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. Capital costs are paid for from various state and federal sources, and operating costs are covered 60% by fares. In 2025, the system had a ridership of approximately 351,000.
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. 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. 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. 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. Later that summer the West Line was extended to Grand Junction, with hopes that the route would hit 15,000 annual passengers. 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. In December 2018, an additional route between Colorado Springs and the Denver Tech Center was started. Total ridership from July 2017 to June 2018 reached 194,064.
In 2019, there was pressure to further expand capacity, but a shortage of drivers needed to be addressed. 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. A new bus line dubbed "Snowstang" was announced in December 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.
In 2023, a new route began operating between Trinidad and Pueblo, with stops in Colorado City, Walsenburg and Aguilar.
On March 1, 2024, Bustang discontinued the Denver Tech Center route due to low ridership.
Services
List of routes
The table below shows each Bustang route. Stops in italics are flag stops.
Route Name Service Northern/Western Terminus Stops en route Southern/Eastern Terminus Frequency Seasonality Launch Ridership (2022) References North Line Bustang Fort Collins Loveland, Berthoud, Firestone/Longmont Denver Union Station 12 times daily (weekdays)6 times daily (weekend) Year-round 48,652 West Line Bustang Glenwood Springs or Grand Junction Parachute, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Avon, Vail, Frisco, Idaho Springs, Federal Center station Denver Union Station 15 times daily Year-round 84,352 South Line Bustang Denver Union Station Colorado station, Sky Ridge station, Monument Colorado Springs 12 times daily (weekdays)6 times daily (weekend) Year-round 35,068 Denver–Avon Pegasus Avon Vail, Frisco, Idaho Springs, Federal Center station Denver Union Station 6 times daily (weekdays)10 times daily (weekend) Year-round 7,832 Alamosa–Pueblo Outrider Alamosa Alamosa East, Moffat, Poncha Springs, Salida, Cotopaxi, Penrose, Pueblo West Pueblo Daily Year-round 3,010 Craig–Denver Outrider Craig Hayden, Milner, Steamboat Springs, Muddy Pass, Kremmling, Parshall, Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby, Tabernash, Fraser, Winter Park, Empire, Idaho Springs, Federal Center station Denver Union Station Daily Year-round 8,184 Crested Butte–Denver Outrider Crested Butte Almont, Gunnison, Monarch Mountain, Salida, Buena Vista, Fairplay, Pine Junction Denver Union Station Daily Monarch Mountain served December–April 14,669 Durango–Grand Junction Outrider Grand Junction Regional Airport Downtown Grand Junction, Delta, Olathe, Montrose, Ridgway, Placerville, Telluride, Rico, Dolores, Cortez, Mancos, Durango Bayfield Daily Year-round 4,486 Lamar–Colorado Springs Outrider Colorado Springs Fountain, Pueblo, Fowler, Manzanola, Rocky Ford, Swink, La Junta, Las Animas, Fort Lyon Lamar Daily Year-round 3,398 Sterling–Denver Outrider Denver Union Station Denver Airport station, Keenesburg, Wiggins, Fort Morgan, Brush, Sterling Daily Year-round 7 Trinidad–Pueblo Outrider Pueblo Colorado City, Walsenburg, Aguilar Trinidad Twice daily (weekdays) Year-round — RamsRoute Seasonal Fort Collins Colorado State University, Loveland, Berthoud, Firestone/Longmont, Westminster, Denver Union Station Arapahoe at Village Center station Weekly CSU Fall and Spring semesters — Bustang to Broncos Seasonal Fort Collins Loveland Empower Field at Mile High Daily (Denver Broncos home games) NFL season — Bustang to Broncos–South Seasonal Empower Field at Mile High Monument Colorado Springs Daily (Denver Broncos home games) NFL season — Bustang to Estes Seasonal Rocky Mountain National Park Estes Park, Lyons, Boulder, Broomfield, Westminster Denver Union Station Twice daily (weekends) May–October — Arapahoe Basin Snowstang Arapahoe Basin Golden, Federal Center station Denver Union Station Daily (weekends) December–May 524 Copper Mountain Snowstang Copper Mountain Golden, Federal Center station Denver Union Station Daily (weekends) December–May 883 Loveland Ski Area Snowstang Loveland Ski Area Golden, Federal Center station Denver Union Station Daily (weekends) December–May 623 Steamboat Springs Snowstang Steamboat Springs Golden, Federal Center station Denver Union Station Daily (weekends) December–May 170 Breckenridge Snowstang Breckenridge Golden, Federal Center station Denver Union Station Daily (weekends) December–May 818
Discontinued routes Route Name Service Northern/Western Terminus Stops en route Southern/Eastern Terminus Frequency Seasonality Launch Discontinued References Denver Tech Center Bustang Belleview station Various stops in the Denver Tech Center, Arapahoe at Village Center station, Monument Colorado Springs Daily (weekdays) Year-round Telluride–Grand Junction Outrider Grand Junction Regional Airport Downtown Grand Junction, Delta, Olathe, Montrose, Ridgway, Placerville Montrose or Telluride Twice daily (weekdays) Year-round Sterling–Greeley Outrider Greeley Kersey, Wiggins, Fort Morgan, Brush Sterling Three times weekly Year-round
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.
See also Intercity buses in the United States Front Range Express (FREX)
Notes
References
External links
Official website Bustang webpage on CODOT.gov