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Airport shuttle looks for a new home

Eight Black is looking to build a state-of-the-art transportation hub in Longmont
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Owner Simon Chen behind the wheel of a Eight Black Shuttle van. (Photo by Mandy Froelich)

Transportation is one of the leading contributors to pollution. Simon Chen, owner of Eight Black, plans to change that along the Front Range as he builds a transportation hub of the future.

Eight Black is an airport shuttle service that serves Longmont and Boulder. Just a year ago, Eight Black acquired Green Ride in Longmont and Boulder, expanding its fleet. 

With only 16 months left on its current lease at 205 Ken Pratt Blvd, the company has decided it is time for a permanent home. 

Chen said he isn’t sure exactly where the new airport shuttle hub will be located but plans to stay in Longmont. He said he is looking in both Weld and Boulder counties but hasn’t found the perfect location just yet. 

When the new facility is built, Chen said it will be as environmentally friendly and self-sustaining as possible with solar panels on the roof, charging stations and a recyclable water facility for cleaning cars.

These innovations are just the beginning as the company has already tested several EV shuttle options. It hopes to transition to only electric vehicles in the near future, Chen said.

“Without sounding silly, it’s going to be the best transportation hub — I think — in northern Colorado, if not the state, in terms of its state-of-the-art workshop and charging facility,” Chen said.

In addition to reducing its carbon footprint, Chen said the new facility will also allow the business to expand its service area, beginning with Erie and slowly reaching Frederick, Firestone and Dacono. The expansion will also add new jobs to the area, all of which Chen plans to staff locally. 

“Without sounding arrogant, I hope it sets the standard in what a modern transportation hub should look like in terms of having an environmentally friendly footprint. I think we are going to do whatever we can to make sure we are completely self-sufficient,” Chen said.