After two years of construction and numerous traffic detours, the first bus rapid transit system along the Front Range is about to debut in Fort Collins. The new $87-million dollar Mason Express, or MAX, route is being hailed as a key transportation alternative as the city continues to grow.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a hot new type of service for the nation,鈥� said Timothy Wilder, a service development manager with Transfort鈥攖he city鈥檚 bus service. 鈥淧art of the reason it鈥檚 more attractive鈥攅specially for communities like Fort Collins鈥攊s that it鈥檚 less expensive鈥攁 lot less expensive than a rail system would be.鈥�
The first bus rapid transit system (BRT) started back in the 鈥�70s. Since then cities like Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas have added them. Colorado鈥檚 first route launched 鈥�
Even though it uses buses, BRT still feels more like a commuter train experience. Riders board from platforms that are level with buses, and tickets are bought in advance.
鈥淚t does operate differently, and it operates more efficiently for most people. So that鈥檚 what makes it so special. It gets you around the community more efficiently than a normal bus,鈥� said Wilder.
And they don鈥檛 sound and look like your average bus.
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The Fort Collins fleet consists of six, 60-foot articulated 鈥� or jointed 鈥� buses that run on compressed natural gas. They鈥檙e pretty fast and extremely quiet.
You can barely hear them pulling up to the city鈥檚 12 stations and two transit centers.
Bus driving trainer Candice Folkers says there鈥檚 a lot to learn for drivers in the final weeks. Trainings include everything from navigating operating gates that separate dedicated parts of Mason Street, to negotiating the right distance between the loading platforms and the bus.
So what鈥檚 the hardest part?
鈥淭he fact that it bends in the middle,鈥� said Folkers. 鈥淪o when you鈥檙e coming into a stop a lot of times you鈥檒l have your front end nice and straight, but your back end鈥檚 out. That takes a little getting used to鈥攖hat you have to get the whole thing lined up.鈥�
But just because MAX buses are running along the Mason Street corridor it doesn鈥檛 mean the service is open for business. Actual passenger service doesn鈥檛 begin until May 10.
Public Relations Coordinator Denise White says the route will be free for the first three months. Then one-way tickets will cost $1.25.
Further down the road, riders may also have to get used to route changes as the Mason corridor fills out and the Foothills Mall is remodeled.
鈥淭his is a living organism. So as we roll it out, and if we see we need to make changes as developments build on the corridor and we see other demands鈥攊t鈥檚 a work in progress,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a legacy project that we鈥檙e looking at having in Fort Collins for the next 20, 50 100 years hopefully.鈥�
In the coming months as the MAX launches, no detail is too big or small for scrutiny. For example, Transfort鈥檚 Timothy Wilder says how bikes are stored on the buses may change. For launch, they鈥檒l be stored vertically from metal hooks that come out from the ceiling of each bus.
How frequently the buses stop at specific stations may also be revised as data collected on board the buses is analyzed. The MAX buses can count the number of people boarding and disembarking at every station.
鈥淲hether we stop at every single station or not鈥攁 lot of different characteristics like that get evaluated and tweaked over time just to make the bus more efficient,鈥� said Wilder.
Fort Collins is planning a ribbon cutting ceremony and a number of parties at MAX stations on the May 10 launch date. Details will be released by the city in the coming weeks.
