by Regan Bervar | Oct 22, 2021 | Main Articles
A User’s Guide To Navigating DIA During The Busy Winter Months
“I’m one of those people at the airport holding a pillow like a little kid.”
by Luke Schmaltz
Every holiday season, in the far northeast corner of gerrymandered Denver County, Denver International Airport bustles like a series of big top circus tents swarming with activity. Somewhere around the beginning of November through the new year, this hub of hustle begins to sing with every possible tone of neurosis brought on by the madness that is inherent to holiday travel.
Thousands of Denver residents, in their obligatory impetus to see their loved ones every year, scramble out of bed during the wee hours, grab their luggage, and head out to what may unfold as a day without incident or — more likely — an experience that reads like a migraine-inducing travel nightmare. The problems begin when you get in the car and head toward Peña Boulevard and can continue to the security lines, the concourses, and beyond. Thankfully, there are a few steps you can take for navigating this gauntlet of woe which may help your excursion to be a tolerable one at the very least.
Get There For Cheap
Real Estate entrepreneur Tyson Murray has figured out the hassle-free secrets to DIA travel.
Denver realtor and onetime DIA bartender Tyson Murray offers a few insider tips from a guy who used to commute to the airport multiple times a week for several years. He emphasizes the importance of not driving as a means of saving time and money while avoiding unnecessary stress. “Driving to DIA sucks,” he attests. “It’s expensive to park there, and as of late, there have been a rash of car thefts and break-ins in the parking lots. The train is cheap ($10.50 each way), reliable, always on time, and super easy. It’s 35 minutes from Union Station to DIA,” he says. Additionally, it is important to note that due to staffing shortages related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mt. Elbert and Pikes Peak shuttle parking remain closed.
Connect With Ease
Folks who are willing to forgo the autonomy of driving their own car can discover a respite of convenience amid the headaches of traffic and parking. “Going to DIA has never been easier in my opinion,” Murray explains. “I love taking the Light Rail from Union Station. I love that building and I’ll take any excuse to hang out there for a few minutes.” Murray also offers a valuable tidbit about circumventing long security lines. “If you disembark from the Light Rail at the South Entrance and South Security Check line, take the extra five minutes to walk to the NORTH Security Check line — it’s usually less crowded. Or, if you don’t mind walking an extra half mile or so, go upstairs to the Pedestrian Bridge security and catch the train from Terminal A if you need to go to Terminals B or C. Also, usually much faster.”
Arrive Far In Advance
Murray also urges travelers to be extra vigilant with their timelines. “Get there early,” he exclaims. “I’m the guy who would rather be an hour early than 10 minutes late, So, I always go at least a half hour before I need to, which means getting to the airport two or so hours before my flight boards. It just takes away any stress or anxiety if there are delays in security or service, which there will be. And it leaves ample time for the obligatory airport Bloody Mary.”
Keep It Together
The Denver International Airport awaits travelers like a big-top circus tent brimming with barely-controlled chaos.
Meanwhile, the manager of DIA’s Tapas Sky Bar and Little Man Ice Cream — Zeth Pedulla — offers a few critical insider tips for a positive DIA experience. Primarily, he stresses the importance of keeping your head together and avoiding a compromised mindset which can result in rude, inconsiderate behavior toward airport employees. “Don’t get shit-faced hammered. That’s rule number one,” he says. “There is absolutely too much going on these days at the airport for you to be smashed. There are four bars on Concourse C from where you get off the train and where I am at (Tapas Sky Bar). I know that there can be delays but pace yourself. My staff and I have to not serve or cut people off all the time. This is where you see people lose their shit. There are several types of security that work at DIA, and they are just waiting for something to happen. I have seen everything from DPD refusing to let people on their flights all the way to TSA saying you’re not ever flying again. Ouch!”
Remember How To Read
DIA travelers can experience problems when they succumb to rudeness, drunkenness, drug use, illiteracy, and nudity.
Wandering around in circles at DIA happens when people panic and fail to be able to read large print English on signs posted everywhere. Pedulla cites this as one of the most common tells of a person having a bad day at the airport. “Some travelers become over-stimulated by all the hustle and noise, and they forget the fundamental skill of finding their way by reading signs,” he says. “There is signage everywhere indicating where the restrooms are. It’s the same for the terminals and baggage claim. There are signs at least every 20 feet or so telling you where to go.”
Keep Your Shirt On
Pedulla goes on to explain how the hysteria inherent to holiday travel can really take a toll on some people — eliciting terrible, outrageous, unbelievable behavior. “All the time, I have entitled people tell me ‘I need service now because I have a plane to catch!’” Pedulla says, “Guess what? Everyone has a plane to catch. DIA bars are designed to be fast. Everyone gets served in order so just be cool and you will be served in a timely manner.” Rude behavior from bar and restaurant patrons can escalate to other odd activities which can permanently hinder someone’s travel plans. “I have gotten pretty close with the cops out here and boy, do they tell some stories.” Pedulla explains. “Drug use in bathrooms is a big one. Everything from people getting caught shooting heroin to smoking meth. Nudity happens more than you would think. The one that gets me the most is when people try to jump security to get to their plane. Why in the hell would you think that’s a smart idea?”
