Sustainable Transportation Program Updates

*Bike stations may close for weather or lack of student staff availability. See the open/closed status here.

RTD's Zero Fare for Youth

If you are an under 20-year-old student born on or after August 29, 2003, currently paying the Transit Pass fee, you are eligible to have this fee waived by participating in RTD's Zero Fare for Youth program. See below for additional information and directions.
  • RTD is offering a Zero Fare for Youth program through August 31, 2024. Those age 19 and under ride RTD transit at no cost by showing a valid ID with date of birth.
  • To participate in this RTD promotion and waive your CU student Transit Pass fee, please fill out this application form
  • Application deadlines are November 1 for the Fall 23 semester and March 1 for the Spring 24 semester.
  • To qualify you must be under 20 years old on the first day of the semester (Fall waiver = born on or after August 29, 2003 ; Spring waiver = born on or after January 17, 2004)
  • Students must show their valid ID to ride the bus until they turn 20.  Once a student turns 20, they should switch back to their Buff OneCard to ride RTD transit.
  • Due to an expected high number of applications this fee waiver will take approximately one month to process and be refunded to your student account.


Bus Program 

Your Buff OneCard ID is now your transit pass (updated August 8, 2023)

Starting on September 1, the Buff OneCard ID will be used as a transit pass for all enrolled CU students and benefited employees. (RTD is running a free fare period until the end of August, so no pass is needed until Sept.1) CU is no longer issuing CollegePasses or EcoPasses. You will use your Buff OneCard the same way that you previously used your CollegePass with a simple tap on the reader as you board the bus. If you take a semester off we will suspend the transit pass sector of your Buff OneCard and when you return we will reactivate it. You won't need to get a new card. If you have further questions or encounter problems with your card, please let us know at buspass@colorado.edu

CollegePass vs BuffOneCard

How to use your Buff OneCard as your transit pass
First please look at their card to make sure there is no damage to the card (hole punched, been washed, chewed upgouged, bent or cracked) that would cause the card to need to be replaced.

Once you have verified that there is no damage, please make sure you are properly tapping your card: 

- To tap you must hold your card flat against the validator for a count of three. 

- Swiping a card will cause it to be “Invalid” since the system can’t read the card.

- A card will tap “Invalid” if tapped twice within 4 minutes and the screen will show “Card Already Tapped” this is a built in feature to prevent people from passing their card back.

- Sometimes tapping a card while it is in a wallet or up against another type of card or in a plastic sleeve can cause “Invalid” please tap card by itself.

    Buff Bus, HOP, and Stampede tracking available on Transit App
    Real-time location tracking for CU Boulder’s Buff Buses is now available via the Transit app, the same mobile app where you can track RTD and HOP buses, B-Cycle and more. The Transit Mobile App is available for free at mobile app stores.

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