State officials say a new “Bustang” bus connection to Denver is going well. The Colorado Department of Transportation, or CDOT, rolled out the uniquely named service in July, offering one round trip from Glenwood Springs to Denver each weekday. Tickets are $28 dollars one way.
“People took to the service rather quickly,” says CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson, “and last count we’re averaging about 60 passengers a day.” That’s out of a possible 100 customers, a ridership rate that’s about the same for the similarly new Bustang lines on the Front Range.
Wilson says that’s a success so far, but CDOT expects ridership to keep growing. Summer is traditionally slow for public transportation, and it can take some months for potential customers to adjust to a new service.
CDOT is analyzing whether to extend the Bustang line to Rifle or Grand Junction. The agency may add weekends or expand weekday options. The connection from Glenwood Springs has, so far, cost about $1.2 million.
