The Colorado Department of Transportation reactivated its seasonal Snowstang express bus service in December 2024, which connects Denver to four of the state’s most popular winter destinations along the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
[Above photo by Colorado DOT]
The agency said its Snowstang service – operated by Ace Express Coaches of Golden, CO – travels roundtrip to Arapahoe Basin, the Town of Breckenridge and Breckenridge Ski Resort, Copper Mountain, and Loveland Ski Area every Saturday, Sunday and holiday Mondays through early May 2025.
All routes board at Denver Union Station, RTD’s Federal Center Station in Lakewood, and at the Wooly Mammoth Park-n-Ride’s upper lot at the I-70 – Morrison/Red Rocks interchange.
“Snowstang is a great option if you love to hit the slopes or engage in other resort activities but would rather leave the driving to someone else,” said Shoshana Lew, Colorado DOT’s executive director, in a statement. “It’s a testament to its cost-effectiveness and convenience that our passenger numbers continue to increase.”
Originally launched in 2019, each Snowstang coach provides seating for 51 passengers, is climate controlled and has luggage bays, Wi-Fi, a restroom and USB and power outlets.
Concurrently, the agency also added a new route to its Bustang Outrider Sterling service to and from Denver International Airport.
The Sterling to Denver route runs Monday through Friday and stops at Gate 1 of the airport’s Hotel Transit Center, near the RTD’s A Line train and other bus stops and has quick access to the main terminal.
“The new stop fills a transportation gap for more than 400,000 northeast Colorado residents,” said Paul DesRocher, director of Colorado DOT’s Division of Transit and Rail, in a separate statement. “We’re excited about this partnership and that we can now provide an alternative way to travel to and from the airport.”
Those are the latest efforts by the agency to enhance its transit services in several ways.
For example, in November 2024, the agency hosted an event celebrating the opening of three new mobility hubs along I-25 between the cities of Longmont and Loveland.
Colorado DOT noted at the time that such mobility hubs are places where multiple modes of transportation – cars, regional bus services, bicycles, pedestrians, and public transportation services, among others – seamlessly integrate to allow for quick “mode-to-mode” and “route-to-route” transitions, while enhancing the efficiency of first- and last-mile connections.
Additionally, in November 2023, the agency launched a new Bus Rapid Transit or BRT program for the Denver region.
Colorado DOT said at the time that it is planning, designing, and building BRT routes on sections of Federal Boulevard, Colorado Boulevard and eventually Colfax Avenue east of I-225 in the Denver region. BRT work is also underway on CO 119/Diagonal Highway in Boulder County, and future rapid transit service is being planned on CO 7/Arapahoe Road between Boulder and Brighton.
The department noted that BRT is a high frequency service designed to be more reliable, convenient, and accessible than traditional bus service; reducing delay points that can typically slow regular bus service, such as making long stops or getting stuck in traffic at intersections.
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