Fort Collins riders should check routes as redesigned bus network begins Monday
By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Fort Collins bus riders will see significant changes to Transfort service beginning Monday, Aug. 17, as the city implements a redesigned transit network aimed at improving frequency, reliability and connections along key corridors.
The changes are part of the City of Fort Collins’ Transfort Optimization Plan, developed in response to changing ridership patterns, community feedback and the increasing cost of providing transit service.
For regular riders, the new network could mean changes to routes, stops, transfer points, or departure times. Transfort is encouraging passengers to review updated schedules before traveling.
More Frequent Service on Key Routes
One of the most noticeable changes will be along the MAX corridor. Under the optimized network, MAX will operate every 15 minutes throughout the day.
Routes 5, 9 and 14 are planned for 30-minute service during peak periods and 60-minute service during off-peak hours, while Route 8 will operate every 20 minutes.
The redesigned system also includes route realignments and new service intended to strengthen connections along major travel corridors and to destinations including Colorado State University.
Routes 10, 11 and 12, which have already been suspended, are being formally removed from the Transfort network.
Some additional route changes requiring significant realignment or new bus stops are anticipated in 2027.
Sunday Service Eliminated
The new network will not include Sunday fixed-route bus service, one of the more significant changes for riders who depend on Transfort seven days a week.
Changes are also coming to Dial-A-Ride and related services. Rather than detailing those changes individually, riders who use the service can review upcoming service-area and rate changes on Transfort’s Dial-A-Ride website.
Rising Costs Shape Transit Network
The optimization comes as Fort Collins faces a widening gap between the transit service residents want and the funding available to provide it.
According to the city, restoring Transfort to its 2019 level of service would require approximately $3 million in additional annual funding because of increased staffing, fuel, and maintenance costs.
Fully implementing the city’s Transit Master Plan by 2040 would require approximately $15 million more annually. Even with a quarter-cent sales tax generating about $5 million per year for transit, the city estimates it faces a roughly $13 million annual funding gap to provide the full level of service envisioned in the plan.
Those financial constraints helped shape the optimization effort, which focuses available resources on routes and corridors where the city believes they can provide the greatest benefit.
Riders Prioritized Frequency
Community input also influenced the redesigned network.
During the planning process, residents identified more frequent service as a priority, even when presented with the tradeoff of serving fewer areas. Feedback also emphasized simpler routes, improved reliability, and stronger connections to schools, CSU, Front Range Community College, and other destinations.
The resulting network moves Transfort toward a more streamlined, grid-based system while concentrating service on higher-demand corridors.
Check Your Route Before Monday
With the changes beginning Aug. 17, riders should check their usual route even if they have used the same bus and stop for years.
Updated route maps and schedules are available through Transfort Routes and Schedules. Additional information about the network redesign is available through the City of Fort Collins Transfort Optimization Plan.
Source: City of Fort Collins / Transfort
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