Public buses to Telluride are rolling: New route started running Feb. 17

Buses for a new route serving Montrose, Ridgway and Telluride are on the road and rolling Mondays through Fridays for $5 each way from Montrose. The service is operated by the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) and intended to serve the needs of the workforce, though anyone can hop on the bus. Riders can catch the bus each weekday at 6 a.m. in Montrose or 6:40 a.m. in Ridgway to arrive in Telluride by 8 a.m. Return trips leave Telluride at 5 p.m., stop in Ridgway and arrive in Montrose by 7 p.m. The trip costs $5 each way from Montrose or $4 from Ridgway, or riders can purchase 40 tickets for $36, with each ticket being worth a dollar. For example, it would cost 5 tickets to go from Montrose to Telluride. Cash and checks are accepted on the bus. Kari Distefano, SMART's operations manager and senior planner, explained the board set the prices with the intention of saving riders money. "We wanted to make it cheaper than driving to encourage ridership," she said. So far, Distefano said there's been more ridership from Ridgway to Montrose, and while the schedule is based on projected work hours, SMART is open to adjusting the service based on demand. "We understand that a lot of people work non-traditional hours and if there is a demonstrated need, we would be open to expanding our services," she said. The bus stop in Montrose is at the corner of North 2nd Street and Cascade Avenue, and Distefano said there is a parking lot available. It also picks up at 283 Palomino Trail in Ridgway. More information: smarttelluride.colorado.gov/montrose

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OUTLOOK MONTROSE | Tuesday, March 25, 2025

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Public buses to Telluride are rolling: New route started running Feb. 17 Tuesday 3/25 at 12:00am Buses for a new route serving Montrose, Ridgway and Telluride are on the road and rolling Mondays through Fridays for $5 each way from Montrose. The service is operated by the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) and intended to serve the needs of the workforce, though anyone can hop on the bus. Riders can catch the bus each weekday at 6 a.m. in Montrose or 6:40 a.m. in Ridgway to arrive in Telluride by 8 a.m. Return trips leave Telluride at 5 p.m., stop in Ridgway and arrive in Montrose by 7 p.m. The trip costs $5 each way from Montrose or $4 from Ridgway, or riders can purchase 40 tickets for $36, with each ticket being worth a dollar. For example, it would cost 5 tickets to go from Montrose to Telluride. Cash and checks are accepted on the bus. Kari Distefano, SMART's operations manager and senior planner, explained the board set the prices with the intention of saving riders money. "We wanted to make it cheaper than driving to encourage ridership," she said. So far, Distefano said there's been more ridership from Ridgway to Montrose, and while the schedule is based on projected work hours, SMART is open to adjusting the service based on demand. "We understand that a lot of people work non-traditional hours and if there is a demonstrated need, we would be open to expanding our services," she said. The bus stop in Montrose is at the corner of North 2nd Street and Cascade Avenue, and Distefano said there is a parking lot available. It also picks up at 283 Palomino Trail in Ridgway. More information: smarttelluride.colorado.gov/montrose Visit our site

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