AURORA | The Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project has made its way to Aurora, with construction on the improved bus route kicking off after a groundbreaking celebration last week.
The bus rapid transit project, a collaboration between government agencies including the city and the Regional Transportation District, aims to increase bus capacity and frequency along the Colfax corridor in Denver and Aurora.
Aurora’s portion of the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit will upgrade bus amenities on a three mile stretch of Colfax from Yosemite Street to the Interstate 225 and Colfax light rail station. The upgrades include enhanced bus stations, more accessible boarding, fare payment stations, real-time arrival information and signal priority at intersections.
Unlike Denver, Aurora’s portion of the project will not have center-running, bus-only lanes, but will instead utilize side-running, mixed-traffic lanes.
Construction is planned to progress block by block and is expected to be completed next fall. Traffic is set to remain open while construction is ongoing. Once Aurora’s segment is complete, the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit will run from Union Station in Denver to the I-225 and Colfax light rail station.
Denver businesses along the Colfax corridor where the street has been redesigned and rebuilt to accommodate the center-lane bus traffic has drawn years of criticism for the disruptions it caused.
Mayor Mike Coffman said the bus rapid transit system will help address the growing transportation demands in the city and improve connectivity. Buses will be scheduled every four minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night.
According to RTD, the bus rapid transit system will reduce travel time along the corridor by up to 30 minutes. By 2040, RTD estimates that the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit will serve nearly 32,400 daily riders, up from nearly 24,500 daily riders in 2019.
“With BRT, this corridor will make travel between downtown Denver, I-25 and Aurora better in the long term, improving travel time, providing reliable service and making it safer for people traveling along the corridor,” Coffman said.
The cost for the total project, including Denver’s portion, is roughly $280 million. Aurora contributed $14 million, the Federal Transit Administration granted $150 million, the Denver Regional Council of Governments funded $28.45 million and funding from Denver covered the remaining costs.
In addition to addressing demand, Coffman said the improved bus system will help support the city’s other efforts to revive the Colfax area, like the Colfax Downtown Development Authority and the city’s infrastructure task force, Build Up Aurora. The downtown development authority is a voter-approved special district focused on economic development that the city is in the process of creating.
“High quality and consistent bus rapid transit will contribute to the work of the DDA and the Community Development Corporation, providing a better transportation connection and supporting a thriving economic environment for everyone,” Coffman said.
Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshanna Lew said the project represents a collaborative effort over years of planning, including making sure the bus rapid transit was built where it’s most needed and to match the communities it runs through. Aurora has been part of the bus rapid transit project since 2012.
“I think it’s a great thing that this is going to look slightly different on the Denver and Aurora sides because it means we were thoughtful in how it will fit into each part of the community as it runs as one continuous network,” Lew said.
Coffman is also hopeful that the construction for the side-running, mixed-traffic lanes will be less disruptive to businesses than Denver’s center-running lanes have been. In Denver, construction has caused businesses to lose revenue and even some closures, leading the city to implement a grant program.
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, who praised the bus rapid transit project on May 1, encouraged people to support businesses on Colfax throughout construction.
“Susan and I love this street, we love the restaurants and businesses that are on this street and we have to do our part to make sure they stay alive,” Bennet said, referencing his wife.
Aurora officials are also working with the Denver Regional Council of Governments to study the possibility of continuing the bus rapid transit route along Colfax to East 470. That project is called Colfax BRT Next.