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.^[4] Capital costs are paid for from various state and federal sources, and operating costs are covered 60% by fares.^[5] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 90,600, or about 1,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

Bustang

Bustang bus headed northbound on I-25 approaching Larkspur, Colorado.
Parent	Colorado Department of Transportation
Commenced operation	July 13, 2015[1]
Locale	Colorado
Service type	intercity transportation
Alliance	Greyhound Lines
Destinations	Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Durango, Gunnison, Alamosa, Pueblo, Lamar, Craig, Fairplay and others.
Daily ridership	1,800 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[2]
Annual ridership	90,600 (2023)[3]
Operator	List of operators Ace Express Coaches (North, South, West) SRDA (Outrider Lamar-Pueblo, Outrider Alamosa-Pueblo) Southern Colorado Community Action Agency (Outrider Durango-Grand Junction) Alpine Express (Outrider Gunnison-Denver) Greyhound Lines (Outrider Craig-Denver)
Website	ridebustang.com

History

Bustang service began on July 13, 2015.^[1] 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.^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[9] Later that summer the West Line was extended to Grand Junction, with hopes that the route would hit 15,000 annual passengers.^[10] 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.^[11] In December 2018, an additional route between Colorado Springs and the Denver Tech Center was started.^[12] Total ridership from July 2017 to June 2018 reached 194,064.^[13]

In 2019, there was pressure to further expand capacity, but a shortage of drivers needed to be addressed.^[14] 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.^[15] A new bus line dubbed "Snowstang" was announced in December 2019.^[16] 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.^[17]

In 2023, a new route began operating between Trinidad and Pueblo, with stops in Colorado City, Walsenburg and Aguilar.^[18]

On March 1, 2024, Bustang discontinued the Denver Tech Center route due to low ridership.^[19]

