Overview:
A proposed Colorado Boulevard bus rapid transit line could improve safety and transit service, but community members fear worse traffic.
A proposal to dedicate lanes on Colorado Boulevard exclusively to buses is moving into its next planning stage. Residents are sharply divided over whether the project would make the corridor safer and easier to use or create new problems for drivers and businesses.
Denver native Dan Danbom is skeptical. He said the plan is based on the assumption that people will return to riding buses in large numbers.
“There is no evidence that bus rapid transit is going to get people out of their cars and onto buses again,” he said. “My understanding is that it hasn’t worked elsewhere.”
Daniel Woods, a Denver resident of roughly 20 years, sees it differently. He said Denver’s current bus system is too slow and difficult to use, especially when a trip requires a transfer.
“I have felt for a long time that Denver is too hard to get around in by the current bus system,” he said. “It takes far too long to get anywhere, especially if the trip I’m planning requires a transfer to another line.”
That divide is at the center of the Colorado Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit proposal, a Colorado Department of Transportation project that would run from I-70 south to the Southmoor transit station near Hampden Avenue. If approved, the project could convert one or more vehicle lanes into bus-only lanes to help buses move more quickly through the corridor.
The plan has become one of the latest flashpoints in Denver’s larger debate over how to move people through the city as congestion, safety concerns and frustration with public transit continue to collide.
In recent years, residents have raised concerns about how difficult Colorado Boulevard can be to walk, bike or cross, even as the road passes through or near several more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. According to CDOT, Colorado Boulevard is part of Denver’s high-injury network, meaning it has a high number of serious crashes involving drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Tamara Rollison, communications manager for CDOT, said the project could reduce the potential for severe and fatal crashes by up to 30%.
“People are concerned about traffic congestion and safety and want something done to improve Colorado Boulevard,” she said.
According to the project website, the system is intended to combine the speed and reliability of light rail with the lower cost and flexibility of bus transit. Planned features could include dedicated bus lanes, enhanced stations, all-door boarding and traffic signal priority to reduce delays and improve reliability.
The four proposed options for placement of the new bus lane are:
- A “mix-flow” format where buses and other traffic share lanes
- Traditional, side-running lane
- A center lane that transitions into a side running lane at Alameda Avenue
- No build
The Department of Transportation has asked locals to vote on which option they would prefer in an online survey.
Rollison said that CDOT’s analysis shows that the center-running lane “has weaknesses relative to other choices such as unacceptable traffic impacts (and) higher construction impacts and costs.” However, she said, no decisions have been made at this time.
For opponents, the biggest concerns are traffic, access and disruption during construction. Danbom pointed to a BRT initiative on Colfax Avenue that drew criticism for being poorly planned and executed.
He also worries about the impact the construction would have on local businesses. He owns a bookstore on South Broadway that was negatively impacted by a different construction project.
“For months people could not get to our business,” he said. “From a business standpoint, it’s devastating. From a transportation standpoint, I’m not sure it’s going to work.”
Many online comments question why Denver should invest in the project when bus ridership numbers are down. In February, The Denver Post reported that Regional Transportation District ridership was down 40% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Supporters argue that the point of the project is to make bus service more reliable so more people will actually use it. A report from the National Library of Medicine says that BRT projects can increase bus ridership by up to 35%.
“The Colorado Boulevard corridor is one of the busiest bus routes in the entire RTD system with over one million boardings per year,” Rollison said. “We expect BRT will double transit use and move more people more efficiently and safely through the corridor.”
Wood said he is excited about the Colfax BRT line now under construction and believes a similar project on Colorado Boulevard could make transit more practical.
“Now that the BRT is being built on Colfax, I will have more flexibility in going to the concert venues and restaurants along that street,” he said.
The proposal has also drawn opposition from Glendale, the small city surrounded by Denver that sits in the middle of the roughly 7-mile project corridor. Earlier this month, the Glendale City Council passed a resolution opposing the project and is pushing for the “no build” option.
Glendale City Manager Chuck Line told The Denver Post that the project would “take away road capacity” and “take away left turns,” which he said would have a massive impact on Glendale. Bucket List Community Cafe reached out to multiple local businesses along Colorado Boulevard in Glendale, but all declined to comment.
CDOT hosted an open house about the project in mid-May that drew about 300 people, according to Denver Westword. Neighbors debated whether the emphasis on north-south traffic would result in longer wait times for east-west travelers and increase carbon emissions. Rollison does not anticipate that there will be another open house.
The project is still years away from completion. CDOT has secured funding for the design phase, but not for construction, which could cost up to $300 million. If approved, it is not expected to be finished until 2030. Whatever option is chosen, it will have a significant impact on the street.
“We are looking at making the best use of the space we have on Colorado Boulevard and transforming this corridor so it best serves all travelers safely and more efficiently,” Rollison said.
Community members with questions or concerns about the project are encouraged to contact the BRT team at ColoradoBlvdBRT@gmail.com or (720)-900-5609.
