Ride Bustang? Get Ready For SnowStang Stopping At Popular Winter Destinations
FRISCO, Colo. (CBS4)- Have you tried Bustang lately? The Colorado Department of Transportation bus service is breaking their own ridership goals and adding new routes to some of your favorite destinations in the state.
CDOT will also roll out the SnowStang, which will bring skiers and boarder directly to Arapahoe Basin and Loveland, possibly other resorts, too. All of this in an effort to get more cars off the busy mountain corridor. People who are already using the service say it's making a big difference.
"Having a way to be able to get to Denver without having to rely on your own vehicle, I think is a substantial benefit to counties like Summit County, and cities like Dillon, Breckenridge and Vail," Bustang frequent rider Richard Weight told CBS4's Matt Kroschel on Monday.
Bustang recorded more than 238,000 riders last year, more than doubling the total rides they saw when they launched the service four years ago.
"It's inexpensive and it's comfortable, it's a great way to be able to get to Denver," Weight says. "You can take a little nap on the way down or you can get some work done because there's Wi-Fi on the bus… it's really awesome."
Popular routes to the mountains continue to beat the rider goals transportation officials had anticipated and now they are expanding again.
A weekend pilot route to be launched in the fall from Denver to Estes Park and the popular Rocky Mountain National Park, along with services to Pueblo and more buses along the Interstate 70 corridor in December, should help cut back on the number of cars on Colorado's congested roadways.
"If you live in Denver and you're going to have to fight the traffic, why not sit on a comfortable bus and hang out with your friends?" Weight added.
The weekend SnowStang promises to help cut back on the weekend ski traffic gridlock and that something residents and visitors agree is a move in the right direction.
Earlier this year, CBS4's Matt Kroschel reported on the driver shortage Bustang and other transportation companies were finding due to the strong economy. CDOT says right now they are fully staffed, but they are always looking to recruit more drivers for these expanded routes.
Besides a place to buy tickets, the JustRide Bustang app also has the latest schedules.