CDOT Proposes Bustang Changes Affecting Logan County Transit Access

The Colorado Department of Transportation announced proposed adjustments to its Bustang network on January 6 that directly affect Logan County riders. The agency plans to discontinue the Sterling–Greeley route, citing low ridership, and to expand the Sterling–Denver route by adding weekend and holiday service. CDOT framed the revisions as efforts to optimize routes to better match passenger demand and overall system performance.

The immediate effect for Logan County is twofold. Ending the Sterling–Greeley route removes a direct public transit link between Sterling-area communities and Greeley, a connection used for work, education, medical services and regional transfers. Conversely, expanding Sterling–Denver service to include Saturdays, Sundays and holidays increases direct access to Denver and to Denver International Airport, offering more options for travel on non-weekdays and potentially supporting leisure and business trips that depend on airport connections.

Policy implications center on tradeoffs between efficiency and access. CDOT’s performance-driven approach can reduce underutilized service and concentrate resources where ridership is stronger, but it also risks reducing mobility for residents who lack alternative transportation. For Logan County, the loss of a Greeley connection could increase reliance on personal vehicles, complicate commutes for low-income riders, and shift demand to local social services and community transportation providers. The expanded Denver service may partly offset those impacts for trips to metropolitan Denver, but it will not restore links to destinations served via Greeley.

Institutional responsibilities include coordination among CDOT, local officials and regional transit providers to address service gaps. County commissioners, municipal leaders and social service agencies will need to assess whether supplemental transit, demand-response services or targeted subsidies can mitigate reduced connectivity. The decision also underscores how state-level route planning affects rural mobility and why local engagement matters in service planning.

CDOT is accepting public comments through January 15, 2026, and has posted a survey and additional details on its website at codot.gov/programs/transitandrail/bustang-service-changes. Residents who rely on Bustang for work, health care or airport access should consider submitting feedback before the deadline so decisionmakers have local input on ridership realities and community priorities.