Bustang
{{Short description|Public intercity bus service in Colorado}}
{{Infobox bus company
|name = Bustang
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| image = Bustang and Rattlesnake Butte.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| image_caption = Bustang bus headed northbound on I-25 approaching Larkspur, Colorado.
| company_slogan =
| parent = Colorado Department of Transportation
| founded =
| commenced = July 13, 2015{{cite news | url=https://www.denverpost.com/2015/04/15/cdots-statewide-bustang-service-to-start-july-13/ | title= CDOT's statewide Bustang service to start July 13 | work=The Denver Post | date=April 15, 2015 | author=Whaley, Monte}}
| ceased =
| defunct =
| headquarters =
| locale = Colorado
| service_area =
| service_type = intercity transportation
| routes =
| stops =
| destinations = Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Durango, Gunnison, Alamosa, Pueblo, Lamar, Craig, Fairplay and others.
| hubs =
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| lounge =
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| fleet =
| ridership = {{American transit ridership|CO State total daily}} ({{American transit ridership|dailydate}}){{American transit ridership|dailycitation}}
| annual_ridership = {{American transit ridership|CO State total annual}} ({{American transit ridership|annualdate}}){{American transit ridership|annualcitation}}
| fuel_type =
| operator = {{Collapsible list
| title = 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)
}}
| alliance = Greyhound Lines
| ceo =
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| website = {{URL|https://ridebustang.com}}
| map =
| map_name =
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}}
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.{{cite news | url=https://www.codot.gov/news/2015-news-releases/04-2015/dot-announces-service-start-date-for-bustangtm | title= DOT Announces Service Start Date for Bustang™ | work=CDOT | date=April 15, 2015}} Capital costs are paid for from various state and federal sources, and operating costs are covered 60% by fares.{{cite web |url=https://www.cpr.org/2019/06/25/bustangs-success-might-just-pave-the-way-for-cdots-front-range-train-dreams/ |title=A Former Critic Gets On The Bus |last=Hill |first=Jim |date=2019-06-25 |publisher=Colorado Public Radio |access-date=2024-06-22}} In {{American transit ridership|annualdate}}, the system had a ridership of {{American transit ridership|CO State total annual}}, or about {{American transit ridership|CO State total daily}} per weekday as of {{American transit ridership|dailydateasof}}.
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.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/earth_to_power/2016/07/cdots-statewide-bus-service-bustang-more-popular.html | title= Bustang, Colorado's statewide bus service, gallops to big rider numbers | work=Denver Business Journal | date=July 12, 2016 | access-date=26 November 2019 | first=Cathy |last=Proctor}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Stice |first1=Alice |title=Bustang fills demand for weekend route |url=https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2017/09/04/bustang-addresses-demand-weekend-service-fort-collins-denver/625986001/ |work=Coloradoan |date=September 4, 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.{{cite news | url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/local-officials-want-cdots-bustang-bus-service-expanded | title= Local officials want CDOT's Bustang bus service expanded | work=The Denver Channel | date=October 27, 2017| access-date=26 November 2019 | last=Kovaleski |first=Jennifer}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Heide |first1=Ruth |title=New bus line begins service |url=https://alamosanews.com/article/new-bus-line-begins-service |agency=Alamosa News |date=May 2, 2018}} Later that summer the West Line was extended to Grand Junction, with hopes that the route would hit 15,000 annual passengers.{{cite news |last1=Ashby |first1=Charles |title=Bustang service to Grand Junction begins today |url=https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/bustang-service-to-grand-junction-begins-today/article_6224fb80-7b5b-11e8-a081-10604b9f7e7c.html |work=The Daily Sentinel |date=June 29, 2018}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Aguilar |first1=John |title=Bustang to launch new long-haul bus service this weekend between Grand Junction, Durango |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2018/06/28/bustang-bus-service-gunnison-valley/ |agency=The Denver Post |date=June 28, 2018}} In December 2018, an additional route between Colorado Springs and the Denver Tech Center was started.{{cite news |last1=Case |first1=Angela |title=Bustang adds service between Colorado Springs and Denver Tech Center |url=https://www.fox21news.com/news/local/bustang-adds-service-between-colorado-springs-and-denver-tech-center/ |agency=Fox21News |date=December 13, 2018}} Total ridership from July 2017 to June 2018 reached 194,064.{{cite web |title=Preformence Plan |url=https://www.codot.gov/business/process-improvement/assets/cdot-2019-2020-performance-plan-final.pdf |website=Colorado Department of Transportation |publisher=CDOT}}