Services

List of routes

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

Route Name	Service	Northern/Western Terminus	Stops en route	Southern/Eastern Terminus	Frequency	Seasonality	Launch	Ridership (2022)	References
North Line	Bustang	Fort Collins	Loveland, Berthoud, Firestone/Longmont	Denver Union Station	9 times daily (weekdays) 4 times daily (weekend)	Year-round	July 13, 2015	48,652	[1][20][21]
West Line	Bustang	Glenwood Springs or Grand Junction[a]	Parachute, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Avon, Vail, Frisco, Idaho Springs, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	9 times daily	Year-round	July 13, 2015	84,352	[1][22][21]
South Line	Bustang	Denver Union Station	Colorado station, Sky Ridge station, Monument	Colorado Springs	9 times daily (weekdays) 4 times daily (weekend)	Year-round	July 13, 2015	35,068	[1][23][21]
Denver–Avon	Pegasus	Avon	Vail, Frisco, Idaho Springs, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	6 times daily (weekdays) 10 times daily (weekend)[b]	Year-round	May 27, 2022	7,832	[24][25][21]
Alamosa–Pueblo	Outrider	Alamosa	Alamosa East, Moffat, Poncha Springs, Salida, Cotopaxi, Penrose, Pueblo West	Pueblo	Daily	Year-round	May 1, 2018	3,010	[9][26][21]
Craig–Denver	Outrider	Craig	Hayden, Milner, Steamboat Springs, Muddy Pass, Kremmling, Parshall, Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby, Tabernash, Fraser, Winter Park, Empire, Idaho Springs, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	Daily	Year-round	January 1, 2021	8,184	[17][27][21]
Crested Butte–Denver	Outrider	Crested Butte	Almont, Gunnison, Monarch Mountain, Salida, Buena Vista, Fairplay, Pine Junction	Denver Union Station	Daily	Monarch Mountain served December–April	June 30, 2018	14,669	[11][28][21]
Durango–Grand Junction	Outrider	Grand Junction Regional Airport	Downtown Grand Junction, Delta, Olathe, Montrose, Ridgway, Placerville, Telluride, Rico, Dolores, Cortez, Mancos, Durango	Bayfield	Daily	Year-round	June 30, 2018	4,486	[11][29][21]
Lamar–Colorado Springs	Outrider	Colorado Springs	Fountain, Pueblo, Fowler, Manzanola, Rocky Ford, Swink, La Junta, Las Animas, Fort Lyon	Lamar	Daily	Year-round	January 2, 2018	3,398	[30][31][21]
Sterling–Denver	Outrider	Denver Union Station	Denver Airport station, Keenesburg, Wiggins, Fort Morgan, Brush,	Sterling	Five times weekly	Year-round	November 1, 2022	7	[32][33][21]
Sterling–Greeley	Outrider	Greeley	Kersey, Wiggins, Fort Morgan, Brush	Sterling	Three times weekly	Year-round	November 2, 2022	6	[32][34][21]
Telluride–Grand Junction	Outrider	Grand Junction Regional Airport	Downtown Grand Junction, Delta, Olathe, Montrose, Ridgway, Placerville	Montrose or Telluride[c]	Twice daily (weekdays)	Year-round	June 30, 2018	1,372	[11][35][21]
Trinidad–Pueblo	Outrider	Pueblo	Colorado City, Walsenburg, Aguilar	Trinidad	Twice daily (weekdays)	Year-round	March 23, 2023	—[d]	[18][36][21]
RamsRoute	Seasonal Services	Fort Collins	Colorado State University, Loveland, Berthoud, Firestone/Longmont, Westminster, Denver Union Station	Arapahoe at Village Center station	Weekly	CSU Fall and Spring semesters	September 11, 2015	—[e]	[37][38][21]
Bustang to Broncos	Seasonal Services	Fort Collins	Loveland	Empower Field at Mile High	Daily (Denver Broncos home games)	NFL season	October 9, 2016	—[f]	[39][40][21]
Bustang to Broncos–South	Seasonal Services	Empower Field at Mile High	Monument	Colorado Springs	Daily (Denver Broncos home games)	NFL season	October 9, 2016	—[f]	[39][40][21]
Bustang to Estes	Seasonal Services	Rocky Mountain National Park	Estes Park, Lyons, Boulder, Broomfield, Westminster	Denver Union Station	Twice daily (weekends)	May–October	August 24, 2019	—[g]	[41][42][21]
Arapahoe Basin	Snowstang	Arapahoe Basin	Golden, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	Daily (weekends)	December–May	December 14, 2019	524[h]	[16][43][21]
Copper Mountain	Snowstang	Copper Mountain	Golden, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	Daily (weekends)	December–May	December 11, 2021	883[h]	[16][44][21]
Loveland Ski Area	Snowstang	Loveland Ski Area	Golden, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	Daily (weekends)	December–May	December 14, 2019	623[h]	[16][45][21]
Steamboat Springs	Snowstang	Steamboat Springs	Golden, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	Daily (weekends)	December–May	December 14, 2019	170[h]	[16][46][21]
Breckenridge	Snowstang	Breckenridge	Golden, Federal Center station	Denver Union Station	Daily (weekends)	December–May	December 17, 2022	818[h]	[16][47][21]

1. Five trips daily run to Glenwood Springs, and four trips run to Grand Junction.
2. For the Denver–Avon route, "weekdays" refers to Monday–Thursday, and "weekends" refers to Friday–Sunday.
3. One trip each day runs between the garage at Montrose and Telluride.
4. Ridership for the Telluride–Pueblo route is not available because it was launched after 2022.
5. Ridership data for the RamsRoute is not available.
6. While ridership numbers for the individual Bustang to Broncos routes are not available, the combined ridership for both routes was 1,965 in 2022.
7. Ridership data for Bustang to Estes is not available.
8. Ridership numbers for Snowstang routes are for December 2022–January 2023.

