New Routes Added to Move People More Efficiently
It is no secret that the Denver Metro Area has seen exponential population growth in recent years. In fact, according to our friends and partners at the Denver Metro Chamber, “Denver’s growth rate has consistently outpaced the national rate every decade since the 1930s.” Denver and the surrounding suburbs currently have a population of around 3.2 million people – by 2030, the population is expected to be around 3.6 people – imagine the entire city of Tulsa, Oklahoma picking up and moving to Denver.
Many choose to live farther from their place of work for various reasons, including a larger home for a more affordable price point (“better bang for your buck”); more green space; cleaner air; higher-rated schools; and a bit more peace and quiet. However, there is a trade-off for these benefits: a longer, more expensive commute. So, if you live 15 miles or more from your place of employment or represent an employer with a spread-out workforce, this blog is for you.
The Denver Regional Council of Governments’ (DRCOG) Way to Go Program and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) work diligently to address these issues while still maintaining our famous quality of life. Recently, Way to Go released a new campaign that encourages people to “get with the times” and leave their car at home instead of sitting in traffic. Denver South, as an economic development organization (EDO) and transportation management association (TMA), partners with DRCOG and CDOT to provide solutions directly to employers within the area – namely through regional connection options.
CDOT’s Bustang Service:
Bustang is CDOT’s Interregional Express (IX) bus service which connects commuters along the I-25 Front Range and I-70 Mountain Corridors. By linking major local transit systems together, the Bustang service responds to demand from the traveling public to have a reliable transit alternative along the highest traveled corridors in the state.
These big purple busses offer excellent service for commuters traveling through the I-25 GAP Construction Project. With these improvements, patience is a must, as travel times can be longer during construction. With wi-fi, bathrooms, and comfortable seats, commuters can read, relax, sleep, or turn commute time into productive time instead of focusing on the road (and other drivers). Let someone else do the driving for you. You will not only save thousands of dollars per year (see below) in commute costs, you will also reduce your overall stress – which improves mental and physical health.
Bustang has attended several transit fairs and open houses with Denver South employers since new stops expanded service in the region. With new service options, Bustang runs six busses between Colorado Springs and Denver every weekday and two on the weekends. They also operate routes to Lamar, Alamosa, Craig, Durango, Gunnison, and the popular Snowstang which serves Loveland Ski Area, Arapahoe Basin, and Steamboat Springs.
Here is a full map of CDOT’s Bustang Routes:
Way to Go Vanpool
The Way to Go Vanpool service is operated exclusively by Commute by Enterprise. This service is designed specifically for people (groups of at least five or more) who live 20+ miles away from their place of work. Unlike Bustang, which has set schedules, vanpool has flexibility because it can take commuters from home to work [almost] door-to-door. However, vanpool requires a monthly contract between the riders and Way to Go. It is for this reason, vanpool is geared more toward commuters who commute consistently throughout the week versus Bustang which can be used occasionally.
It is important to note that pricing is incentivized through a generous subsidy from the Regional Transportation District (RTD) because vanpools can connect commuters to work where RTD may have little to no services available.
While “van” is in the name – Way to Go offers a variety of vehicles from mini-vans to SUVs to give commuters flexibility.
Denver South supports commuters and organizations to form long-lasting vanpools in the region through several free services like employee surveys, employee zip code heat maps or anonymous dot maps, and lunch-n-learns to introduce employees to the program.
If you are interested in starting or joining a van for yourself or through your employer, please contact Evan Gatseos at Denver South.
For Denver South, the goal is to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality; for employers it is to improve employee recruitment and retention and benefit their bottom line; and for employees/commuters, it is important to reduce the overall cost of commuting.
Below demonstrates some of the savings commuters can achieve by using either Bustang or Way to Go Vanpool:
Whether through Enterprise Vanpool or CDOT’s Bustang service, the commute from Colorado Springs/Monument to Denver South does not need to be as stressful or expensive. If you (or your organization) know many employees commuting from the Colorado Springs/Monument area – please reach out to Evangelos Gatseos for more information.
