Bus
Youth pass fee waivers for Spring 25
A refund of $86.18 was automatically applied through the Bursar’s Office on 2/5/25 for all eligible students (born on or after January 14, 2005).
To make riding transit as simple as possible, all CU students will continue to just tap their Buff OneCards on the bus or rail card validators. No need to submit a youth waiver request or carry additional forms of ID to prove that you are 19 or under. This refund is in response to and in support of the expanded RTD Zero Fare for Youth program.
Your Buff OneCard ID is now your transit pass (updated October 11, 2023)
Starting on September 1, the Buff OneCard ID will be used as a transit pass for all enrolled CU students and benefited employees. 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.
General Bus Information
- Riding transit is popular in Boulder, Denver and the surrounding area.
- Take advantage of the services you've already paid for. It's part of your student fees which means you don't have to pay a fare box fee. Just tap your Buff OneCard and go have a seat.
- It often gets you to your destination just as fast as driving.
- You get to relax instead of driving.
- You don't have to worry about parking.
- Professional drivers get you to your destination safely.
Inspect your card to ensure there is no damage to the card (hole punched, been washed, chewed up, gouged, bent or cracked) that may require a replacement card.
Once you have verified that there is no damage, please ensure you properly tap 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 four minutes. The screen will show “Card Already Tapped.” This is a built-in feature to prevent people from passing their cards back.
- Sometimes, tapping a card while in a wallet, up against another type of card or in a plastic sleeve can cause it to be “invalid.” Please tap the card by itself.
CU Boulder is partnering with Transit for real-time tracking of Buff Buses including the late-night routes. Riders can receive alerts for Buff Bus route changes/detours in real time. This will help riders consolidate their transportation needs, making Buff Bus tracking available on an app riders already use to track other services like RTD, the Hop and B-Cycle.
Download the Transit app (and select Buff Bus in your settings) for real time Buff Bus information including real-time arrival predictions, simple trip planning, service alerts and more.
Get Transit on Google Play or in the Apple Store.
Buff Buses are the free CU buses that run from Main Campus to East Campus and Williams Village/Bear Creek. Click here for more information on Buff Buses (routes and schedules).
To reduce the stress and expense of traveling, remember that your bus pass will get you to DIA. Unlike previous semesters, RTD is short-staffed and unable to ramp up its service during the peak student travel days. To keep your stress level low, catch an earlier bus than you think you'll need and then have the bus drop you off at the airport's front doors. Save your time and money, and let RTD Sky Ride drive you to the airport!
We strive to give our students, faculty and staff options to easily be part of the solution. We promote active transport, like walking, biking, skating and skiing, and other sustainable modes of transportation because of their significant positive impacts on the environment, mental and physical health, economy and social equity. Plus, it’s way more fun! By using these modes of transportation, we can become a more sustainable campus without making major sacrifices.