Transfort Optimization Plan
Project Overview
The City of Fort Collins launched the Transfort Optimization Plan to work with the community. The goal is to find the most effective way to provide transit service within Transfort’s budget.
Background
Providing the same level of transit service as in 2019 would cost an additional $3 million each year. This increase is due to higher staffing, fuel and maintenance costs.
Fully completing the Transit Master Plan by 2040 would require another $15 million annually. Even with the new ¼-cent sales tax, which generates about $5 million each year, Transfort still faces a $13 million annual funding gap to reach full service and complete the plan.
Purpose and Goals
Purpose: Create a short-term transit plan that fits within the budget, reflects what the community wants and helps more people choose to ride the bus.
Goals:
- Keep public transit free so it is fair for everyone and encourages more people to use it
- Ensure people from different backgrounds can help set priorities
- Use strategies that are already proven to increase ridership
- Adjust service to reflect how people travel today
- Design the system so it is simple, clear and easy to use
- Plan carefully to keep costs within the budget
How we developed the recommended transit scenario
- Reviewed feedback from the public through surveys, outreach events, focus groups and presentations
- Used data to compare and evaluate the three options listed below
- Reviewed best practices from the transit industry
- Tested how well different routes would perform
- Used all of this information to create a recommended transit system
What We Heard From The Community
The community said the top priority is more frequent bus service, even if that means serving fewer areas. People want service that focuses on riders who depend on transit. They also want simple, direct routes along major roads that are easy to understand and use.
People also said that improving safety, reliability, on-time performance and the overall rider experience is important. There were concerns about routes that are too long, buses that do not run often enough and gaps in service in areas like Timberline and Trilby.
Some people expressed interest in microtransit. However, many were concerned about the cost and did not like the idea of transferring between microtransit and regular bus service. People also supported building stronger partnerships to help expand service.
Finally, many people asked for better access. This includes more evening and weekend service, as well as service that connects to schools, CSU, Front Range Community College and parks and recreation areas.
Design Priorities
This process helped shape our design principles. Over several months, Transfort tested the recommended network to make sure it is efficient, realistic and achievable with available resources. The result is a scenario based on data, industry best practices and community feedback.
Next Steps
A map of the recommended scenario is available below in the project updates section.
In 2026, Transfort will begin planning to implement the new system. Service changes will take effect in 2027.
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I’m writing to ask whether there is any possibility that Route 6 might continue to operate as part of the optimization plan.
During the day and into the early evening, I regularly observe strong ridership at stops along this route, particularly during business hours and when CSU is in session. While ridership does taper off after business hours, Route 6 appears to serve a significant number of passengers during much of the day. I’m concerned about the impact on those riders if service is discontinued.
In the interest of full disclosure, I live along this route and occasionally use the service myself, as does my wife for her commute from work. That said, my concern extends beyond personal use to the many passengers who rely on this route for daily transportation.
Thank you for considering this question, and I appreciate any insight you can share.
Please do not leave the Northwest corner of Fort Collins without service. You have many apartments and a high school that would be left without basic transportation creating a void for this area of town. Cutting the #6 & #9 completely leaves those of us without cars, stranded. City Park would no longer have service and there would be no way to connect to the Max. You have several low-income apartments in the area and those are the people who rely on public transit the most.
Hi, thanks to the city for constantly working to improve our public transit. However, I'm concerned that the recommended map largely abandons NW Fort Collins. Prior to October, there was a fairly robust bus network in this area, between the 9 and 10 routes, and route 6 on Mulberry. In the recommended map, that is seemingly all gone and the nearest routes are down at Elizabeth, which is pretty far south. Even maintaining one of these routes at their historical intervals (1-hour) would go a long way to preventing NW Fort Collins from becoming a transit-desert.
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Are the buses replaced with new ones?
Work within your budget. Quit coming up with new plans that cost more than you have.
Please look at the InterCity busses in Olympia/Lacy Washington. Their population is less than Fort Collins, but they have a very good bus system.
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