The City of Boulder’s HOP bus route will be expanded beginning Tuesday, September 2 to connect Boulder Junction with CU Boulder, University Hill, downtown Boulder, and the 29th Street Mall with 15-minute intervals. A partnership between the City of Boulder, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and CU Boulder is making the route expansion possible.
“The HOP bus has been a community staple for over 30 years, and we are tremendously proud to continue to evolve its route to provide Boulder Junction with centralized local transit service,” said City of Boulder Interim Director of Transportation and Mobility Valerie Watson.
The City of Boulder has a goal of improving transportation within the city by providing more “safe and sustainable” opportunities for getting around. The expansion of the available bus routes connecting key locations throughout the city is a part of this effort.
“RTD is excited to continue to enhance service throughout Boulder County, including to Boulder’s transit-oriented developments,” said RTD Board Director Lynn Guissinger. “The resumption of service to Boulder Junction is a great next step to enhance the overall transit experience for our Boulder customers.”
Boulder Junction is a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), which is a “mixed-use, walkable neighborhood” that serves as a central point for the transit system, which will provide more options for local residents to move around town. Boulder Junction will also include RTD routes to Denver International Airport and the Denver Civic Center.
The city’s 2025 transportation report states that “74 percent of Boulder residents live within walkable 15-minute neighborhoods and 85 percent live in areas with access to comfortable bikeways. 82 percent of residents have convenient access to local or regional transit routes.”
“We’ve heard a strong and clear desire for a return of transit service at Boulder Junction to support livable neighborhoods. We greatly appreciate RTD’s partnership and recognition of the importance of these services in Boulder,” Watson said.
The city expects more people to ride the bus with the reopening of the Boulder Junction station, which was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city will also be expanding its electric bus fleet with seven battery electric buses purchased with CDOT grants and will be in operation this fall. The city hopes to have only electric buses by 2030.
Updated route maps are available on the Boulder Bus Map and the HOP Bus webpage.
