CO: Loveland’s COLT adds Johnstown service, new Fort Collins connection

Just in time for the new year, City of Loveland Transit (COLT) riders will have new options that extend beyond city limits. Beginning Monday, COLT is expanding bus service south to Johnstown and debuting the Loveland Intercity Connector ( LINC) route, which replaces the FLEX F1 route to and from Fort Collins.

New Johnstown stops

A new agreement between Loveland and the town of Johnstown will expand COLT’s Route 7 service with three stops near the 2534 Plaza Shopping Center at:

• The southeast corner of Ronald Reagan Parkway and Thompson Parkway.
• The northeast corner of Ronald Reagan Parkway and Trade Street.
• The northeast corner of Larimer Parkway and Union Street.

Under an intergovernmental agreement approved unanimously by the Johnstown Town Council in August, the town will fund the first year of service at an estimated $36,640, or about 10% of total Route 7 operating costs. Johnstown will also install the new bus stop pads and amenities, including shelters expected to be provided through an advertising partnership.

The new Route 7 stops will link the Johnstown Plaza area with the Promenade Shops and Loveland’s Centerra Mobility Hub, where riders can connect to the Poudre Express regional route and other COLT lines into downtown Loveland.

According to a COLT media release, the Route 7 extension grew out of planning for a future Greeley-to- Loveland route, when no safe passenger locations were identified along U.S. 34. Linking Johnstown riders directly to Loveland’s Centerra Mobility Hub proved to be a safer and more effective solution, one that both cities see as the start of a broader regional transit network.

“Expanding COLT service to Johnstown — with funding from the town of Johnstown — marks a major step toward a more connected and collaborative transit future,” Loveland Transit Manager Candice Folkers said in the release

Johnstown Public Works Director Tim Hoos said the service is designed to meet rising demand from employees and residents in the 2534/ Johnstown Plaza area who have expressed interest in public transportation.

“Partnering with COLT allows us to offer safer, more reliable transit options that support our growing community and strengthen regional mobility for years to come,” he said.

At the end of the pilot year, Loveland and Johnstown will evaluate ridership and cost-sharing before deciding whether to renew or expand the program.

New LINC to Fort Collins

Also beginning Monday, COLT will introduce the Loveland Intercity Connector ( LINC) route, a new service connecting Loveland and Fort Collins and replacing the longtime FLEX F1 regional bus service operated by Transfort since 1997.

Under the change, COLT will operate its own Loveland–Fort Collins route that follows the same basic alignment as the former F1, linking the Loveland North Transit Center at U.S. 287 and West 37th Street with the Fort Collins South Transit Center at U.S. 287 and Fairway Lane.

The stops and most of the schedule will remain similar to the current service, with only minor adjustments to some southbound trip times. The new route will be branded and operated under COLT’s policies and fare structure: $1.25 for a one-way trip, $0.60 for seniors and riders with disabilities and free for youth riders with a school ID and Colorado State University students with a RamCard.

For more information about the new services and updated schedules, visit lovgov.org/COLT.

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