East Colfax BRT's first section opens as RTD buses move into center lanes

Under what RTD calls bus-only lane operations, Routes 15 and 15L now use the two center lanes on that stretch, and riders board at new center platforms instead of the old curb stops. The stations sit about three to four blocks apart, marked by white arches and canopies in the middle of the avenue. They offer level boarding, security cameras, lighting, emergency telephones, and interior bike racks, and buses get transit signal priority to hold green lights a little longer.

For now, riders still pay at the front door and may exit through any door. Cyclists board at the rear door and load bikes onto racks inside the bus. Near-level boarding means the bus rises and a ramp deploys for riders using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers. Off-board fare payment arrives later, with full bus rapid transit service.

Drivers lose the middle of the avenue: passenger vehicles stay in the outer lanes, and left turns are allowed only where a left-turn lane and turn arrow are present, with a curb median separating eastbound and westbound travel. New two-hour parking zones along Colfax and on side streets will be free and time-limited.

The full project delivers 8.5 miles of BRT on East Colfax between Broadway and I-225. The Denver portion as far east as Yosemite Street runs center-running with dedicated lanes; through Aurora the buses switch to side-running lanes in mixed traffic. RTD says the full BRT to I-225 is planned to open in late 2027 or early 2028, when every BRT element will be in place. Deputy CEO Angel Pena has put full Lynx Colfax service in early 2028.

The finished plan calls for buses about every 4.3 minutes during the day and 15 to 30 minutes of end-to-end travel time savings, Deep Arrival reports, citing RTD. When the finished line opens, it will run from Denver Union Station to the R Line light rail station in Aurora at I-225, with access to more than 250,000 jobs along the corridor.

The September service change also reshapes the routes around the new lanes. The western segment of Route 15 serving Decatur-Federal Station is discontinued, with Route 10 rerouted to that station via Auraria Parkway, West Colfax Avenue, and Federal Boulevard. Route 15L is rerouted to serve Union Station.

Denver marked the milestone on Monday with a 5 to 6 p.m. gathering at the Carla Madison Recreation Center at 2401 E. Colfax Avenue, after Sunday service had already switched to the center lanes, Deep Arrival reported. RTD Deputy CEO Angel Pena said riders should see faster, more reliable trips on the finished segment even before the full line opens.