RTD to restore more Boulder bus routes in 2025, but future expansion could hinge on November ballot measure

After years of slashed services during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Regional Transportation District is planning to expand several City of Boulder bus routes next year. This includes increased service on the AB1 and AB2 routes between Boulder and Denver International Airport, as well as routes 208 and 205, which serve Boulder High School.

The proposed changes are scheduled for January, but further expansion may depend on the outcome of a ballot measure for metro-Denver area voters that would allow RTD to retain all tax revenue from its 1% sales and use tax. If the funding isn’t secured on Nov. 5, Lynn Guissinger, an RTD board member representing Boulder, warned that RTD “probably would have to start cutting service” again.

During the pandemic, RTD paused or reduced many bus routes as ridership declined. The agency has since cited a shortage of drivers as the reason for not restoring more services sooner. The cuts to services in Boulder reignited frustrations over longstanding transit issues. For instance, in 2004, voters approved a sales tax to fund FasTracks, a commuter rail from Denver to Longmont that RTD never built. More recently, Boulder officials have urged RTD to restore bus service to Boulder Junction, a “transit-oriented” neighborhood developed partly over an RTD bus station, where all bus operations have been suspended since April 2020. 

The agency has permanently canceled some routes in Boulder, including the J route to Longmont, the Y route to Lyons, and the 209 in South Boulder. It has brought back others, though with reduced service levels, including the GS to Golden and the FF2 to Denver’s Union Station. RTD plans to restore services to 85% of pre-Covid levels by 2027.

Last month, in an effort to avoid further transit service cuts, the Boulder City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting ballot measure 7A, which would allow RTD to continue retaining tax revenue that exceeds the limits set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). A 1999 exemption currently allows RTD to keep those funds, but it’s set to expire soon.

In addition to service restoration plans in 2025, RTD has reduced fares this year and introduced a Zero Fare for Youth program, both of which could be affected if the ballot measure fails, Guissinger  said.

Guissinger also argued that the benefits to taxpayers of voting “no” on 7A are minimal. “In a year where RTD is refunding $50 million, people would get a check for $25,” she said. The measure has the backing of organizations like CoPIRG, a consumer-oriented nonprofit, AARP, the Colorado Poverty Law Project, the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, the NAACP, Servicios de la Raza, and the Boulder Chamber. No organized opposition exists.

Here are the changes Boulder residents can expect to see in the RTD in 2025:

• Route AB: Runs from Downtown Boulder Station to Denver International Airport, with stops at three US 36 stations. In 2025, the AB2, which used to run from Boulder Junction, will be restored with stops at Canyon Boulevard, 28th Street, and Table Mesa Station. The bus will not stop at Boulder Junction, which will remain closed. AB service will return to 30-minute intervals during peak periods, remaining at 60-minute intervals otherwise.
• Route FF5: Connects Downtown Boulder Station to Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, currently operating only during peak periods. In 2025, two additional eastbound trips will be added at 3:02 p.m. and 4:02 p.m.
• Route 205/205T: Runs between downtown Boulder and Gunbarrel. In 2025, additional school tripper service will be added to reduce overcrowding on the BOLT route, which is seeing increased use by Boulder High students.
• Route 208: Operates from Downtown Boulder Station along Iris and Valmont. In 2025, additional school tripper service will be added to reduce overcrowding on the 7:51 a.m. westbound trip due to increased use by Boulder High students.

These services are planned to increase or return by 2027:

• The FF4: Will run from Boulder Junction to Denver Civic Center Station, with stops at Table Mesa, McCaslin, Flatiron, Broomfield and Sheridan.
• The BOLT: Planned to run every 15 minutes (currently every 30), with a new bus layover facility planned for Lafayette on 120th Street.

Public feedback on RTD’s proposed 2025 changes will be accepted through Oct 31.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that ballot measure 7A was statewide. Only voters in the metro Denver area can vote on this measure.