DENVER — As the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project reaches a halfway point, drivers, residents, and nearby businesses continue to navigate disruptions brought by a year and a half of construction along the corridor.
On Monday night, crews installed a station arch at Quebec Street, the first station arch in the historic East Colfax neighborhood. The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure hosted a community watch party at Fiction Beer Company in an effort to get people to come to East Colfax during construction.
"Colfax is still open, even though we're still working on it," said Jonathan Stewart, the BRT project director. "I mean, we're doing a transformation of Colfax, right? And we're here to make it work better for everyone."
The goal of the East Colfax BRT project is to create a faster, more reliable bus service, with buses running in dedicated lanes along the Colfax corridor from Broadway to Yosemite. The bus rapid transit will mix in with other traffic from Yosemite to I-225. DOTI said the project also includes upgraded transit stations and improved pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
The BRT project is expected to reduce travel time along the corridor by 15 to 30 minutes, with buses arriving every 4.3 minutes during the day, according to DOTI.
"The city is actually growing, and we expect a lot more people to be moving down to the Colfax area," said Stewart. "As more people come, we're getting more traffic, and we're not able to widen the street. The businesses are already all up and down the street. And so what we can do is we can make the buses move faster, make it more reliable, and make it cheaper."
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Since construction began in late 2024, Denver7 has covered the project's impact on local businesses, including disruptions and a decline in foot traffic.
"Initially, it was hard because we had quite a bit of impact because of the utilities going in, and it made it difficult for them [customers] to get into the parking lot," said Dirk Turner with Park Hill Treasures, an antique vendor mall along East Colfax. "At times, literally, the only way into our space here was through the alley."
He said, despite the construction headaches, staff members are excited to see the benefits of the project.
"We hope that it'll lead to people using it like a shuttle, up and down, and that kind of thing, particularly if they're coming down for a day of shopping, or perhaps going into downtown from elsewhere," said Turner. "We're certainly hopeful. It remains to be seen, but it seems like a positive thing in the long run. It's a struggle right now, but we're very hopeful for the future."
Park Hill resident Jude Howard said he's looking forward to faster transit to and from school and work.
"There have been so many days that I've been late to school because the bus doesn't come or it doesn't stop at my stop," he said. "A lot of people speed on Colfax; it's kind of notorious for being like a dangerous street, and I feel like this would make it more walkable. I for sure see the benefits. I think it's worth the ugly construction for a little bit."
The $280 million project is expected to be done by the end of 2027, while DOTI said crews plan to open up the segment from Broadway to Colorado later this year.
Stewart said DOTI has prioritized construction sequencing to minimize impacts to businesses while supporting business owners financially through the city's Business Impact Opportunity Fund.
WeBackTheFax, a business support campaign, also launched the Fax Pass, a rewards program that encourages visitors and residents to support East Colfax businesses during the construction.
