On Friday morning, bigwigs from all levels of government gathered in the City Park Esplanade, outside East High School to celebrate the launch of the East Colfax Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project.
The nearly $300 million project will speed up bus service along Aurora and Denver’s historically car-dominant strip. Once the project is complete around 2027, buses will arrive as frequently as every four minutes and run 24/7.
The initial construction phase will run from Broadway to Williams Street, starting the week of Oct. 7. It will eventually make its way to I-225 in Aurora. Here’s what to expect during construction, and once the project’s finished.
What will happen during construction?
The first part of the project covers just more than a mile, heading east from Civic Center and ending at Williams Street, which is just east of Park Avenue. Workers will start by digging holes into the existing street to figure out what the current conditions of Colfax are and where underground utilities are located.
Traffic is going to be reconfigured during construction. In some areas, it will be reduced to one lane, along with some dedicated bus pull-out lanes.
You’ll start seeing signs and barriers put up to ensure traffic, pedestrian and worker safety.
Expect slowdowns and slow speeds. Parking will be reduced in certain areas, and more signs will let drivers know where they can’t leave their cars.
The 15/15L bus will continue operating, though some stops will temporarily be moved. To keep track of the day-to-day RTD details, sign up for alerts.
All Colfax businesses should be able to stay open through the entire project, though parking and pedestrian access might be a challenge. Work will mostly happen between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. depending on the weather.
Kraemer North America is the main contractor. The Federal Transit Administration is contributing an additional $150 million.
When will the rest of the project happen?
Here’s the long-term construction schedule:
- Segment 1: Oct. 2024 to spring 2026, from Broadway to Williams Street
- Segment 2: Early 2025 to mid-2026, from Williams Street to Monroe Street
- Segment 3: Late 2025 to late 2027, from Monroe Street to Niagra Street
- Segment 4: Early 2026 to late 2027, from Niagra Street to Yosemite Street
- Segment 5: Early 2026 to to mid-2027, from Yosemite Street to Interstate 225
What’s the Colfax BRT project all about?
Colfax is one of Denver’s busiest transit corridors. The 15 and 15L buses take more than 20,000 people down the street each day. But service has been sluggish and unreliable, and government officials have been looking for a fix.
The Colfax BRT will bring passengers from Interstate 225 in Aurora to Denver’s Civic Center Station and will reduce travel by 30 minutes.
From Broadway to the Aurora-Denver border at Yosemite Street, the project will include bus-only travel lanes running up the center of the street. Roughly 100 new trees, better lighting, improved sidewalks and nicer transit stops are also in the plans.
This will be one of the first times in recent history a Denver construction project will be taking away swaths of parking along a major transit corridor.
The project will cost $280 million and be funded by $150 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation, $55 million from the Elevate Denver Bond, $28.4 million from the Denver Regional Council of Governments and $14 million from the City of Aurora.
Plans for BRT on Colorado Boulevard and Federal Boulevard are also in the works.
Are businesses getting any help?
Some business owners worry they’ll be hurt by the massive construction project and the reduction of parking. Officials say it’s a long-term investment in the street’s economy.
To help businesses survive the next few years of construction, the City of Denver has launched the Back the Fax campaign to remind people that businesses are still open along Colfax Avenue.
Back the Fax will host events and raffles to bring out customers.
The city has $2.8 million set aside in the 2025 budget for businesses struggling due to construction projects, mostly along the 16th Street Mall and Colfax Avenue.
But council member Amanda Sawyer said it’s not enough—she wants an additional $1.1 million.
The partners leading the project will host regular meetings with small businesses on Colfax. They’ll talk about construction, design and grant updates and also offer tips for how to survive as a business during construction.
The next of those Chats on Colfax will take place at La Abeja Restaurant, at 508 E. Colfax Ave., from 3 to 4:30 p.m., on Oct. 23.
Frank Locantore, of the Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District, has long backed the project.
“We know that transit mobility is critically important to our quality of life, how we build community, how we build relationships, how we create economic opportunity and commerce,” he said at the launch.
But he also acknowledged the construction would be a challenge to businesses and pleaded with the community to support them.
“Your superpower is that you can visit, frequent and patronize the businesses that are right in the midst of construction and help them with your purchasing power,” Locantore said. “Traffic will be flowing in each direction on Colfax. The sidewalks will be open on each side of Colfax. The businesses will be on open on each side of Colfax. You can access them. They want to see you.”
