In the ranching world, a colt is a young horse, often spirited and feisty. Here in Cochrane, COLT: Cochrane On-Demand Local Transit is a bold new way to deliver transit, designed specifically for our community. COLT uses technology to provide responsive on-demand service — where and when Cochranites want it.
COLT’s dynamic logo acknowledges our past while riding into the future. The strong, vibrant colours and clean, modern typography make COLT recognizable from down the hill or up the street.
Council approved the proposed fares in the bylaw which come into effect January 1, 2020:
When you know you’ll want a ride on COLT, you can use the website, mobile app
or call COLT directly to request a bus at a specific stop at a specific day and time (during service hours).
Buses can be requested up to a week in advance, or just minutes in advance (pending availability).
The Ride COLT app is available on Google Play and the Apple store.
Yes!
You can use the BOOK A RIDE button on this website or call 403-851-5995.
COLT has eight low-floor, 21-seat buses with accessible entrance ramps, one wheelchair space, and bicycle racks.
COLT has 149 unique bus stops in Cochrane. As the system is used, stops may be moved or added.
COLT is based on a first-come, first-serve basis with dynamic bus routes created based on actual user demand. We allow users to book up to one week in advance or last minute (pending availability). To secure the best trip we recommend booking as far in advance as possible.
Failed searches due to high demand occur when there are more ride requests than are available buses on the road to service these requests. COLT tracks these failed searches and works to make service adjustments to better meet demand in the future.
All COLT bus stops are listed on the website and app. Visit this page for more information.
COLT will operate Monday to Friday from 6am-8pm and Saturdays from 9am-3pm.
There is no service on Sundays or statutory holidays.
Yes, COLT buses are fully accessible; there is one wheelchair spot on each bus.
And if you have an attendant, they ride free.
Yes, you can bring your child in a stroller onto a COLT bus. A child can remain in their stroller if the wheelchair space is available and the bus is not at capacity, otherwise the child must be removed from their stroller and the stroller must be folded. If a child is to remain in their stroller, the stroller will be positioned in the wheelchair space with the wheels locked and aligned the same direction as the buses wheels.
You know your kids best; they can ride alone at your discretion.
No, COLT does not have enough vehicles to replace school buses. COLT serves the entire community and is a great way to get to before and after-school activities, your part-time job or occasional appointment.
Yes, each COLT bus has space for two bikes (including fat tire bikes), and when booking a ride you will reserve a space for your bike. Children bikes, scooters, and skateboards can be taken on the bus, but must be held for the entire duration of the ride. Please see our video: Ride COLT: How to put your bike on the bus
Yes, you can take sports equipment on the bus.
No, pets are not permitted on COLT buses. Service animals are an exception.
The Town negotiated a contract with Southland Transportation to operate the COLT
transit system.
COLT has partnered with Southland’s On-It service to provide an interim regional service between Cochrane, the Brentwood LRT Station and Downtown Calgary. More information on routes, schedules, fares and terms of service can be found at: https://www.onitregionaltransit.ca/cochrane-commuter/
This interim regional service will serve as a smaller test for the planned local/regional service integration between COLT and an enhanced On-It regional service that would take people to/from Calgary. An official launch date for this integrated service has been postponed due to COVID-19.
The Town received $6 million in provincial GreenTRIP funding for buses, the transit
hub and bus stops.
COLT operates on a planned net budget of $600,000 per year. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, COLT was able to adapt to lower levels of demand to save on operations costs while still maintaining service levels, as a result COLT came in 22% under the planned 2020 budget, and 5% under the 2021 budget.
The Town of Cochrane has an approved Transit Bylaw that outlines the terms of service (rules and penalties) for COLT.
To ensure that all our customers have fair access to book their rides, we have updated our policy as follows. Effective March 1st, 2021, we will begin to assess and throttle bookings for COLT user accounts based on the number of no-show or late cancellations:
We will be assessing accounts on an ongoing basis; if you fall within this threshold, the booking system will limit your capacity to book a ride for 7 days to a maximum of 2 open rides. We understand your plans may change and we appreciate when you cancel your trip in advance rather than no show. This program is meant to address account holders who show a pattern of late cancellations or no shows — this behavior unfairly reduces the level of service we can provide to our COLT riders. If the problem of no shows and/or late cancellations persists then the account will be suspended for up to 30 days. If the behavior is deemed to be interfering with COLT service, then Transit Bylaw 22/2019 will be enforced.