Longmont residents could eventually get a direct RTD bus connection to Denver International Airport under a new state-funded transit agreement.
The Colorado Clean Transit Enterprise and Regional Transportation District announced a $9.3 million grant agreement Thursday that will fund increased bus frequency, restored routes and new regional transit connections across the Denver metro area, including a proposed new route between Longmont and DIA.
The funding comes through Senate Bill 24-230, a transit funding program approved by the Colorado Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis last year. RTD spokesman Kiernan Maletsky said the Longmont-to-DIA route is still in the early planning stages and no launch date has been determined.
“The first step, we just got this grant agreement signed that gives us the opportunity to explore implementing these services through state funding, in conjunction with our local funding,” Maletsky said in a phone interview Friday.
According to a news release from the Colorado Department of Transportation, the grant will also support increased service frequency on several existing RTD routes, the return of dormant routes and added capacity during large events.
Maletsky said the new Longmont airport connection would still need to go through RTD’s regular service planning process before it could move forward.
“We’re really thrilled that the state has created a funding source that will let us explore some of these service options,” Maletsky said.
He said RTD typically evaluates service changes three times per year, but officials do not yet know when discussions about the Longmont route specifically will occur. He said that it would “certainly be over the course of the next year” but did not have specific dates to provide.
The state funding requires RTD to provide matching local funds, according to Maletsky.
In the CDOT release, RTD General Manager and CEO Debra Johnson said the agreement comes as transit agencies continue facing rising operating costs.
“Collaborations like these will only be more important as RTD partners with the communities it serves to provide the services that customers need,” Johnson said in the release.
Last year, Longmont-based airport shuttle service abruptly closed, leaving customers scrambling for other options.
Former Longmont City Councilmember and current RTD Board Director Karen Benker said residents in Longmont have been pushing for a direct airport connection for months, especially following Eight Black’s closure.
“I have never gotten so many emails from Longmont constituents ever,” Benker said, estimating she received roughly 150 emails over a three- to four-month period asking for better airport transit options.
Benker said she has been working with RTD staff on the proposal because of Longmontap growing population and the number of residents who commute or travel frequently for work.
“A lot of the folks that work in Boulder, and may travel for business, live in Longmont or Lafayette or Louisville,” Benker said.
According to Benker, early discussions around the proposed route included hourly service that could run roughly from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., though she emphasized plans are still preliminary and would need approval from the RTD board. She said RTD could expand service later if ridership numbers are strong.
Benker also said RTD has been discussing the route with DIA officials as DIA looks for ways to reduce parking demand by encouraging more employees to take transit to work. The proposed route would serve both travelers and airport workers, she said.
The , housed within the Colorado Department of Transportation, was created by the Legislature in 2021 to help fund expanded transit service and zero-emission transportation projects across Colorado.
