Bumper to Bumper: Transportation prices reduced

The first month of Zero Fare for Better Air has passed, but the program will continue through August. All Regional Transportation District (RTD) rides for buses and trains will continue to be free until Sept. 1.

The RTD board of directors decided at the July 25 meeting to reduce the price of tickets after August. Regular fare for local buses will be $2.75 while the discount price (for seniors, for example) will be $1.35. Fares for youths (age 19 and under) will be zero for a year, beginning in September. Pass programs for employers and organizations will be simplified.

“With the Board of Directors’ approval of this new fare structure, RTD is removing barriers to transit access and reconciling longstanding concerns from customers and the community regarding the high cost and complexity of fares currently in place,” RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson said.

Another fare-reduction change was announced on July 25 by the administration of Governor Jared Polis temporarily cutting the fares for the Bustang public transportation service in half.

The new pricing will be in place through the end of September. Bustang is a regional bus service that is operated by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) with routes between Denver and Fort Collins, the Denver Tech Center, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction. Bustang also operates within much of the rural areas of Colorado.