The Colorado Department of Transportation’s western slope Bustang Outrider is changing its service schedule next month to add some trips and remove some.

Beginning Feb. 1, the Crested Butte-to-Denver route will add a second daily round trip to accommodate more passengers. Eastbound trips: Departs Crested Butte at 5:15 a.m. arrives Denver Union Station at 11:10 a.m.; departs Crested Butte at 1:15 p.m. Arrives Denver Union Station at 7 p.m. Westbound trips: Departs Denver Union Station at 6:30 a.m. arrives Crested Butte at 12:30 p.m.; departs Denver Union Station at 1:45 p.m. Arrives Crested Butte at 7:35 p.m.

“Our Crested Butte to Denver route is consistently one of Outrider’s most popular, averaging nearly 800 passengers every month,” said Paul DesRocher, director of CDOT’s Division of Transit and Rail, in a news release. “After carefully assessing the needs of our riders, and coordinating with our statewide partners, we determined that adding another roundtrip was essential if we were going to provide passengers with the best service possible.”

The partnership includes funding from Gunnison and Chaffee counties, with each one providing an annual cash match, allowing for the second roundtrip, said CDOT.

Chaffee County Commissioner Gina Lucrezi said constituents were upset that by the time the bus arrived at local stops it was already full.

“We are excited to see the expansion of service between our valley and the rest of the state,” said Scott Truex, executive director of the Gunnison Valley Regional Transportation Authority. “This service will provide better connections across the statewide rural transit system and enough capacity to meet the needs of passengers along the route. We are grateful for CDOT and Chaffee County’s efforts to improve this service and look forward to our continued partnership.”

The Bustang Outrider service between Telluride and Grand Junction is being discontinued due to low ridership. However, riders can catch the Durango to Grand Junction bus, which uses the same route and stops in the same towns along the route.

CDOT said that the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is starting new transit service between Montrose and Telluride on Feb. 17, 2025. SMART will be providing information on specific stops soon.

“Adjusting these Western Slope routes will better streamline service for our passengers,” added DesRocher. “We closely monitored ridership patterns for an extended period and realized that the vast majority of passengers are traveling on the Durango—Grand Junction route.”

Follow service alerts on X and Facebook @RideOutrider, and on Instagram @RideBustang. Riders can purchase tickets through the Bustang Outrider mobile app that is available to download from Google Play and the App Store or pay when boarding the bus using cash only (exact change is required). Passengers can purchase tickets on all buses from each Park-n-Ride that Bustang Outrider serves. To sign up for Outrider text alerts, visit RideBustang.com/Text-Outrider or text “OUTRIDER” to 833-711-0252.

Outrider provides alternative transportation for travel between rural communities and the state’s larger cities and towns. It includes collaborating with local transit agencies to ensure Coloradans get reliable bus service, convenient connections and consistent fares, according to the news release. Outrider currently serves seven routes: Alamosa — Pueblo, Trinidad — Pueblo, Craig — Denver, Crested Butte — Denver, Durango — Grand Junction, Lamar — Colorado Springs, and Sterling —Greeley/Sterling — Denver.

For more information on Colorado roads, highways and interstates download the COtrip app.

The free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download.