Public transportation in Fort Collins has never been one of those “top-five reasons people love living here.” It’s not what most locals brag about, and that’s okay — it’s just the truth. But that doesn’t mean the City Council hasn’t invested heavily over the years. Remember the MAX line along Mason? That project cost around $87 million when it launched, designed to give Fort Collins a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that could rival larger cities. For a while, it worked. Then COVID hit, ridership dropped, and like many public services, costs went up — about 50% higher today than in 2019.
Now the City is taking a hard look at what’s next. Through its Transfort Optimization Plan, city staff are rethinking how to build a sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective system that meets people where they are — not where we wish ridership might be someday.
What the Study Looked At
Over the past year, City staff conducted public outreach sessions, reviewed best practices from similar-sized cities, analyzed local travel patterns, and developed three service scenarios:
- Scenario 1 – Travel Patterns: Focused on how people actually move around the city — where trips start, end, and how frequently they happen.
- Scenario 2 – Rider Demand: Prioritizing areas with the highest usage, where buses already carry the most passengers.
- Scenario 3 – Microtransit: Introducing smaller, on-demand “flex routes” in lower-density areas.
After running the numbers, the team found something pretty striking: microtransit zones cost over $30 per rider — far higher than traditional routes. It wasn’t sustainable. So while the idea of microtransit sounds flexible and modern, the data just didn’t back it up. The city concluded that a hybrid of Scenarios 1 and 2 — focusing on high-demand routes and reducing or eliminating underused zones — was the most efficient way forward.
What the Recommended Plan Looks Like
The recommended scenario creates a more streamlined, grid-based network that strengthens the busiest corridors while scaling back on low-ridership areas. That means:
- Higher frequency on routes people actually use — think MAX and main east-west corridors like Prospect Road and Drake Road.
- Simplified routes to make it easier for riders to plan trips without multiple transfers.
- Targeted cuts to lines that have low ridership.
- Continued support for Dial-A-Ride and Dial-A-Taxi to serve ADA and senior passengers.
- A new safety and security partnership with Fort Collins Police Services to ensure a better rider experience.
It’s not about doing less. It’s about doing better with what we already have — and staying within a realistic budget. Staff described the goal clearly in their presentation: build a “fiscally constrained, short-range service plan” that aligns with Fort Collins’ financial realities while still supporting long-term sustainability goals.
Why the Change Is Necessary
This optimization plan is less about cutting service and more about making it count. Since 2019, expenses have ballooned while ridership has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Transit systems nationwide are in a similar position, but Fort Collins’ size makes every dollar matter more.
The City’s goal isn’t to abandon its vision of expanded BRT service on Elizabeth, Harmony, or North College — those remain part of the long-term transit dream. But before we build bigger, we need to make sure the existing foundation works efficiently. That means recalibrating to today’s travel habits rather than the pre-COVID blueprint.
The Council’s Discussion and the Tough Decisions
During the October 28th City Council work session, most members supported the staff’s data-driven approach — but it wasn’t unanimous in enthusiasm. Councilmember Melanie Potyondy (District 4) expressed concern about how the cuts would disproportionately affect her district. In this proposed model, District 4 sees some of the steepest service reductions, as much of the ridership in that area is lower compared to downtown, CSU, and the northern corridors.
Other council members acknowledged her concerns but pointed out that data had to drive the decision. The city simply can’t justify high-cost routes with low utilization when other corridors justify the route options. The focus, as several members put it, should be on reliability and impact, even if that means some neighborhoods lose frequent service.
It’s a classic policy challenge — equity versus efficiency. But if Fort Collins wants to maintain a fare-free system (which has broad community support), then efficiency has to win, at least in the short term.
Where This Fits in the Bigger Picture
This optimization effort ties directly into the city’s Our Climate Future goals — the long-term push toward reducing vehicle miles traveled, cutting petroleum emissions, and improving air quality. By refocusing service on the most used corridors, Fort Collins can actually make public transit a more viable alternative to driving — something that’s been hard to achieve when buses run once an hour or routes feel unpredictable.
A reliable, frequent system encourages people to choose transit voluntarily, not just out of necessity. And that, in turn, supports the city’s environmental and equity goals.
A Realistic Step Forward
Let’s be honest — Transfort has never been a shining star in Fort Collins. But this new direction isn’t an admission of failure; it’s a step toward sustainability. You can’t build a robust future transit network without optimizing the present one.
Focusing on frequency where it matters most — the MAX, CSU corridors, key employment and retail centers — gives riders confidence. Scaling back underused, high-cost services allows the City to reinvest in reliability, safety, and better rider experience.
At the end of the day, this is about getting Fort Collins back to basics — reliable routes, consistent service, and fiscal responsibility. The hope is that by building a stronger core network now, we’ll be better positioned to expand when funding, ridership, and community demand align again.