Denver City Council approves amendment for Colfax BRT project, paving the way for increased ridership

The Denver City Council unanimously approved an amendment to an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Regional Transportation District (RTD) for the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The ambitious project, halving the car lanes on Colfax Avenue, will likely cause headaches for motorists and businesses — but may bring a surge in ridership along one of Denver's busiest traffic corridors. 

The approved changes were largely administrative, expanding the language of the agreement to clarify responsibilities and provided provisions for the construction phase. Despite this, Councilwoman Shontel Lewis shared her, and her constituents' somewhat mixed reactions to the project.

"We're really excited about the Colfax BRT coming to several different districts not just District 8," she said. "[But] we've heard concerns from our constituents particularly our business owners about the impacts to businesses during the construction time."

The Colfax BRT line will radically change the street scape of East Colfax Avenue. Renderings show the arterial road cut down to one vehicle lane each direction, a bus lane with center boarding islands and a parking lane. The system will move people more efficiently, safely and sustainably, Project Director Jonathan Stewart previously told The Denver Gazette.

City documents envision the bus-only lane stretching 5.5 miles from Pennsylvania Street Station to Uinta Street. The project is currently in the final design and preconstruction phase, according to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI).

There were no changes to the $255 million cost of the project, nor the length of the project. It is estimated to be completed by 2027, though this is contingent upon getting federal funding by summer of this year, according to DOTI.

The #15 and #15L busses, which run from Downtown Denver to Aurora's Town Center, serve more than 20,000 riders per weekday. To put that into perspective, over the course of one work week, the Colfax busses move the population of Highlands Ranch or Longmont. In one month, it moves more people than live in Colorado Springs. 

And it's only going to go up, Kuhn said. 

"We estimate seeing an increase in ridership of up to 31% by 2040 versus a no-build scenario," she said. "Colfax BRT will consolidate and replace the existing 15 and 15L bus routes, resulting in a more reliable and frequent bus service, arriving every 4.3 minutes during the day."

But businesses along the corridor may hurt during the construction process. The city is proactively working with them, Kuhn said, providing construction timelines and information about potential impacts as soon as those are available. The city also has a toolkit for businesses. 

Traffic may increase along bordering roads as a result of changing Colfax Avenue's layout, according to a city traffic study. As many as 270 extra cars may find themselves on 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th Avenues, equating to two-to-five cars per minute. 

"While this shift in traffic volume will increase travel times for people driving...  modeling shows that vehicle travel times will grow by 2040 even without the project," the study reads. "Projects to improve vehicle flow will be implemented at specific locations to ensure that increases in vehicle travel time are minimized."