Transfort FAQs

The City has three transit centers: (1) the Downtown Transit Center (DTC), located at 250 N. Mason St.; (2) the CSU Transit Center (CTC), located on the north end of the lower level of the Lory Student Center, at Colorado State University; and (3) the South Transit Center (STC), located at 4915 Fossil Blvd., south of Harmony Road near College and Fairway.

Transit center lobbies are open Monday- Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The CSU Transit Center (CTC) is closed during CSU breaks. Customer Support is also available Monday-Friday by calling 970-221-6620 or emailing transfortinfo@fcgov.com. All Transit Centers and Customer Support offices are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and all City observed holidays.

Bikes left on the bus bike racks will be removed by the operator at a Transit Center or at a bus stop if the space is needed for a current rider. You may call 970-221-6620 to try to locate your bike. Transfort is not responsible for lost or stolen bikes.

Bicycles are not allowed inside buses, except for MAX which allows up to 4 bicycles inside the bus on the designated racks. Bikes may be locked at the bus stop if the bike rack is full. Transfort is not responsible for lost or stolen bikes.

Transfort buses are equipped with a bicycle rack on the front of the bus. Each rack holds 3 bicycles. MAX has racks for up to 4 bicycles inside the bus on the designated racks. HORN buses do not have bike racks. Space on all racks is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The larger MAX buses have 4 dedicated interior bike racks. These racks have been designed to ease boarding and minimize obstruction of aisles. The buses need to accommodate all passengers safely, and aisles need to stay clear of bicycles and other items.

There are other options for cyclists if onboard racks are full. Cyclists may wait for the next bus, use a nearby bike rack, or ride their bicycle.

Bus stops are clearly marked and located every 1/4-1/2 mile along routes. Bus stops can be located by using the rider tools, obtaining a printed route schedule, or locating a stop on the mobile app Ride Transfort. For assistance with trip planning, call 970-221-6620 during Transfort Customer Support hours or submit a request through Access Fort Collins. You can also stop by the Downtown Transit Center, the CSU Transit Center, or the South Transit Center.

Buses stop at designated stops only.

Transfort is fare-free and no fares are being collected.

FLEX is a service of Transfort and all Transfort service is fare-free, no fares are being collected.

Under an agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF), MAX buses on the guideway, or bus-only street, are required to stop when a train passes. The railroad is concerned about safety on the guideway, which is within the railroad right-of-way. The railroad has between 4 to 8 trains running during MAX operating hours. There is no set schedule for when the trains travel through our community, which makes it difficult to anticipate their arrival. Passengers will experience delays when the bus is held at a station due to the train. In the Downtown area and on McClelland Street, the bus is not required to stop for trains.

Parking is available at these MAX park n’ ride locations: South Transit Center, Troutman (18 public on-street spaces), Swallow (30 spaces in Foothills Church parking lot), Drake, and downtown in the City parking structures. Transfort will continue to seek additional parking through cooperative agreements and partnerships with local businesses and developers.

Only FLEX and MAX routes offer free 4G LTE on designated buses only. Note that service may not be available on all buses and is subject to periodic outages. For help, call 970-221-6620 or email: transfortinfo@fcgov.com.

MAX takes approximately 25 – 30 minutes to travel the full length of the corridor. The travel time varies depending on the amount of cross traffic, the wait times at intersections, the number of passengers boarding, passing trains, and other factors. Transfort, in cooperation with other City departments, is actively working to reduce travel times on MAX.

The sound is part of the City’s Art in Public Places program. The hour-long mix of sound plays from speakers in the light poles with integrated art. They were selected by the artist and include 22 recordings of natural environments and varied, surprising sounds for a creative mix. The tracks are 1 to 4 minutes long and play randomly, so they assemble in different ways at different times during brief passenger waits at the stations.

The guideway, or bus-only street, is too narrow for other users to travel safely beside buses and other official vehicles. The guideway is off limits and trespassers may be cited. The Mason trail adjacent to MAX  is a convenient option for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Transfort has recycling bins at the South Transit Center. For now, please carry recycling with you to deposit into an appropriate receptacle.

A one-way trip takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

• Passengers may transfer to and from FLEX on COLT and other Transfort routes.
• Passengers will need to pay RTD fare or use an RTD pass to board the RTD system. Pass and pricing information can be found at rtd-denver.com

FLEX is the best option for passengers commuting from Longmont to Fort Collins.

