The Colorado Department of Transportation has begun a new front in its David-and-Goliath battle to reduce traffic and lower carbon emissions on Interstate 70 with the addition of a bus route from downtown Denver to Breckenridge Ski Resort. 

Dubbed the Snowstang, the luxury coach bus equipped with bathrooms and Wi-Fi takes travelers from Union Station in Denver to Breckenridge Station — where skiers and snowboarders have direct access to the BreckConnect Gondola and the resort’s slopes.

Chelsea Roth, senior manager of transportation and parking for Breckenridge Ski Resort, said the program will help Breckenridge meet Vail Resorts’ goal of net-zero emissions by 2030.

“By getting cars off the road, we have that focus on community and sustainability,” Roth said. “Carpooling, alternate modes of transportation are things that we’re really hitting hard.”

Roth said it’s “very fortunate in the town of Breckenridge that once you’re in the town you don’t need a car,” and said programs like Snowstang will compliment existing bus options in Breckenridge, such as the town’s 17-hour Free Ride system.

In an email statement, Matt Hulsey, assistant mobility director for the town of Breckenridge, said he hopes the Snowstang program will make a dent in the town’s traffic as it sees an influx of visitors. 

“While locally, one bus may not make or break traffic in town, we must do something, and we believe this is a step in the right direction,” Hulsey stated. “Locals and visitors alike complain about ‘traffic’ without even realizing that if they’re driving a vehicle alone, they are traffic.” 

Hulsey said bus programs like Snowstang, which can support dozens of passengers, will help curb those traveling habitats and stated “our community can be a leader in the mountain region and beyond in removing single occupancy vehicles from our roadways.”

That vision is shared by CDOT, which launched the service in 2019 and has since partnered with five ski resorts — Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Loveland Ski Area, Copper Mountain Resort and Steamboat Ski Resort — as well as Breckenridge. 

According to Jennifer Phillips, CDOT’s assistant director of bus operations, the bus departs every Saturday and Sunday from Union Station for Arapahoe, Loveland, Copper and Breckenridge in the early morning — between 6:05 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. — and returns from those resorts in the later afternoon. 

After leaving Union Station, the bus will make stops at the Denver Federal Center and the Wooly Mammoth Park-n-Ride in Golden before arriving at the resorts.

Most roundtrip fares are for one day, though Phillips said Snowstang does offer an overnight trip to Steamboat. Trip schedules and routes can be found at RideBustang.com/snowstang-mountain-service. 

Phillips said the Breckenridge stop, which launched a few weeks ago, has seen high demand and ridership. This past weekend, which marked the route’s third weekend operating, Phillips said there were 37 riders on Saturday and 21 on Sunday. 

“For the third weekend, that’s really great ridership,” Phillips said. “Those are cars that didn’t need to be on I-70. Those are cars that didn’t need parking. They get right off the bus at the gondola.”

All roundtrip routes, except for Steamboat, cost $25 for an adult and $12.50 for a child aged 2 to 11. Steamboat, which is a two-day trip, costs $40 for an adult and $12.50 for children. Ticket information can be found at RideBustang.com/snowstang-mountain-service/fares and tickets can be purchased online at TinyURL.com/snowstangbreck.

Tickets can be purchased for dates in advance and upcoming dates may sell out or already be sold out.