annual passengers. Two additional Outrider services began roughly at the same time. The first was between Durango and Grand Junction, and the second was between Denver and Gunnison. In December 2018, an additional route between Colorado Springs and the Denver Tech Center was started. Total ridership from July 2017 to June 2018 reached 194,064.

In 2019, there was pressure to further expand capacity, but a shortage of drivers needed to be addressed. The difficulty in finding new drivers has been attributed to low wages and to federally mandated drug tests. Ridership of the North, South, and West lines reached 238,252 for the 2018–2019 time period. A new bus line dubbed "Snowstang" was announced in December 2019. It is meant to ferry passengers from Denver to Arapahoe Basin, Loveland Ski Area and Steamboat Springs.

In 2021, a new route began service between Craig and Denver with stops at Steamboat Springs, Granby, Winter Park, and Idaho Springs and various locations in between.

In 2023, a new route began operating between Trinidad and Pueblo, with stops in Colorado City, Walsenburg and Aguilar.

On March 1, 2024, Bustang discontinued the Denver Tech Center route due to low ridership.

Services

List of routes

The table below shows each Bustang route. Stops in ''italics'' are flag stops.

Discontinued routes

Accidents and incidents

On July 17, 2023, the driver of a Bustang coach operating on the South Line ran a red light in downtown Colorado Springs and struck an SUV, causing it to roll over. The driver of the SUV escaped with only minor injuries, and everyone aboard the bus was uninjured. The coach sustained minor damage.

See also

* Front Range Express (FREX)

Notes

References

External links

Official website

Bustang webpage
on CODOT.gov

{{Colorado public transit

Transportation companies of the United States
Intercity bus companies of the United States
Transportation companies based in Colorado
2015 establishments in Colorado