Sign-up for email or text notifications for specific routes.

Transfort provides travel training for residents, visitors, individuals, groups, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Please submit a request from the Contact Us form, call Customer Support at 970-221-6620, or via email at transfortinfo@fcgov.com.

The most current information is on our Routes & Schedules page. Also, printed schedules can be obtained at a transit center or on a bus.

Bus arrival times can be viewed using the Bus Tracker tool, the Ride Transfort mobile app, or by calling 970-221-6620. Also, the easiest and quickest way to obtain bus arrival information is to text 41411 with TFORT and the stop ID number (listed on every bus stop sign). For example: [To:] 41411 [send:] TFORT 1510. MAX stations and transit centers have variable message signs, LCD screens, and voice announcements of bus arrivals and departures.

The navigation menu, and “funnel” and “pointer” icons can be used to select stops and routes, sign up for rider alerts, and display other information. If the app hangs, try refreshing or reloading the app. If that still doesn’t work, try using your mobile phone to navigate to ridetransfort.com. The website has the same Bus Tracker tools as the app.

Bus Passenger Code of Conduct includes respecting transit property, respecting all Transfort staff and passengers, no unsafe behaviors, no eating or smoking on the bus, no alcoholic beverages, and using Transfort services and facilities for transportation only. 

Anyone in violation of these actions may be asked to leave the Transfort vehicle or facility and risk suspension of their privileges to use Transfort or enter Transfort property.

The Transit Master Plan recommends service in Southeast Fort Collins. Implementation of this service is dependent upon future funding.

The establishment of routes is done carefully with extensive feedback from the community. Not every area of the community can be served by transit and transit service is dependent upon allocation of limited resources. The philosophy of Transfort, as adopted by City Council, is to focus on areas with high ridership demand with more frequent service, rather than dispersing transit everywhere with less frequent service.

FLEX regional bus service connects communities along the 287 Corridor in Northern Colorado. Service is provided between Fort Collins and Loveland, Berthoud, Longmont and Boulder. See our Flex Regional Service page to learn more.

Poudre Express, operated by Greeley Evans Transit, offers regional service between Fort Collins and Greeley with stops in Windsor. Bustang, operated by CDOT, offers regional service between Fort Collins and Denver.

The Transit Master Plan guides decisions about new routes and service. For more information about future projects, please visit our plans and projects page.

There are several reasons why your bus may be delayed. It may be waiting for a train to pass. Traffic congestion may be interfering with buses at cross streets. The driver may be helping a passenger. There may also be a route detour due to a traffic accident. Please check the rider tools for updates on bus arrival times and long delays.

Routes are continually evaluated for performance. Transfort prioritizes routes and allocates limited funding to routes with the most potential for ridership or with concentrations of transit-dependent populations. To reduce uncertainty, changes to the route network are generally limited to twice per year. In rare occurrences, low ridership routes may be eliminated.

Passengers who require a service animal may bring them on board. The service animal must be controlled by the passenger at all times. Pets must be transported in a fully contained and secured pet carrier.

You can file a claim through the City’s Risk Management division. They can be reached at 970-221-6708.

Solar lighting has been installed at approximately 20 bus stops to enhance security and help notify bus drivers that a passenger is waiting at the stop.

The lights are completely solar-powered with a battery storage system. Riders can activate the light using a push button. The light will stay illuminated for approximately 5 minutes. If a stop does not have a solar light or a light source nearby, Transfort encourages passengers to turn on their cell phones when they see the bus approaching so the bus driver can see you waiting at the stop.

All Transfort buses have lifts or ramps and are fully wheelchair accessible.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines someone as disabled for the purposes of transportation as: a person with a disability, whose disability prevents them from using a fixed route bus service. Individuals that fit this definition are eligible for paratransit service.

• The application and registration process can take up to 21 calendar days to complete.
• The Dial-A-Ride office will notify you of your eligibility.

All potential passengers must apply for Dial-A-Ride service.

Call 970-224-6066 to request an application be mailed to you or use the links below to download. Once completed, mail your application to:

• Transfort
  6570 Portner Rd.
  Fort Collins, CO 80525

Eligibility Application – English (PDF)

Solicitud de Elegibilidad para Transfort / Dial-A-Ride – en español (PDF)

For more information about Dial-A-Ride click here.