CDOT is inviting Denver residents to weigh in on the future of Colorado Boulevard as plans for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) move forward.
A public open house is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Clayton Early Learning Center at 3801 MLK Jr Blvd. The meeting will walk attendees through early design options and gather feedback as the project enters its alternatives analysis phase.
The Colorado Boulevard BRT project, led by CDOT in partnership with RTD, the City of Denver, Arapahoe County, Glendale and DRCOG, is studying high-capacity transit between I-70 and Southmoor Station.
The corridor is already one of RTD’s highest ridership routes, but buses today face delays and long travel times due to congestion.
BRT aims to address those issues by introducing faster, more reliable service through features such as enhanced stations, all-door boarding and, in some cases, dedicated lanes.
CDOT is currently evaluating three primary lane configurations: side-running bus-only lanes, center-running dedicated lanes and mixed-flow lanes that share space with general traffic. A hybrid approach is also being considered as the character of Colorado Boulevard shifts from dense commercial areas in the north to more residential sections in the south.
The May 13 meeting will outline the project’s purpose, highlight potential benefits and collect public input on corridor priorities. Spanish interpretation will be available.
The project remains in early planning stages, with construction not expected to begin until around 2028 to 2029 and BRT service targeted for 2030.
The discussion comes as Denver continues to build out its first center-running BRT line on East Colfax, which broke ground in October 2024 and is now roughly halfway complete. Initial service is expected in summer 2026, with full BRT operations planned for 2028.
As Colorado Boulevard evolves into a potential high-capacity transit corridor, CDOT is now asking a key question: should buses run in dedicated lanes or continue sharing space with traffic?