Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Bustang to offer new weekend service on Interstate 70 route

#Summit County, Colorado.

Courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation

Summit Daily News Link

With strong ridership since its debut, the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Bustang service will add weekend routes to the west line starting Saturday, Nov. 21.
The route, which serves as a daily commuter bus from Glenwood Springs to Denver, stops at the Frisco Transfer Center once in the morning, en route to Denver, and once in the evening, headed westbound to Glenwood Springs.
“We anticipated that there would be expansion on the various routes in different ways; it was just a matter of seeing how service would play out in first few months,” CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson said. “We went to the Transportation Commission. They told us to crawl before we walk. Now we’re at the walking phase.”
He said the new weekend service was the result of several rider requests since Bustang first launched in July. The buses saw an average of 40 riders per day, with a maximum capacity of 50 per shuttle.
“It’s been the best route for us,” Wilson noted of the western route, in terms of ridership. The other two routes run north and south of Denver.
However, the new weekend service is not timed to compete with the multitude of shuttles that transport visitors between Denver International Airport and Summit County during the ski season. For example, Wilson said western Colorado residents could take the shuttle for a weekend work commute or to catch a Rockies game in Denver.
Daily departure times will change on Nov. 16 and apply to the new weekend route, with the bus departing from the Frisco Transfer Center at 9:25 a.m. and arriving at Denver Union Station at 11:10 a.m. The return route will depart from Denver at 5:40 p.m. and arrive in Frisco at 7:15 p.m.
“Bustang continues to help CDOT connect Coloradans to a multi-modal transportation system,” CDOT executive director Shailen Bhatt said in a statement. “Expanding Bustang is one more option for those who want travel alternatives.”
The route runs from Glenwood Springs, with stops in Eagle, Vail and Frisco on the way to Denver, as well as stops at the Denver Federal Center, Union Station and Bus Center. A one-way ticket from Frisco to Denver costs $12 per person, $6 for kids and $9 for seniors. Individual tickets may be purchased on-board, online or through Bustang’s mobile app.
Multi-ticket packs are also available for purchase at www.ridebustang.com. Inter-route tickets are also available for those seeking to head west to Vail or Glenwood Springs.
Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.