DENVER — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is now serving passengers traveling between northwestern Colorado and Denver with its Bustang bus service.
While the service started on Jan. 1 using Greyhound buses, the Bustang Outrider route between Craig and Denver is ready to use CDOT's coaches.
“We wanted to get this line up and running through northwestern Colorado as soon as possible so we decided it was best to partner with Greyhound and have them use their buses on an interim basis while we focused on getting our new Outrider coaches ready for service,” said Mike Timlin, interim director of the CDOT’s Division of Transit and Rail. “Passengers are now boarding our black and teal buses.”
> Above video: Colorado’s 2nd all-electric school bus in Kremmling.
The route, connecting Craig and Denver via U.S. 40 and Interstate 70, features regularly-scheduled stops in Hayden, Steamboat Springs, Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby, Tabernash, Fraser, Winter Park, Idaho Springs, the Denver Federal Center and Denver Union Station.
CDOT said the northwestern Colorado route also includes a number of flag stops, where the bus stops only when a passenger is waiting for, or requests to be dropped off at, a designated location. Flag stops are located in Milner, at the CO 14 junction (Muddy Pass), Parshall and Empire.
The Bustang Outrider coaches are equipped with a restroom, bike racks, free WiFi (where available), power outlets and USB ports.
While each Outrider coach seats 38, buses are limited to 19 passengers with COVID precautions. Other precautions include daily enhanced cleaning and sanitizing on all buses, required face masks for drivers and passengers, supplied face masks, latex gloves and personal hand sanitizers on all buses, and blocked seats onboard to ensure proper social distancing, according to CDOT.
The Denver-to-Craig route operates seven days a week, including holidays. Fares are priced at 17 cents per mile:
- Craig-Hayden ($3)
- Craig-Union Station ($34)
- Steamboat Springs-Union Station ($27)
- Granby-Union Station ($13)
Additional information on purchasing tickets for all stops is available at ridebustang.com.
CDOT plans additional Bustang Outrider routes in 2021:
- Telluride-Grand Junction
- Sterling-Greeley & Denver
- Trinidad-Pueblo
Current Bustang Outrider routes:
- Gunnison-Denver
- Alamosa-Pueblo
- Lamar-Colorado Springs
- Durango-Grand Junction
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