As I stand at Harmony Station, almost before I put down my backpack — the giant, lime-green vehicle arrives.
Like a caterpillar on wheels, its two segments connected with an accordion-like joint – it’s MAX, Fort Collins’ rapid busing service.
Recently the city took two key steps for MAX and commuters in general:
● Ending bus fares – not just for MAX but for all municipal buses.
● Adding buses on MAX to shorten waits between rides from 20 minutes to 10.
“We believe that providing more frequent service during peak hours will encourage more people to choose public transit,” said Transfort director Kaley Zeisel.
Boarding for my first time, I noticed firm yet comfortable seating and an array of green everywhere one looks.
Along with helpful signage at each stop and recorded advisories, the city provides a convenient mobile app to track down the closest ride. “Since I don’t drive my car to school, it’s been the best option to get to work or back home after my classes,” said Sebastian, 21, a statistics major at CSU who uses MAX frequently.
It has 12 covered stations at sites such as Midtown, CSU’s main campus, and downtown. Its south and north transit stations connect riders with other buses, but most of the stations are near bus stops for other Transfort rides.
The service runs weekdays 5:20 a.m.-10:20 p.m., Saturdays 5:20-10:43 a.m. and again 9-10:20 p.m.
Buses do not operate on Sundays except for special occasions.
