Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project groundbreaking ceremony on Friday
The project has prompted worry among residents and business owners up and down Denver's iconic avenue.
A major corridor in Denver is set to receive a massive facelift starting Friday.
Representatives from across the city, region and national representatives will gather near East High School Friday to kick off the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project. The project will dramatically reshape Colfax Avenue, Denver’s busiest transit corridor, and half the lanes available to motorists while dedicating two lanes for busses only.
Among the noted guests are Sen. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Diana DeGette, members of the Federal Transit Administration and Denver and Aurora city officials.
The center-running BRT line will be the first of its kind in Denver, according to a news release from the Regional Transportation District. Once complete, RTD estimates the project will reduce transit travel time by up to 30 minutes on Colfax Avenue and “provide more reliable access to more than 250,000 jobs and community services along the corridor.”
“The project is furthering both city and state goals to create more options for people to move safely, equitably and efficiently throughout the Denver Metro Region and beyond,” the release said.
The project is expected to cost $280 million and is funded by a variety of sources. The U.S. Department of Transportation has committed $150 million while Denver is on the hook for $88 million. Aurora, which will have a small stretch of side-running BRT is contributing $14 million to the project while the Denver Regional Council of Governments is providing $28.4 million.
While the center-running BRT is the most obvious change coming to “America’s longest commercial road,” the project is also going to bring what RTD calls an “enhanced pedestrian experience” that features more trees, lighting and improved sidewalk and transit stops, according to the release.
Businesses are likely to be heavily impacted by the project and in recognition of that, the project team is launching a business support campaign called “We Back the Fax.”
Denver City Councilmember Amanda Sawyer previously said she does not believe existing business support money, currently more than $1 million, is sufficient and is seeking more as the city moves through the 2025 budget process.