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Index: Community Development / Subcategory: Transportation

Public Transportation

Date Updated: 05/09/2011

Chart Directory:

According to the 2000 United States Census, public transportation was used 0.9% of the time as a means of travel to work in Larimer County. This page measures the use of public transportation by ridership, determined by counting every person who rides on the bus each and every time they ride. In other words, ridership figures indicate the number of rides taken in a given time period, not how many people from the general population are using public transportation.

What this chart shows: Public Transit Ridership (per 1,000 residents) in Fort Collins and Loveland, 2001-2010

Public Transit Ridership (per 1,000 residents) in Fort Collins and Loveland, 2001-2010

Data Sources:

See data table

What these data tell us:

From 2001 through 2003, COLT ridership in Loveland decreased by nearly 34% and ridership on the Transfort system in Fort Collins was down by 10% (see data table). Ridership on Transfort bottomed out in 2004, but it's been steadily increasing ever since, with the largest increase in 2008 when the price of gasoline exceeded $4.00/gallon.

FoxTrot was a regional transit service that provided connecting public transportation between Fort Collins and Loveland. In June 2010, FoxTrot was replaced by FLEX, a regional route operating between Fort Collins and Longmont. FLEX is a partnership between the Cities of Fort Collins, Loveland, and Longmont, as well as the Town of Berthoud and Larimer and Boulder Counties.

What this chart shows: Percentage of Transfort Riders by Type - 2010

Percentage of Transfort Riders by Type - 2010

Data Source: City of Fort Collins Transportation Department (data not available online)

See data table

What this chart shows: Transfort Ridership by Type, 2001-2010

Transfort Ridership by Type, 2001-2010

Data Source: City of Fort Collins Transportation Department (data not available online)

See data table

What these data tell us:

 From 2001 to 2010, ridership varied amongst the populations using Transfort. From 2004 to 2010, overall ridership increased 43%. During this period, the largest increase (113%) was seen in the number of disabled individuals riding public transit (see data table). The large increase in General Population riders (88%) is most likely due to the large increases in the cost of gasoline in 2008.

According to officials with Transfort, the reason for the decrease in Youth ridership beginning in 2009 was a change in routing, due to safety concerns, which removed a stop from in front of Blevins Junior High School.

The large increase in ridership amongst the 'Disabled' population is likely due to changes made in the Dial-A-Ride program in 2007 to accommodate the minimum service requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Additionally, the City of Fort Collins made a concerted training effort for residents unfamiliar with public transportation during this time period.

What this chart shows: Paratransit Ridership in Larimer County, 2010

Paratransit Ridership in Larimer County, 2010

Data Sources:

See data table

What these data tell us:

 Paratransit service for the elderly and disabled is provided by a variety of agencies in Larimer County. This service is considered 'on-demand' in that riders call in advance to schedule door-to-door rides. Four of the agencies providing paratransit service are governmental agencies (BATS, COLT, Dial-A-Ride, and Larimer Lift) and two are nonprofit organizations (SAINT and Special Transit).

SAINT is the second largest provider of paratransit services in Larimer County (20,000 rides per year to approximately 500 individuals) operated primarily by volunteers using their own vehicles.

Information about the individual services is available by contacting the agencies directly.

What this chart shows: Origin of Rides on Larimer County Rural Transportation, 2010

Origin of Rides on Larimer County Rural Transportation, 2010

Data Source: Larimer County Human Services (data not available online)

See data table

What these data tell us:

 The Larimer County Northern Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) operates the Larimer County Rural Transportation Program, which provides area transportation to residents living outside urban Fort Collins and Loveland. The services are provided by Larimer Lift, City of Loveland Transit (COLT), and Berthoud Area Transportation Service (BATS). Riders qualify to participate based on their residence, and age or income group. To determine if you live in an area that is serviced by the Rural Transportation Program, see the NFRMPO's map of rural boundaries, [pdf] or contact the programs (Larimer Lift, COLT, or BATS) directly.

Additional Information:

Related Information on COMPASS -

Other Resources -

Standards or Targets: N/A

Data Tables:

Public Transportation Ridership

COLT Fixed Route - Loveland

Transfort -
Fort Collins

Riders

Rate

Riders

Rate

2001

 82,201 1,515 1,616,328 13,142

2002

 70,357 1,253 1,471,911 11,701

2003

 53,598 934 1,504,683 11,833

2004

 59,934 1,012 1,418,102 10,980

2005

 74,856 1,239 1,481,472 11,400

2006

 99,874 1,608 1,479,717 11,235

2007

 103,743 1,617 1,641,509 12,235

2008

 125,064 1,928 1,884,194 13,870

2009

 145,805 2,228 1,904,229 13,849

2010

 138,284 2,108 2,034,195 14,573

See chart

Return to text

Transfort Ridership by Type of Rider (Fort Collins)

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Number

Number

Number

Number

Number

CSU Students

 528,551 558,695 562,670 510,597 509,291

Youth

 380,228 311,154 324,091 350,622 361,494

Disabled

 163,589 153,759 153,119 116,864 137,556

Seniors

 49,742 40,423 49,104 64,245 61,235

General Population

 494,218 407,880 415,699 375,774 411,896

Con'td

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Number

Number

Number

Number

Number

CSU Students

 516,747 561,514 615,311 662,468 691,030

Youth

 330,858 351,562 377,771 306,797 304,779

Disabled

 153,925 184,014 207,500 220,378 248,480

Seniors

 65,526 69,596 81,057 79,241 83,865

General Population

 412,661 474,823 602,555 635,345 706,041

See pie chart

See line chart

Paratransit Ridership in Larimer County, 2010

Number

Percentage

Dial-A-Ride (Fort Collins)

 40,385 47%

SAINT

 20,000 22%

BATS (Berthoud)

 13,395 15%

COLT Paratransit (Loveland)

 8,183 9%

Special Transit (Estes Park)

 4,139 5%

Larimer Lift

 2,390 3%

See chart

Origin of Rides on Larimer County Rural Transportation, 2010

Number

Percentage

Berthoud

 6,032 68%

Fort Collins

 299 3%

LaPorte

 911 10%

Loveland

 488 6%

Wellington

 1,180 13%

See chart