In July, BCTC launched an exciting new campaign: Hop & Skip to First Friday from Downtown to NoBo Art District. Funded by a Boulder Vision Grant awarded by the Boulder Arts Commission, and developed in partnership with The New Local and NoBo Art District, the campaign encourages art lovers to ditch the car and use Boulder’s fast, frequent transit routes to experience First Friday across both districts in a single evening.
Why Hop & Skip? Boulder is fortunate to have two central transit routes that make getting around the city’s arts and culture corridor easy and efficient:
- The HOP is a circulator bus managed by the City of Boulder and operated by Boulder’s own nonprofit, Via Mobility Services. It runs every 12-15 minutes near The New Local galleries on Pearl Street (the nearest stop is at Pearl and 10th Streets), and circulates through downtown, the Hill, and the CU Boulder campus.
- The SKIP, managed and operated by RTD, runs every 15-30 minutes along Broadway, Boulder’s central spine, connecting the northern edge of the NoBo Art District all the way to South Boulder.
Together, these routes let gallery-goers park once, at a city garage or park-and-ride, then HOP downtown to take in the galleries and exhibitions before catching the SKIP up to NoBo, all without ever moving the car. It’s a simple shift that opens up more of the city to explore on a summer evening, with performers and artist activations along the route the whole way.
Make a Night of It! Catch the HOP to explore everything happening downtown between 4 and 7 pm, then hop on the SKIP to ride up Broadway into the NoBo Art District to catch events between 6 and 9 pm. Riders can get off at Violet Street and walk north to take in the activations and galleries all the way to the district’s northern edge. It’s a low-stress, low-cost way to see more art, hear more music, and skip the parking hassle entirely.
How to Ride: The easiest way to ride the HOP and SKIP buses is to tap your RTD MyRide app or use your work-issued EcoPass! Everyone who works in Downtown Boulder or on University Hill has access to a free EcoPass. We can help you access yours! Don’t work Downtown or on the Hill? Reach out to us at ecopass@boulderchamber.com to get your employer on board or to inquire about getting a neighborhood EcoPass.
No pass? No problem! Just tap your mobile wallet or tap-enabled debit or credit card for the best fare every ride.
You can discover how easy it is to use Boulder’s transit system to connect with local arts and culture, this summer and beyond by giving Hop & Skip to First Friday a try! We’ll be out and about in both districts, handing out special gifts and talking with participants on July 3, August 7, and September 4. See you out there!
BCTC está lanzando una campaña emocionante: Hop y Skip al Primer Viernes desde el Centro de Boulder al Districto de Arte NoBo.
Cómo ir en autobús: La manera más fácil para ir en los autobuses HOP y SKIP es usar su applicación de RTD MyRide o usar su EcoPass del trabajo! Empleados que trabajan en el centro de Boulder o en University Hill tienen acceso a un EcoPass gratis. Podemos ayudarle para accesar el suyo! No trabaja en el centro de Boulder o en el Hill? Póngase en contacto con nosotros en ecopass@boulderchamber.com para informarle a su empleador o preguntar cómo conseguir un EcoPass del vecindario.
No tiene pase? No hay problema! Solo toque su cartera mobile o tarjeta de crédito o debito para la mejor tarifa en cada viaje.