Colt Awarded a $3.9 Million Federal Grant to Construct Transit Center Building  

The City of Loveland Transit (COLT) has been awarded a $3.9 million federal grant to construct a permanent building at the Transit Center located at 350 W. 37th St.  The funds will go toward the final design and construction of the Transit Center building that will serve local and regional routes. This permanent facility will be beneficial to local and regional transportation by: 

·         Serving as a regional transit hub for north and south mobility along the highly traveled US 287 corridor.  

·         Adding customer service staff on-site. Currently, that service is provided at a facility that is not connected to a bus route.   

·         Offering indoor bathroom facilities, waiting areas, additional security cameras, lighting, language assistance, and real-time announcement and information.    

“COLT has applied for grants five times since 2017 to pursue the location and building of the Transit Center,” said Transit Manager Candice Folkers. “In 2022, we acquired funding for Phase 1 of the Transit Center and completed construction in December 2023. The Federal Transportation Administration funding allows us to bring Loveland’s first Transit Center building to life after seven years in the making.” 

In January, COLT celebrated the groundbreaking of the location’s new North Transfer Center. Previously, COLT was leasing a parking lot at from the Food Bank of Larimer County at 2600 N. Lincoln Ave. The location was moved in December 2023 to the new Loveland Transit Center at 350 W. 37^th St.   

The Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program provides federal funding for transit agencies to buy and rehabilitate buses and vans and build and modernize bus facilities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides nearly $2 billion through 2026 for the program. For fiscal year 2024, approximately $390 million for grants was available under this program.  

With funding secured, design will begin in February, and construction will follow, with an estimated completion date of March 2026.  

About COLT 

COLT currently provides a base network comprised of seven fixed bus routes. Service frequency ranges from 30 to 60 minutes, including increased frequency during the morning that assists commuters and transit-dependent students. COLT services 165 bus stops that place 86% of residences and 68% of businesses within a 1/4 mile of a bus stop. The service operates Monday through Friday from 6:38 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. and Saturday from 8:38 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. COLT directly operates fixed-route service and contracts for complementary paratransit service. The complementary paratransit service, called Dial-A-Ride (DAR), operates Monday through Saturday during the same hours as the fixed-route service. COLT serves approximately 90,000 rides to and from Loveland each year. Additionally, COLT is now regionally connected with the City of Greeley and the Town of Windsor’s GET transit route. For more information, visit wlovgov.org/COLT.  

Project Funding 

Phase 2 of the Loveland Transit Center will be fully funded through FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program. Phase 1 construction of the Transit Center was completed in December 2023.