More people are riding Colorado’s Bustang buses between cities, especially along Interstates 25 and 70 — eight times as many as when the service began a decade ago and triple the number in 2019, the latest state records show. The Colorado Department of Transportation’s distance-based Bustang f ares from Denver Union Station range from $10 for the ride to downtown Fort Collins, to $12 to Colorado Springs, $28 to Glenwood Springs, and $43 to Grand Junction. But CDOT officials are scrambling to keep Bustangs running after 2027. A one-time $30 million investment from state lawmakers for an experimental service expansion runs out this summer. The fares bring $4.5 million a year. The service costs $50 million. Ridership demonstrates the appeal of affordable, reliable bus alternatives to driving, Paul DesRocher, CDOT’s director of transit and rail, said. “If you make transit more convenient by adding more service, more opportunities to use it, then people will follow. If you build it, they will come.” Beyond the economic and environmental benefits of bus transit, riders gain mental peace from “not having to deal with daily traffic,” DesRocher said. “You’re able to sit back and not deal with any of that, able to surf your smartphone, or work, or read a book,” he said. “We’re hoping we can maintain this level of service and potentially grow it.” Bustangs along the primary I-25 and I-70 routes run as frequently as every 45 minutes. Longer routes, such as the one linking Denver with Crested Butte, and rural “Outrider” Bustangs run once or twice a day. On Tuesday, CDOT restored a stop in Cañon City, the second largest city on the Pueblo-Alamosa route. The riders get Wi-Fi, bathrooms, bike racks,110-volt outlets, USB charging stations, and reclining high-back seats. The buses, with wheelchair lifts, can carry up to 50 passengers. Statewide Bustang ridership increased to 385,248 in 2025, up 24% from 2024, state data show. That’s 8.7 times as many riders as the 44,175 when CDOT launched Bustang in 2015 and more than triple the 118,015 riders before the pandemic in 2019, the data show. This week, CDOT leaders, state transportation commissioners, and the director of the Colorado Transportation Investment Office, the agency’s for-profit enterprise branch, began brainstorming possible solutions. Related Articles RTD plans to cut jobs to help cover budget deficit Colorado weather: Strong winds create hazardous driving, fire conditions in southern part of state Colorado windstorm causes fatal I-25 pileup crash, fuels Eastern Plains wildfire Pedestrian struck and killed by RTD A Line train in northeast Denver Five Points wants better mass transit — even if it means losing RTD light rail They’re considering revenues from tolled express lanes and Colorado’s fee on rental cars. They’re also planning to ask for more support from state lawmakers. “Can we afford to maintain this service? Or do we just have to cut it back?” Commissioner Hannah Parsons said in a workshop discussion. CDOT officials are planning to reallocate agency funds to maintain existing routes through 2027 while searching for a longterm financial solution. Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter. ...read more read less