RTD’s September 27 Service Changes: What They Mean for Reaching Boulder for Sundance 2027
QUICK ANSWER
Confirmed: RTD’s regionwide service changes take effect September 27, 2026, and several adjustments hit the exact routes Sundance 2027 visitors are likely to use, including the Denver airport to Boulder buses and a brand new hourly Denver airport to Longmont route through Lafayette. Separately, RTD’s board has advanced $20 million in systemwide service cuts for 2027, with final route by route decisions not expected until mid-2027, so what is actually running by festival week is not fully settled yet.
Last verified: September 20, 2026
What RTD has confirmed
| Change | Status |
|---|---|
| AB1 and AB2 airport to Boulder buses move to a consistent 30 minute clockface schedule (:00 and :30) at the Table Mesa Park-n-Ride, effective Sept. 27, 2026 | Confirmed |
| New Route AL launches hourly Denver airport to Longmont service via the Lafayette Park-n-Ride, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, effective Sept. 27, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Route 228 (Lafayette/Louisville/Broomfield) is discontinued for low ridership | Confirmed |
| Seasonal NB1/NB2 Boulder to Nederland/Eldora ski service is reinstated for fall/winter | Confirmed |
| RTD’s board separately advanced roughly $20 million, about 6.5 percent, in systemwide service cuts for 2027; a proposed fare increase failed on a 6-9 vote | Confirmed |
| Whether the September 27 changes or the 2027 cuts specifically target Boulder-area or festival week service | Pending, not addressed in either announcement |
The September 27 changes are routine seasonal adjustments tied partly to RTD’s downtown Denver rail reconstruction project, not a festival-specific plan, but several of them land on routes this site has already flagged as important for Sundance 2027 travel. The AB1 and AB2 schedule fix gives airport travelers a predictable half hour cadence into Boulder instead of an uneven one, and the new Route AL adds a regional option that did not exist before, running hourly between Denver International Airport and Longmont through the Lafayette Park-n-Ride. On the losing side, Route 228 between Lafayette, Louisville, and Broomfield is being cut for low ridership, which matters if you were planning to use it to move between those towns without a car.
Separately, and on a longer timeline, RTD’s board voted 9 to 6 in July 2026 to advance about $20 million in systemwide service cuts for 2027, after finance staff had recommended a deeper 20 percent reduction. A related fare increase failed. RTD says final route by route decisions will not be made until its 2027 budget is finalized, which the agency has said will happen by mid-2027, months after Sundance 2027 wraps up in January. Neither the cuts nor the September schedule changes mention Boulder-specific routes or the festival directly.
Why it matters for your trip
This site’s existing guide to getting to and around Boulder for Sundance 2027 already covers the HOP bus, the Flatiron Flyer, and what is still unconfirmed about festival-specific shuttles. This post adds the piece that guide could not have included yet: RTD’s own regionwide schedule is shifting on September 27, 2026, well before the festival, and a separate budget fight over 2027 service levels is still unresolved. If you are weighing whether to stay outside Boulder, our getting around Boulder guide and our parking guide cover the driving and parking side of the same tradeoff, and our new post on Lafayette positioning itself as a Sundance 2027 home base is directly tied to the new Route AL connection through the Lafayette Park-n-Ride.
What we’re watching
We’re watching for RTD to publish which specific routes face cuts as its 2027 budget process moves forward, and for any sign that the agency or the City of Boulder plans festival-specific service on top of, or instead of, the September 27 baseline schedule.