Whether RTD's Route AL works for your holiday trip depends on the timetable more than the $10 fare. The bus runs hourly from Longmont to Denver International Airport, and it will run on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Its first bus reaches the airport at 7:14 a.m. and its last bus leaves DIA at 9:02 p.m. If your flight falls inside those hours, this holiday season's airport run is cheap and easy to plan. If it doesn't, you're back to the same driveway negotiations Longmont has dealt with since the Eight Black shuttle closed in June 2025.
Route AL started service on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, as the newest SkyRide line. RTD's launch announcement says it runs daily, roughly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., between the 8th Avenue and Coffman Street Park-n-Ride and DIA. This Thanksgiving is its first real test.
The bus is slower than your car
On the second day of service, the Times-Call rode Route AL both ways and logged every stop. The trip out took 1 hour and 37 minutes. That same morning, Google Maps put the drive at about 48 minutes, before parking or a shuttle ride.
The extra time comes from the route. It's a suburban park-n-ride line, not an express:
- 8th & Coffman Park-n-Ride, 775 Coffman St., leaving at :37 past each hour
- Longmont Park-n-Ride, 815 S. Main St., at :52
- U.S. 287 & Niwot Road Park-n-Ride, 10699 Niwot Road, at :02
- Lafayette Park-n-Ride, 1080 S. Public Road, at :29
- Denver Airport Station, arriving at :14
After Lafayette, the bus takes E-470 to the airport. The return trip took one minute longer than the trip out.
The bus replaces a longer workaround, though. Before Route AL, Longmont transit riders needed a ride to Boulder's Table Mesa station or took the BOLT to catch a Boulder airport bus. One couple told the Times-Call the BOLT connection added about an hour, so they "always had to book our flights like noon or later." Next to that detour, the hour and a half on U.S. 287 is the faster option.
What the extra 49 minutes buy
An adult Airport Day Pass costs $10 on RTD's standard fares, and it covers a same-day return. Seniors 65 and older pay $1.35 for a 3-Hour Pass, which covers the whole one-way trip. Youth 19 and under ride free. The 8th & Coffman lot is free and uncovered, and the city describes it as well-lit and monitored.
Here's how that compares with a four-day Thanksgiving trip, using DEN's posted daily parking rates and the rideshare quotes the Times-Call checked at the park-n-ride on Sept. 28:
| Way to DIA and back, four days away | Round-trip cost |
|---|---|
| Route AL, adult, out and back on different days | $20 |
| Route AL, senior 65+ | $2.70 |
| DEN shuttle lots at $10 a day | $40, plus fuel |
| DEN economy lots at $20 a day | $80, plus fuel |
| DEN garages at $35 a day | $140, plus fuel |
| Lyft or Uber at that morning's quotes | about $160 to $166 |
The parking figures are DEN's posted daily rates, which have been in effect since May 14, 2025. DEN's parking page recommends checking live lot availability on the day you travel. The rideshare numbers were one morning's quotes, not a set price.
Families get the biggest savings. Two adults with kids still pay $20 total each way, because the kids ride free.
The edges of the day decide the trip
The timetable is easier to plan around than the fare. Eastbound buses leave 8th & Coffman at 5:37 a.m. and every hour after, through 8:37 p.m. The first bus reaches DIA at 7:14 a.m. and the last at 10:14 p.m. Going home, buses leave Denver Airport Station from 6:02 a.m. to 9:02 p.m., and the last one reaches the Longmont Park-n-Ride at 10:24 p.m.
Here's what that means for a holiday booking:
- Early-morning departures. The first bus gets to the airport at 7:14 a.m., which rules out the dawn flights that are often the cheapest seats of the week. Count backward from boarding time, then add check-in and security.
- Late arrivals. If your flight lands after about 8 p.m., the 9:02 p.m. bus is tight once you add baggage claim. If it lands later, you'll need a ride home.
- The trip to the stop. RIDE Longmont, the city's shared-ride service, costs $2, or $1 for seniors, students and people with disabilities. You can book it through its app or at 970-538-9097. It's on demand only, with no advance reservations, and it runs 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. That puts the 5:37 a.m. bus out of its reach, along with any Sunday-evening arrival.
The bus can also take over the guest handoff. On the route's third day, a visitor heading home to Germany took the bus to DIA so his Longmont host, who had another guest to pick up that day, didn't have to make the drive, the Times-Call reported.
Thanksgiving runs on the Sunday schedule
RTD's AL timetable says service follows the Sunday/Holiday schedule on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The holiday tables show service in both directions, so the route doesn't shut down. On Thursday, Nov. 26, the airport-bound buses keep the same :37 departures from 8th & Coffman that the Saturday table shows. A few midday westbound trips do shift. A 12:54 p.m. weekday departure from DIA leaves at 1:02 p.m. on holidays, so check the Sunday/Holiday westbound schedule before you tell anyone when you'll be home.
The current timetable runs Sept. 27, 2026 through Jan. 2, 2027, so it covers the whole holiday season. RTD has proposed service changes that would start Jan. 3, 2027 if its board approves them. Route AL isn't on that list. The only airport changes proposed are for the Boulder routes AB1 and AB2.
Buy your pass ahead of time in the free RTD NextRide app, activate it, and scan the barcode when you board.
What the ride and the airport end look like
Suitcases go in a compartment under the 53-seat bus. There's a wheelchair lift and accessible seating, but no restroom and no Wi-Fi, so bring a hotspot if you plan to work. The Times-Call reporter also suggested a light jacket, since the air conditioning was strong.
At DIA, the bus drops off at Gate 6 in the transit center under the wing-shaped Westin hotel. An escalator heads toward the terminal, and the walk to airline check-in took the reporter about five minutes. For the ride home, Gate 9 is a short walk from Gate 6.
The early trips were quiet. On the return from DIA on day two, the reporter and photographer were the only passengers, and nobody got on at the stops along the way. Two trips can't show a ridership trend, but they do suggest you're unlikely to fight for a seat right now. That's not for lack of interest. Councilmember Matthew Popkin told the paper that 92% of the Ward 2 residents he surveyed while campaigning said they'd use an airport bus that cost $10 or less.
The bus stop is already moving south
Route AL starts at 8th & Coffman today, but that's not where Longmont plans to keep its regional buses. On Oct. 9, the city broke ground on the $70 million 1st & Main Transit Station at 613 1st Ave. The five-story station is planned with 10 bus bays and about 700 parking spaces, and it's being built alongside the Coffman Street extension. The city's project page lists construction from October 2026 to December 2027. BizWest reports that the station's buses will include local routes and regional service, including RTD's new direct link to DIA. RTD's own announcement doesn't mention a move yet.
Rail is further off. The Colorado Connector plan, which the Front Range Passenger Rail District approved July 31, 2026, aims to start service in 2029 with three Denver–Fort Collins round trips a day and a Longmont station. One longtime Longmont resident who rode the bus early on summed up what many riders seem to want:
"Let's hope that this stays running until the train arrives."
She told that to the Times-Call. For now, the free lot at 775 Coffman St. and the 5:37 a.m. first bus are what you have to work with this holiday season.
Planning a move where an hourly bus to DIA, a walk to downtown and a short drive to the foothills all matter? Meagan Griesel maps how Longmont actually works day to day, from airport runs to the new 1st & Main station, and can build you a neighborhood-focused strategy around the trips you'll take most.
