DENVER — With holiday shopping in full swing, small business owners along East Colfax Avenue in Denver are hoping more people will shop local this season despite ongoing construction in the area that has significantly impacted foot traffic throughout the year.
Since October 2024, crews have been working on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project along the corridor. City officials said the center-running bus service will be from Broadway to Yosemite, with new transit stations, amenities, and better pedestrian and bike access. The project also extends into Aurora through side-running transit in mixed flow traffic east of Yosemite to I-225.
The goal is to provide more reliable and frequent bus service, with rides arriving every 4.3 minutes during the day, according to the city. However, the construction has created obstacles for local businesses, with many shop owners reporting a serious decline in customers walking through their doors.
"We write down how many people come in every day, and just comparing that from years past, it was definitely significantly lower this year," said Bex Alberico, co-owner of The Learned Lemur, an oddity shop along East Colfax Avenue.
She and her husband, Gio, have ran the store's Denver location since August of 2021.
"It has been, you know, a very unique challenge, very interesting challenge," said Gio. "I don't think there's any way with a project like this to make everybody happy."
Denon Moore, with the Colfax Ave Business Improvement District (BID), said they have been doing all they can to boost local businesses during the construction period.
"We made it a real big point this year to focus on our small businesses because of bus rapid transit construction," said Moore. "You know, they're just feeling tired and frayed. And this is, you know, the season to bring your books back into the black."
During the busy holiday shopping season, the BID is working to host more events and promotions to bring shoppers to the area. On Saturday, The Learned Lemur hosted an artisan market with 15 local artists to celebrate Small Business Saturday.
"We don't want to lose them during this time of like, change and, you know, improvement. We really want them to stick around," said Moore.
As shoppers work through their holiday gift lists, some recognize the importance of supporting local businesses, even during difficult economic times.
"With the economy the way it is right now it's definitely important to try to support small businesses," said John Harton, who was shopping at the artisan market on Saturday.
Despite construction challenges, business owners are hopeful that more people will choose to shop local this season.
"We don't do this because it's an easy payday. We do this because it's a labor of love," said Gio.
The BRT project is expected to be complete in 2027. The city's website shows crews are about halfway done with work from Broadway to Colorado, with the entire project about 31% complete.
