In a move indicating tighter belts and leaner times for public transit, Fort Collins’ Transfort has decided to scale back its services starting October 13. Riders who rely on Transfort for their daily commutes will need to adjust their schedules, particularly due to the reduced frequency on certain routes and the suspension of others. As confirmed by the City of Fort Collins, these changes are a direct response to the persistent pinch of budgetary pressures and a staffing crunch.
Transfort is in the midst of realigning its operations with the resources available to it. Services like the MAX will now run every 10 minutes during the peak period from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Outside of these hours, the frequency drops to every 20 minutes, changes that may ripple through the community as residents re-plan their daily transit use. In addition to these modifications, Route 81 will see its frequency halved to an hourly service while Route 10 gets the ax entirely, passengers who usually travel on Route 9 on Saturdays will have to make alternative arrangements as this service is being halted, Kaley Zeisel, Transfort Director, told the City of Fort Collins, “These changes are necessary to align transit service with available resources.”…