Colorado Boulevard Catastrophe?

State And Local Governments Propose Drastically Constricting Auto Traffic On Colorado Boulevard
Two Lanes To Be Removed In Favor Of Buses And Bicycles

by Mark Smiley

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is bringing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to Colorado Boulevard similar to what Denver residents will soon have to endure on Colfax Avenue and Federal Boulevard. The development could potentially stifle an already congested corridor in the city of Denver. CDOT is attempting to build a coalition with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the City and County of Denver, Arapahoe County, and the City of Glendale. However, officials in Glendale and many other citizens are skeptical on the viability of the plan.

For the City of Glendale to endorse the project, according to Chuck Line, Glendale City Manager, “They need to show that access to our businesses or to our streets is not negatively impacted from their plan,” said Line. “Also, the congestion this would create would need to be alleviated by an identical amount of people taking public transporta­tion. At this time, they have not dem­on­strated that.”

Colorado Boulevard touches Glendale as far South as Mississippi Avenue and Alameda to the North. It also has ancillary streets such as Dahlia and Cherry that will be impacted by increased congestion on Colorado Boulevard. CDOT recognizes that Glendale would be a key ally if this project is to succeed. However, the organization with a $1.7B budget is a long way from ­acquiring acceptance from the village of Glendale. “Glen­dale has been a participant in the BRT process,” said Josh Bertrand, Deputy City Manager, City of Glendale. “I fully anticipate that local involvement will be needed but we have a long and bumpy ride as the plans meet reality.”

Some residents who live in close proximity to Colorado Boulevard question the need for such rapid transit. Barret O’Brien, who serves on the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and lives two blocks off of Colorado Boulevard, is one such skeptic. “I drive Colorado Boulevard daily and each time I pass a bus, I notice it is basically empty,” said O’Brien. I don’t see how removing a lane will force people to ride the bus.”

The project, which is part of CDOT’s 10-Year Plan, will begin as far North as the 40th and Colorado station and run along Colorado Boulevard. The initial phase of the project is determining how far

south the line should go along Colorado Boulevard. One option is to go all the way to the Southmoor station at Hampden. “We are going to be working through that process with the community and with our stakeholders to determine what is the right area for the project and where is it needed the most,” said Ryan Noles, Bus Rapid Transit Program Manager, Region 1 for CDOT. “What we’re trying to do is address the congestion by providing a better transportation option through ­public transportation, through the buses. We’re look­ing at the 40 route and how we can improve it.”

The trouble, as Line pointed out, is that ridership across the board for RTD is down. In fact, Jennifer Ford Keel, who attended the open house in Glendale on September 12, 2024, rides the 40 bus often. Ford Keel came to the Open House at the Hilton Garden Inn hoping to hear a presentation. She was hoping this project wasn’t already done. “I was hoping they were looking for our input so that we could help them make an informed decision,” said Jennifer Ford Keel, a lifelong Denver resident. Ford Keel could have ­given valuable input as she rides the 40 bus on Col­orado Boulevard from 23rd Avenue to 37th. “Most of the time that I climb up on that bus, there is nobody else on it. This is something they are trying to push down our throats. I don’t think they have done the research. I think it is an opportunity for them to make money.”

Rae Hunn was also motivated to attend, what ended up being an Open House, because she was miffed. “We don’t need a rapid bus transit down Colorado Boulevard,” said Rae Hunn, a lifelong Denver resident. “Anytime you talk about transit on Colorado Boulevard, that means lane changes and more congestion.”

CDOT argues this project will improve congestion and help Denverites better connect to their destinations. “If you think about the connectivity with the rest of the transit system and all the different destinations on Colorado Boulevard and how it fits into a larger system, it really is an important part of a better overall transit network,” said Noles.

Ford Keel doesn’t believe people will ride this bus to make those connections. “People who are in cars going down Colorado Boulevard are making a connection and going someplace else,” said Ford Keel. “It’s not the end of the line for them.” In fact, Ford Keel feels the traffic in the neighborhoods along the corridor will increase dramatically.

Hunn agrees. “People [in cars] are going to go down Ash, Albion, Bellaire, and Jackson,” said Hunn. “They will go down any ancillary street so they can get to a cross street. The traffic on those streets is going to increase” to the detriment of the neighbor­hoods.

According to CDOT, construction will take two years which will certainly make it miserable for commuters during this time. Construction in the Denver Metro area is all too familiar to those that live and work in the city. “The results are evident each time you see a CDOT construction project,” said Tom Lisi, Denver resident. “Traffic snarled by miles of cones, at times making no sense, while there are small sections of work. This inefficient plan impacts everyone on already overcrowded roads while increasing the idling traffic brown cloud. Terrible management.”

The initial planning on the corridor has un­covered that it is uncomfortable for pedestrians, difficult to access if not driving, and if you are driving, it is congested. Peak rush hour on Colorado Boulevard is challenging for motorists to say the least. “We do hear often that people feel uncomfortable riding the bus and it has come up in our community engagement,” said Noles. “Through the project design, we are looking at improving the bus stops by having well lit stations, emergency call boxes, and security cameras.”

What Hunn learned during the aforemen­tioned open house was that they are going to “screw up traffic on Colorado Boulevard to make a faster bus lane. They don’t have anyone in this room that can tell you how many people ride the bus on Colorado Boulevard,” said Hunn. “I have never seen a bus on Colorado Boulevard that was full.”

When asked if Hunn would ride the bus if it were safer with better lighting, she indicated she was too old and would not. She does not want to walk out of her house to walk a few blocks and stand outside to wait for a bus. That wait according to Noles could be as long as 15 minutes. Many believe even a bus that comes by four times per hour is not enough frequency to make it a conveni­ent option or viable alternative.

Hunn was most upset about the lack of information and how this project would be funded. “When they send out these ­notices [invite to come learn about the project], it’s already a done deal, they just want to tell people what they’re going to do,” said Hunn. “I’m so tired of these rich people in ­powerful positions screwing the little taxpayers. Trust me, it’s going to come out of our tax dollars.”

Some attendees remember the disastrous, ineffective, and costly Bee Line that ran down Colorado Boulevard to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center back in 1998. The small van operation lasted less than two years and failed due to lack of ridership.

Stay tuned for more information on this project as it moves through the approval process. In the meantime, share your opinions by taking CDOT’s survey located at www.codot.gov/projects/studies/denvermetrobrt/coloradoblvd/survey.