SCHEDULED77% CONFIDENCERTD's service-change notice says "the initial service on East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will begin along Colfax Avenue starting Sept. 27."[1]
- Start
- Sep 27, 202675% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
Denver's East Colfax BRT Opens Its First Center Bus Lanes
Routes 15 and 15L move into new center-running bus-only lanes on East Colfax Avenue between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard, with passengers boarding at new island stations sheltered by steel arches. It is the first stretch of RTD's 8.5-mile bus rapid transit corridor from downtown Denver to I-225 in Aurora to carry buses, with full BRT service planned for late 2027 or early 2028.
- On Sunday, 27 September 2026, RTD begins initial East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit operations, with routes 15 and 15L running in the new center bus-only lanes on East Colfax Avenue between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard and customers boarding at the new stations in the center of the street[1][2][3][4]
- The change comes as part of RTD's regular service change package taking effect the same day, which also includes rail adjustments for the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project and the new hourly SkyRide Route AL between Longmont and Denver International Airport; RTD adjusts schedules three times a year[1]
- RTD had announced in June 2026 that the Broadway–Colorado Boulevard segment would reopen in the fall with its two center lanes converted to bus-only use, construction fencing and cones removed, and passenger vehicles confined to the outer lanes[2][4]
- A curb median installed in summer 2026 separates eastbound and westbound traffic, and drivers can now only turn left at signalized intersections[4]
- The reopened stretch is about 2 miles of a 2.5-mile construction section that had been torn up since late 2024; bus operators began training on the rebuilt avenue and its new signal system in August 2026[3]
- Riders should not expect the full BRT experience yet: the custom buses, real-time schedule displays and ticket machines are still being built out, so standard buses will run in the center lanes[3]
- Full BRT service is a multi-year effort — RTD's June 2026 posting said BRT service begins when construction is complete at the end of 2027, Hoodline reports late 2027 or early 2028, and in the September news release RTD Deputy CEO Angel Peña said the interim arrangement holds until full BRT launches in early 2028[2][3][4]
- Denver's portion broke ground in October 2024 and Aurora's segment on 1 May 2026; planning for Colfax transit improvements dates to 2008, with center-running BRT chosen after years of outreach and design completed in 2024[2][3]
- The city and local businesses planned a community celebration on Colfax Avenue on 28 September, the day after the lanes opened[3]
- Days before, on Monday 21 September 2026, Aurora held an arch-lifting party at the RTD Havana Street station (6–9 p.m. at Pollo Picante, 10498 E. Colfax Ave., arch raised around 8 p.m.) with free food samples, a dance performance, games and Fax Pass sign-ups[2]
- Construction has strained corridor businesses: Pete's Kitchen's general manager Alex Barakos said revenues fell more than 10 percent, while Aurora offers a small business support package including a $2,000 stipend; Denverite's analysis found openings and closings along Colfax about the same as previous years[2][3]
- Separately, RTD announced on 9 September 2026 that it awarded a New Flyer bus order in support of the East Colfax BRT project[4]
Notable features
- The completed East Colfax BRT will run 8.5 miles from downtown Denver (Union Station) to the Colfax station at Interstate 225 in Aurora, with dedicated center-running lanes from Broadway to Yosemite Street and side-running or mixed-flow lanes through Aurora[2][3]
- Station design uses island platforms in the center of Colfax Avenue sheltered by steel arches, replacing four traffic lanes plus occasional turn lanes and narrowing the remaining general-purpose lanes[3][4]
- Light-rail-style elements include traffic signal priority at intersections and dedicated lanes to remove common causes of bus delay, plus new and enhanced stations and improved pedestrian and bike connections[2]
- RTD has ordered 47 custom 60-foot articulated buses with three doors, level boarding and interior bike racks for the Colfax Lynx service that will replace routes 15 and 15L[3]
- Projected service is a bus every roughly 4 to 4.3 minutes during the day, cutting transit travel times by 15 to 30 minutes on what is RTD's highest-ridership bus corridor[2][3]
- Estimated total cost is $280.5 million, funded with a $149.9 million Federal Transit Administration Small Starts grant, $65 million from Denver's Elevate Denver bond, $28.5 million from the Denver Regional Council of Governments and $14 million from the City of Aurora; Denver City Council considered a $197.3 million construction contract with Kraemer North America LLC in September 2024[2][3]
References 477% CONFIDENCE
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]75%rtd-denver.com/community/news/2026/rtd-service-changes-take-effect-septrtd-denver.com· Posted Sep 20, 2026· Starts Sep 27, 2026 ✓· 28% of score
RTD's service-change notice says "the initial service on East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will begin along Colfax Avenue starting Sept. 27."
- [2]75%Aurora celebrates BRT progress in arch-lifting party - Denver Gazettedenvergazette.com· Published Sep 18, 2026· 27% of score
Routes 15/15L run in the center lanes from Sept 27; the full line from Union Station to I-225 in early 2028.[1]
- [3]75%Colfax Center Bus Lanes Open This Month, But Full BRT Experience Waits Until 2027 - Hoodlinehoodline.com· Published Sep 10, 2026· 26% of score
The 2-mile Broadway-Colorado Blvd segment opens Sept 27 on an 8.5-mile corridor to I-225; full BRT late 2027 or early 2028.[1]
- [4]88%Colfax reopens from Broadway to Colorado Boulevard this fall | RTD-Denverrtd-denver.com· Published Jun 15, 2026· 19% of score
RTD: center lanes become bus-only from fall 2026; 'Bus Rapid Transit service will begin when construction is complete at the end of 2027.'[1]
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