RTD is not offering free rides to adults this summer during the ozone season due to a lack of state funding, according to district officials.
The popular Zero Fare for Better Air program, which offered free bus rides in August 2022 and in July and August 2023, aimed to reduce greenhouse gases and toxic ozone-forming pollutants emitted from automobile tailpipes. A 2023 RTD report shows bus ridership across the district temporarily rose during the fare-free summer months, suggesting the program may have encouraged more people to use public transit.
In 2022, the Boulder City Council passed a resolution in support of the program, a nod to its popularity in Boulder.
Lynn Guissinger, a member of RTD’s board of directors representing Boulder, said the Zero Fare for Better Air program was an important tool for reducing ground-level ozone across the Front Range.
“This was one of the tools that was helping. So I’m sorry to see it go away,” Guissinger told Boulder Reporting Lab. “I think it’s possible to see it come back in the future.”
Even though the program is not happening this summer, Boulder’s bus riders can expect some other seasonal transit perks.
RTD is planning to extend its free fare youth program for riders ages 6 to 19. The program is set to expire at the end of August, but RTD officials said they plan to request at least a one-year extension during an upcoming board meeting in June.
State lawmakers this year passed legislation allowing RTD to apply for up to $5 million to continue a year-round free fare for youth program. Under the law, SB24-032, RTD cannot use the money to offer free rides to adults during the ozone season. A separate law, backed by Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Democrat from Boulder, dedicates millions in new oil and gas production fees to transit programs, including RTD.
Separately, riders seeking to visit trailheads across Boulder County will have a variety of free shuttle options this summer. These programs were offered in prior years.
On weekends and holidays from May 25 to Sept. 2, the City of Boulder is providing a free shuttle to Chautauqua from various spots across town. It will operate every 15 minutes from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, according to the city. Here’s a map of the route.
Also on weekends and holidays, the city, county and state are providing a free shuttle from the City of Boulder to Eldorado Canyon State Park and Boulder’s Marshall Mesa from May 25 to Sept. 2. The shuttle is scheduled to operate every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Here is a map of the route.
Boulder County is providing a free shuttle from Nederland High School to the Hessie Trailhead, an access point to the Indian Peaks Wilderness, from May 24 to Oct. 6. The shuttle will run every 15 minutes from at least 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, according to the county. It will not run on holidays. RTD’s NB route between Boulder and Nederland will pick riders up at the Downtown Boulder Station or the Boulder County Justice Center and drop them off at the high school in Nederland. A standard RTD day pass is $5.50.
Lastly, the seasonal Bustang service to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park will also now include a stop at Boulder Junction at Depot Square Station for the 2024 season.
Earlier this year, RTD cut its rates and eliminated the more expensive regional rate to travel from Boulder to Denver. It costs $10 to go to the Denver International Airport.
“Our rates are down, they are just not free for those two months,” Guissinger said in reference to the Zero Fare for Better Air program.
The free for youth program is great for kids, who seem to use it a lot. The bus routes in this town are terrible, other than the Skip, Hop, and Regional Service. Many of these routes have existed since I was in Junior High, in the 1970s, and routes like the 204, 206, and 208 need to be seriously revamped, they are all terrible routes. These routes are too long, service infrequent, and are indirect; nobody takes the 204 from 19th Street in North Boulder to Moorhead in South Boulder, they are two unrelated neighborhoods that have no connection to each other. What purpose does the 208 serve?
There’s no way to get from NOBO to Chautauqua without paying for transit to and from the shuttle. Good thinking! This is why people drive because it’s way cheaper. For those living far below AMI, this matters. No one is going to do that unless they already have a RTD pass which is also insanely expensive – even for seniors.