Colfax gets its first bus-only lanes

State of play: The Regional Transportation District's existing 15 and 15L bus lines will begin using the two center lanes between Colorado and Broadway starting Sunday, project manager Doug Monroe tells us.

• The shift marks a "return to normalcy."

Yes, but: It's not technically the BRT, at least not yet. That will use new buses running along 9.9-mile stretch from Denver Union Station to Interstate 225 in Aurora.

• The eventual Lynx BRT — its logo is already visible at the new stations — and will be more frequent, with buses arriving every 4.3 minutes.
• The goal is to boost ridership and improve reliability, Monroe tells us.

Context: New stations feature elevated platforms, added security cameras, an emergency phone, interior bike racks, sidewalk improvements and nearly 200 new trees.

• Those upgrades will help Colfax feel more like a walkable main street instead of a state highway, program director Jonathan Stewart tells us.

Between the lines: Clearing construction materials will likely be a welcome sight for storefronts that endured nearly two years of upheaval.

• Minimizing further disruption to businesses factored into the city's decision to open the segment about a year earlier than anticipated, Stewart adds.

What they're saying: Opening the lanes is an important moment for businesses that "showed real resilience," Argonaut Wine & Liquor general manager David Bentley, who sits on the Colfax Business Improvement District board, said.

What's next: RTD encourages riders to access stations from crosswalks only and asks bikes and scooters not to travel on the bus-only lane.

• The full Colfax BRT will likely be operational by late 2027, Stewart adds.