EcoPass Frequently Asked Questions

Any business or neighborhood in Boulder County is eligible for the EcoPass program- regardless of size! This includes business or neighborhood that may have participated in the past. Individuals or families cannot buy an EcoPass on their own, so they should visit the RTD website for fare information.

Using your EcoPass is easy. Just tap your EcoPass card when boarding the bus or on the light rail platform, show your EcoPass card to the bus drive or light rail inspector. Then take a seat, relax and enjoy the ride.

You can get a Business EcoPass through your employer if they sign up.

You can get a Neighborhood EcoPass if your neighborhood signs up.

You can get a Community EcoPass through your community; currently only Nederland and Lyons are participating.

Eco Pass holders are also eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home Program; it’s an insurance policy on wheels. This program enables Eco Pass holders who use any form of alternative transportation in their commute to work, be it bus, light rail, bicycle or walking, to a free taxi-ride home in the event of an emergency or an unexpected event! If the employee becomes sick, needs to attend to a family member or must work late unexpectedly – they have a ride home!

Individuals or families cannot buy an EcoPass on their own, so they should visit the RTD website for fare information.

Below is an average cost per mile depending on the type of vehicle you drive.

For a mid-size car, this means that for a 20 mile commute (10 miles in each direction to and from work), you are spending 58.2¢/mile x 20 miles = $11.64 daily.

$11.64 x 5 days a week = $58.20 weekly or $58.2 x 4 weeks = $232.80 monthly.

These numbers only account for gasoline and wear and tear charges on a vehicle, with no mention of car insurance, car payments or road tolls and parking fees. Under these circumstances EcoPass is paying for itself in less than 1 month!

Since the inception of the EcoPass program over 20 years ago, we have found that EcoPass cardholders are 5-9x more likely to ride transit than non-EcoPass holders.

Business EcoPass

EcoPass can be paid entirely by an employer, entirely by the employees of a company, or any combination of the two (i.e. 50/50). Many businesses purchase EcoPass for their staff as an employment benefit, similar to health care or life insurance.

Neighborhood EcoPass

There are a variety of methods to raise funds for the neighborhood EcoPass program. In the past, neighborhoods have used everything from mandatory fees through an HOA, to voluntary contributions, to garage sales to pay for their programs. Neighborhood Coordinators are also able to determine how to bill for the EcoPass (by household or individual passes, etc.), and who receives an EcoPass and who does not based upon contributions (some neighborhoods give all residents a pass, other only give passes to residents who contribute a minimum amount of funds to the program.

For the business EcoPass, there is no minimum number of employees required for the program. Currently, the EcoPass program has companies that range from 2 to 2,000+ employees.

Your EcoPass is only good as long as you are an employee of an EcoPass provider or as long as you live within the participating neighborhood or community. All passes must be returned to your employer upon termination or employees/employers may be assessed a fee for non-return.

Report your lost pass to your employer. Your employer will provide you with an Authorization Form that you must bring to an RTD location to obtain a replacement pass. Lost passes cost $10 and must be paid for at the time of issuance.

RTD just began their LiVE program for low-income residents. Check out this slideshow for information about how to sign up.