The Colorado Department of Transportation's Bustang Outrider is updating its service schedule next month, including adding a second daily round trip on its Crested Butte to Denver route. Adding another trip will provide passengers with another option on Outrider’s busiest route.
“Our Crested Butte to Denver route is consistently one of Outrider’s most popular, averaging nearly 800 passengers every month,” said Paul DesRocher, director of CDOT’s Division of Transit and Rail. “After carefully assessing the needs of our riders, and coordinating with our statewide partners, we determined that adding another roundtrip was essential if we were going to provide passengers with the best service possible.”
The partnership includes funding from Gunnison and Chaffee counties, with each one providing an annual cash match, allowing for the second round trip.
“We are excited to see the expansion of service between our valley and the rest of the state,” said Scott Truex, executive director of the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority. “This service will provide better connections across the statewide rural transit system and enough capacity to meet the needs of passengers along the route. We are grateful for CDOT and Chaffee County’s efforts to improve this service and look forward to our continued partnership.”
"After hearing from several constituents who were unable to use the Bustang service because buses were already full by the time they reached our local stops, we contacted CDOT about possibly expanding the Outrider service in Chaffee County. That led to an agreement to expand the service,” said Chaffee County Commissioner Gina Lucrezi. “Chaffee County is committed to continued advocacy for expanded local and regional transit for our community members and visitors and we are grateful to CDOT for their responsiveness to our region's transit needs."
Another service change is the discontinuation of the Telluride-Grand Junction route due to low passenger usage. However, daily service continues along the same route via the Durango-Grand Junction line, which stops in the same cities and towns previously served by the Telluride-Grand Junction route.
Additionally, the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation is starting new transit service between Montrose and Telluride on Feb. 17, 2025. SMART will be providing information on specific stops in the near future.
(Source: Colorado Department of Transportation)
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