Boulder County has launched two new free on-demand bus services designed to expand transportation options in areas without traditional fixed-route transit.
Ride Gunbarrel serves the entire Gunbarrel community, while Ride SouthEast serves Superior, Louisville, Lafayette, parts of Erie, and Flatiron Mall in Broomfield. Together, the services are known as Ride BoCo and are available starting immediately.
Unlike traditional bus routes with designated stops, on-demand services pick up and drop off passengers anywhere within a service area. Rides can be booked through an app, online at book.rideboco.rideco.com, or by calling 720-473-4414. Passengers can book trips a day in advance or on the day of service.
Ride Gunbarrel operates from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, while Ride SouthEast runs from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. All vehicles are ADA-accessible with lifts, bike racks, and capacity for service animals and leashed pets. Children under 13 must ride with a guardian.
The service is free for anyone to use and serves approximately 9,800 workers and 11,500 residents in the Gunbarrel area, according to Boulder County commissioners. The county designed the on-demand system to connect riders to jobs, services, shopping, and existing transit routes like the Flatiron Flyer and BOLT.
Ride BoCo is funded through federal and state grants, along with local contributions from Boulder County, Superior, Louisville, Lafayette, and Erie. zTrip operates the service, with Boulder County managing the program. The service will not operate on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.