ASPEN — The new Bike Express, specially outfitted to carry as many as 14 bicycles between Aspen and Glenwood Springs, is now in operation.

The Roaring Fork Transportation Agency launched the Bike Express this summer to accommodate passengers who want to carry their bikes to various destinations in the valley.

While regular RFTA buses can haul a maximum of four bikes at a time on an exterior rack on the front of the bus, the Bike Express can carry 10 bikes inside and another four on the outside rack. Incidentally, RFTA will not carry bikes on an outside rack after 7:30 p.m. (the bikes hinder visibility of the bus’ headlights).

The fee is $2 per bike, in addition to the regular passenger fare, payable by cash or RFTA punch pass only.

While RFTA has said it will fine tune the Bike Express’ schedule once it has a better idea of ridership needs, the schedule for begins in Glenwood Springs, but the bus spends most of the day running between Aspen and El Jebel.

The schedule:
11:55 a.m. — Departs Glenwood for Aspen
1:45 p.m. — Departs Aspen for El Jebel
2:30 p.m. — Departs El Jebel for Aspen
3:45 p.m. — Departs Aspen for El Jebel
4:30 p.m. — Departs El Jebel for Aspen
5:45 p.m. — Departs Aspen for El Jebel
7:30 p.m. — Departs El Jebel for Aspen
8:45 p.m. — Departs Aspen for Glenwood Springs

Along its way, the bus will stop to load passengers and their bikes only at designated bike stops (RFTA only allows the loading and unloading of bikes at certain stops).

Bikes can be loaded and unloaded at the following stops:

Rifle Metro Park
Silt Town Hall
New Castle at 6th and Main
Glenwood Park & Ride;
Glenwood at 7th Street
Glenwood Wal-Mart
CMC
Carbondale park and ride
El Jebel park and ride
Basalt park and ride
Lazy Glen
Old Snowmass
Aspen Village
Brush Creek intercept lot
Snowmass Village Mall
Aspen Airport Business Center
Maroon Creek roundabout
Rubey Park bus station in downtown Aspen