Discontinued routes

Route Name	Service	Northern/Western Terminus	Stops en route	Southern/Eastern Terminus	Frequency	Seasonality	Launch	Discontinued	References
Denver Tech Center	Bustang	Belleview station	Various stops in the Denver Tech Center, Arapahoe at Village Center station, Monument	Colorado Springs	Daily (weekdays)	Year-round	December 17, 2018	March 1, 2024	[12][48][19]

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.^[49][50]

See also

• Front Range Express (FREX)

References

1. Whaley, Monte (April 15, 2015). "CDOT's statewide Bustang service to start July 13". The Denver Post.
2. "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
3. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
4. "DOT Announces Service Start Date for Bustang™". CDOT. April 15, 2015.
5. Hill, Jim (2019-06-25). "A Former Critic Gets On The Bus". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
6. Proctor, Cathy (July 12, 2016). "Bustang, Colorado's statewide bus service, gallops to big rider numbers". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
7. Stice, Alice (September 4, 2017). "Bustang fills demand for weekend route". Coloradoan.
8. Kovaleski, Jennifer (October 27, 2017). "Local officials want CDOT's Bustang bus service expanded". The Denver Channel. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
9. Heide, Ruth (May 2, 2018). "New bus line begins service". Alamosa News.
10. Ashby, Charles (June 29, 2018). "Bustang service to Grand Junction begins today". The Daily Sentinel.
11. Aguilar, John (June 28, 2018). "Bustang to launch new long-haul bus service this weekend between Grand Junction, Durango". The Denver Post.
12. Case, Angela (December 13, 2018). "Bustang adds service between Colorado Springs and Denver Tech Center". Fox21News.
13. "Preformence Plan" (PDF). Colorado Department of Transportation. CDOT.
14. Aguilar, John (February 24, 2019). "Bustang popularity continues to climb in Colorado as driver shortage intensifies". The Denver Post.
15. Curley, Caitlin (August 15, 2019). "Bustang route from Denver to Estes Park to begin this month". Gazette.
16. Woodruff, Chase (December 4, 2019). "Polis, CDOT Unveil "Snowstang" Bus, an Answer to I-70 Ski Traffic". Westworld.
17. "New Service connecting Craig and Denver". Ride Bustang. CDOT. December 23, 2020.
18. Bartolo, James (March 23, 2023). "CDOT launches Trinidad to Pueblo Bustang Outrider route with a month of free rides". The Pueblo Chieftain. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
19. Hulting, Aidan; Soukup, Abby (February 21, 2024). "Bustang to discontinue route between Denver Tech Center and Colorado Springs on March 1". Denver7. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
20. "North Line Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
21. Phillips, Jennifer. "Bustang Family of Services Update" (PDF). Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
22. "West Line Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
23. "South Line Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
24. Murray, Jon (May 13, 2022). "Launch of I-70 "Pegasus" service will test Coloradans' appetite for mountain transit — and willingness to ride it". Denver Post. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
25. "Denver – Avon Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
26. "Alamosa – Pueblo Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
27. "Craig – Denver Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
28. "Crested Butte – Denver Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
29. "Durango – Grand Junction Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
30. "CDOT Expanding Bustang™ to Southeast Colorado". Colorado Department of Transportation. December 27, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
31. "Lamar – Colorado Springs Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
32. "Bustang Outrider now serving northeastern Colorado". Colorado Department of Transportation. November 1, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
33. "Sterling – Denver Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
34. "Sterling – Greeley Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
35. "Telluride – Grand Junction Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
36. "Trinidad – Pueblo Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
37. de la Rosa, Katie (September 2, 2015). "Bustang to launch CSU weekend service to Denver". Coloradoan. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
38. "RamsRoute Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
39. "Bustang® to Broncos Service begins Sunday". Colorado Department of Transportation. October 4, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
40. "Game Day Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
41. Blumhardt, Miles (July 29, 2019). "Bustang coming to Estes Park, more Colorado ski slopes". Coloradoan. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
42. "Bustang to Estes Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
43. "Arapahoe Basin Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
44. "Copper Mountain Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
45. "Loveland Ski Area Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
46. "Steamboat Springs Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
47. "Breckenridge Schedule". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
48. "Denver Tech Center (DTC) Schedules". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
49. Van Dyne, Jessica (July 17, 2023). "Bustang bus blows red light, causes crash in Colorado Springs: Police". The Gazette. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
50. Grewe, Lindsey; Hansen, Spencer (July 17, 2023). "Bus driver cited after causing crash in downtown Colorado Springs". KKTV. Retrieved October 2, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Bustang webpage on CODOT.gov