FREX: Bus sales to save commuter service
The FREX commuter bus service between Colorado Springs and Denver was tossed a lifesaver Thursday after nearly drowning in the flood of city budget cuts.
The Colorado Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Commission unanimously agreed to use the proceeds from the sale of five to nine of the FrontRange Express buses to keep the service running in 2010.
El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams, Colorado Springs Vice Mayor Larry Small and council member Jan Martin spoke at Thursday’s meeting on behalf of the popular commuter buses.
“It was very important to have local support for it since we’re the operator,” Small said. “It provides a benefit to both employers and employees by allowing employees to get to work in both cities.”
The buses were purchased in 2007 using 80 percent state funds and 20 percent funds from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority.
A minimum of five of FREX’s 19 buses would need to be sold to save the service. The minimum bid for each bus is $200,000, but the asking price is $290,000, according to city documents.
More than 101,000 people took one-way trips on FREX buses during the first seven months of 2008. Between early 2008 and early 2009 ridership had increased 47 percent.
