Bus passengers and operators expressed enough concern about their safety at the South Tejon Park-n-Ride in Colorado Springs that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) ended its bus service from the stop altogether.
That announcement came less than two weeks ago. CDOT said it was terminating its service at the bus stop located underneath I-25 between Tejon and Nevada as of Dec. 1, saying it’s become an “unsafe environment.”
“Aggressive behavior, including threatening behavior to both passengers and bus operators by some people populating the site, along with drug use, and open fires are just some of the safety hazards that have been documented,” said an email from Bob Wilson, statewide communications manager for CDOT’s Bustang.
On November 30, a Bustang operator driving the last bus out of the location acknowledged it was a dangerous stop. He said he’d often pull in and depart as quickly as he could.
A large group of unhoused individuals populate the area in and around the Tejon Park-n-Ride. The parking lot and bus stop are often littered with trash and debris.
CDOT said unless something drastically changes to make it safe again, they have no immediate plans to return bus operations in the near future. CDOT owns the property and said it’ll continue as a park-n-ride for carpoolers.
Greyhound bus service still utilizes the stop and did not return a request for comment about their future plans despite multiple attempts to reach them.
William Warrington was waiting for a Greyhound bus at the S Tejon Park-n-Ride but said he never wanted to return.
“I can see why nobody wants to ride the Greyhound right here. Or the Bustang. It’s terrible,” said Warrington. “There's trash everywhere. Trash cans overflowing. Trash all on the floor. I've seen three people ask me for drugs within an hour.”
Warrington said he’d been guarding his bags since arriving and wondered why there was no building for warmth or a restroom at the bus stop.
“What are we paying our taxes for if nothing is getting done?” asked Warrington.
According to a records request with the Colorado Springs Police Department, there were 375 calls for service in that location from Dec. 1 2023 through Dec. 1 of this year.
43% of those were officer-initiated. Officer-initiated traffic calls add another 320 calls for service.
Calls for service ranged from suspicious person or vehicle to trespassing and disturbance. There were 22 calls related to drugs or narcotics and 21 calls for camping. There were six calls for assault, six for shots fired, five for robbery, and two shootings, amongst many others.
Though CDOT owns the property, they have an agreement with the City of Colorado Springs to clean and maintain the Park-n-Ride location through July 2025. Mountain Metro Transit, the local bus service, hires an outside contractor to clean the area three times a week, a spokesperson said.
A call to the News 5 tip line indicated the outside contractor often brings two crews for the S Tejon Park-n-Ride due to safety concerns, but the city did not confirm that nor directly answer that question.
“The agreement states that Mountain Metro Transit is responsible for basic on-going and seasonal maintenance, such as trash and snow removal,” said Richard Mulledy, the City of Colorado Springs Public Works Director in a statement. “The contractor can also utilize the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team for support when necessary.”
Mulledy said after the agreement ends next July, the City will continue to maintain the area through that time unless another agreement is made.
The South Tejon Park-n-Ride sits in City Council District 3, which is represented by City Councilwoman Michelle Talarico.
News 5 reached out to the city council for comment on Friday to learn if any safety improvement plans were in the works for the park-n-ride location but did not receive a response yet.
Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTVon X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
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