Public transportation brings students from Colorado to the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Fort Collins

Thousands of students are preparing for the Rocky Mountain Showdown, where Colorado State University will face the University of Colorado on Saturday afternoon.

Many students live in Fort Collins, while others live in areas like Boulder and Denver and may not have easy access to Fort Collins. CBS Colorado's First Alert Traffic Tracker reporter Brian Sherrod did some research and tells you how to get there.

Sherrod met with CSU's Transit Center and provided these details. If you live in Fort Collins, here are your options:

Active transport options to the game:

• For students on campus or those who live nearby, walking to the game is a great option. Our campus is designed to be walkable. There are underpasses to get to campus and dedicated pathways for people to use once they get to campus.
• Cycling, scootering – Cycling or scootering can be an efficient way to get to campus. Once on campus, people can use the dedicated cycling infrastructure and park in one of the over 18,000 available bike parking spaces. Scooters should also be parked at the bike racks. We recommend using a sturdy lock such as a U-lock to lock bikes and scooters. Note that bikes and scooters cannot be parked directly next to the stadium, but at the nearby racks in the surrounding areas.
• SPIN – Spin is the shared micromobility service in Fort Collins. Users download the Spin app and pay a $1 unlock fee and a per-minute rate to rent the e-bikes or e-scooters. The per-minute rate is $0.40 for trips that originate off-campus and $0.30 for trips that originate on campus. All Spin devices should be parked at bike racks on campus.

Transport options:

For the Rocky Mountain Showdown we will increase the frequency to MAX:

MAX northbound from South Transit Center

• 20-minute intervals from 5:33 a.m. to 10:33 a.m.
• 10-minute intervals from 10:33 a.m. to 9:53 p.m.

MAX southbound from Downtown Transit Center

• 20-minute intervals from 5:20 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Every 10 minutes from 11:00 a.m. to 10:20 p.m.

Taking the MAX to campus is a great way to save on parking! MAX park-and-ride options (free) are available at the South Transit Center, Troutman Station, Swallow Station, and Drake Station. However, we expect these free parking spots to fill up quickly. Another option is to park downtown in the Civic Center parking garage at the corner of Mason and Laporte ($1/hour) and take the MAX to the University or Prospect stations.

The Transit Center would like to remind visitors that during stadium events, on-street parking is restricted in some neighborhoods near CSU. Vehicles found parking in these neighborhoods without proper permits may be subject to a $100 fine. Parking enforcement in these neighborhoods begins four hours prior to the official start time of the stadium event. For more information, please visit:

Anyone living in Boulder, Loveland, and Longmont has the option to use Flex to get to Fort Collins. A single ride costs about $1.25. For more information, see: https://ridetransfort.com/routes/flex-boulder-express/.

Anyone who lives in Denver can use Bustang to get to Fort Collins. A one-way ride from Denver Union Station to Fort Collins Downtown Transit Center costs about $10. CSU's Transit Center says it wants to keep you safe, no matter what team you're rooting for. For more information, visit: https://ridebustang.com/bustang/.

“The Rams care about the Rams,” said Leticia Madrigal, CSU community outreach coordinator. “Obviously, safety is always our top priority, whether it's a football game going on. That goes across borders, whether it's the Buffs or the Rams. We're here to look out for each other and make sure we're all safe that night.”

“We want to support both CSU and CU students who want to get out and about in the city,” said Lindsay Mason, director of off-campus life at Colorado State University.

Those who want to stay in Fort Collins after the game have options to ensure their safety. Ramride is a nighttime program at Colorado State University that safely transports students around the city every Friday and Saturday night between 10 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The fleet size will be increased from 15 to 18 vehicles for the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Any student can request a ride.

• Limousines can carry three people, minivans five people
• if you are a CSU student, request this via the Ramride app
• If you are a CU student, call (970)491-3333
• Students pay about $7 per semester for Ramride, the ride is free and there are no tips

Whichever option you choose, be sure to use the Flex, Transfort Max and Bustang apps and websites to check your rides so you'll be notified of delays and changes throughout the day.