In 2019, there was pressure to further expand capacity, but a shortage of drivers needed to be addressed.{{cite news | url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/02/24/bustang-driver-shortage-ridership-cdot/ | title= Bustang popularity continues to climb in Colorado as driver shortage intensifies | work=The Denver Post | date=February 24, 2019 | author=Aguilar, John}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Curley |first1=Caitlin |title=Bustang route from Denver to Estes Park to begin this month |url=https://gazette.com/news/bustang-route-from-denver-to-estes-park-to-begin-this/article_61f88013-ce0e-51f0-94fd-07876bbc40a1.html |agency=Gazette |date=August 15, 2019}} A new bus line dubbed "Snowstang" was announced in December 2019.{{cite news |last1=Woodruff |first1=Chase |title=Polis, CDOT Unveil "Snowstang" Bus, an Answer to I-70 Ski Traffic |url=https://www.westword.com/news/jared-polis-cdot-unveil-snowstang-bus-an-answer-to-i-70-ski-traffic-11561058 |publisher=Westworld |date=December 4, 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.{{cite web |title=New Service connecting Craig and Denver |date=December 23, 2020 |url=https://ridebustang.com/new-service-conecting-craig-and-denver/ |website=Ride Bustang |publisher=CDOT}}
In 2023, a new route began operating between Trinidad and Pueblo, with stops in Colorado City, Walsenburg and Aguilar.{{cite news |last=Bartolo |first=James |date=March 23, 2023 |title=CDOT launches Trinidad to Pueblo Bustang Outrider route with a month of free rides |url=https://www.chieftain.com/story/news/2023/03/23/pueblo-and-trinidad-part-of-newest-bustang-outrider-route/70037299007/ |work=The Pueblo Chieftain |location= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323163110/https://www.chieftain.com/story/news/2023/03/23/pueblo-and-trinidad-part-of-newest-bustang-outrider-route/70037299007/|archive-date=March 23, 2023 |access-date=March 26, 2023}}
On March 1, 2024, Bustang discontinued the Denver Tech Center route due to low ridership.{{cite news|last1=Hulting|first1=Aidan|last2=Soukup|first2=Abby|date=February 21, 2024|title=Bustang to discontinue route between Denver Tech Center and Colorado Springs on March 1|url=https://www.denver7.com/news/state-news/bustang-to-discontinue-colorado-springs-to-denver-tech-center-route-on-march-1|work=Denver7|access-date=March 5, 2024}}
Services
= List of routes =
The table below shows each Bustang route. Stops in italics are flag stops.
{{notelist|refs=
{{efn|name=broncos|While ridership numbers for the individual Bustang to Broncos routes are not available, the combined ridership for both routes was 1,965 in 2022.}}
{{efn|name=snowstang|Ridership numbers for Snowstang routes are for December 2022–January 2023.}}
}}
== Discontinued routes ==
| class="sortable wikitable" |
| Route Name
! Service ! Northern/Western Terminus ! Stops en route ! Southern/Eastern Terminus ! Frequency ! Seasonality ! Launch ! Discontinued ! References |
|---|
| Denver Tech Center
| Bustang | Various stops in the Denver Tech Center, Arapahoe at Village Center station, Monument | Daily (weekdays) | Year-round | {{Date table sorting|2018|12|17}} | {{Date table sorting|2024|03|01}} | {{Cite web|title=Denver Tech Center (DTC) Schedules|url=https://ridebustang.com/bustang/schedules/dtc/|publisher=Colorado Department of Transportation|access-date=October 2, 2023}} |
| Telluride–Grand Junction
| Outrider | Grand Junction Regional Airport | Downtown Grand Junction, Delta, Olathe, Montrose, Ridgway, Placerville | Montrose or Telluride{{efn|One trip each day runs between the garage at Montrose and Telluride.}} | Twice daily (weekdays) | Year-round | {{Date table sorting|2018|06|30}} | {{Date table sorting|2025|02|01}} | {{Cite web|title=Telluride – Grand Junction Schedules|url=https://ridebustang.com/outrider/schedules/telluride-grand-junction/|publisher=Colorado Department of Transportation|access-date=October 2, 2023}} |
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.{{Cite web|last=Van Dyne|first=Jessica|date=July 17, 2023|title=Bustang bus blows red light, causes crash in Colorado Springs: Police|url=https://gazette.com/news/traffic/bustang-bus-blows-red-light-causes-crash-in-colorado-springs-police/article_a7e80c98-24a7-11ee-b419-0fdf82493ac2.html|work=The Gazette|access-date=October 2, 2023}}{{Cite news|last1=Grewe|first1=Lindsey|last2=Hansen|first2=Spencer|date=July 17, 2023|title=Bus driver cited after causing crash in downtown Colorado Springs|url=https://www.kktv.com/2023/07/17/rollover-middle-downtown-colorado-springs/|work=KKTV|access-date=October 2, 2023}}
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://ridebustang.com/ Official website]
- [https://www.codot.gov/travel/bustang/ Bustang webpage] on CODOT.gov
{{Colorado public transit}}
Category:Transportation companies of the United States
Category:Intercity bus companies of the United States