FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 13, 2020

Denver to Recommend Consultant to Advance Bus Rapid Transit on East Colfax Avenue

DENVER –  The City and County of Denver is taking important steps forward on its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which will help move more people, more efficiently on East Colfax Avenue. Denver has selected Parsons Transportation Group to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and preliminary design for the project following an evaluation of proposals that were submitted by shortlisted consultants this spring. The City will now enter negotiations with the consultant and expects to bring a contract to Denver City Council for approval this fall.

BRT on East Colfax is the largest transportation project the City and County of Denver has ever embarked upon.  It will be transformational in how people move along this corridor and in our city and will give Denver critical experience to potentially replicate on other corridors to move more people, more efficiently. Benefits of BRT on East Colfax include:

• Significant shift from vehicles to transit due to improved travel times, reliability and convenience
• Bus ridership more than doubles – from 22,000 up to 50,000 daily riders by 2035
• Improved transit travel time of up to 15 minutes during peak hours by 2035
• Improved safety, connectivity, accessibility and mobility options for all travelers
• Increased streetscaping and economic development opportunities
• Improved access to 280,000 jobs and nearly 50 schools along and near Colfax Avenue

The NEPA process and preliminary design are anticipated to take up to three years to complete. To date, Denver has secured $55M in funds for the East Colfax BRT through the Elevate Denver Bond Program, which voters passed in 2017. The City intends to leverage Elevate Denver Bond funding, along with funds from other available sources, to secure additional grant funds to achieve the full vision for the East Colfax BRT.

For more information, please visit colfaxbrt.org.