Sure, there are plenty of things that can obstruct your path to the skyway at DIA. But, if you plan far in advance and keep a level head, you just might make your destination without getting lost, getting arrested or otherwise embarrassing yourself. Bon voyage.
by Regan Bervar | Sep 27, 2021 | Main Articles
“Space has the ability to produce a triple bottom line, or ROIII: Return on investment, innovation, and inspiration.” — Robert C. Jacobson
by Luke Schmaltz
If you ask most Colorado residents to name the top attractions that define their state, you’ll hear things like professional sports, recreational and medical cannabis, and year-round outdoor recreation and adventure. Yet, most folks may be unaware that, according to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and Economic Trade (choosecolorado.com), the Centennial State holds the top ranking in private aerospace employment concentration and is host to the nation’s second largest aerospace economy.
High Speed Flight: Boom Supersonic aims to use ultra-high-speed flight to get travelers to their destinations in under half the normal time.
A July 29, 2021, article in The Denver Post announced the addition of yet another aerospace company to the local roster — PteroDynamics — a California-based company that will soon be headquartered in Colorado Springs. The piece quotes Governor Jared Polis as saying, “Colorado continues to be the leader in aerospace and defense industries, so this new announcement and the 186 good news jobs that come with it further strengthens our reputation as the nation’s best place for aerospace.” Additionally, according to a 2020 report by the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Colorado is home to 290 aerospace tech companies employing a total of 33,460 employees with over 500 organizations specializing in aerospace products and services. Over the past five years, aerospace employment has grown over 30% in Colorado — placing the state 12% higher than the national average.
The industrial roll call is impressive and diverse. The list of companies runs the gamut in terms of size and configuration — comprising a variety of private sector startups, medium-sized companies, and large corporations with household name recognition. While this is far and away from a comprehensive list, here is a brief sampling of the sort of incredible innovation and forward-thinking commerce taking place in your own backyard.
Boom Supersonic
According to Founder and CEO Blake Scholl, the Denver-based company was built on a philosophy of “Speed, safety, and sustainability without compromise,” as explained in a company promotional video. “We’ve made incredible advancements in the foundational technology for designing, developing, and building aircraft,” Scholl continues. “We have advanced aerodynamics, new materials, and significantly more efficient engines.” The company boasts the XB-1, the industry’s first-ever independently developed supersonic jet. Which has served, through trial, error, and improvements upon both to inform every aspect of the company’s passenger airliner, Overture. Boom Supersonic designed this commercial jet to serve travelers with flight times twice as fast as current commercial airlines.
Atomos Space
Missile Launch Technology: Boecore specializes in early warning missile launch technology, among other things.
Dedicated to meeting and exceeding the satellite-launching needs of the telecommunications industry, this award-winning Denver-based company is currently under contract with NASA. Their philosophy is to end the launching of single-use rockets to launch satellites into space. In a company website video, Co-Founder and CEO Vanessa Clark equates the current practice to “flying passengers one at a time in a Boeing 747.” She explains, “At Atomos, we are building and operating space tugs — transportation vehicles that are the connecting flights for space. Rockets no longer need to go to the specific orbit for a specific satellite. With space tugs, rockets can launch all satellites to a single drop off point, and we’ll take them from there.” Essentially, Atomos is the world’s first satellite rideshare company. The benefits are threefold: decreased cost to get into space, increased number of satellites per launch, and reduced wait times for a scheduled launch.
Boecore
This Colorado Springs-based aerospace and defense engineering company is women-owned and operated and maintains a small business status with fewer than 200 employees and a personnel-centric company culture. Their website states that they specialize “in software solutions, systems engineering, cybersecurity, enterprise networks, and mission operations.” With a client base consisting mainly of government agencies, Boecore boasts a highly respected company reputation as well as an impressive array of industry awards, including the 2020 Pro Patria Award for Extraordinary Employer Support, Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Best Workplaces in Colorado Springs — among many others. Company innovations include early warning missile launch technology, space operations software solutions, Battlespace Operational Readiness Game (BORG) training modules, and many others.
York Space
This Denver-based company operates a “mega-facility” for commercial manufacture of satellites for companies who want to operate satellites in orbit. A news blog released earlier this year on the company website announced the recent expansion of its headquarters into a 100,000 square-foot facility. Company CEO Dirk Wallinger recently told CNBC the expansion adds “a true robust production capability to help secure our supply chain and help us expand the contracts that we’re working on with existing customers.” He went on to explain that the upgrade will take the company’s current manufacturing of 1,000 spacecraft per year and, “blow that out of the water as far as total production capacity goes.” York’s business model leverages a proprietary design known as the S-CLASS platform. The design is based on a three-axis stabilized spacecraft intended for constellations and designed for mass production. Buyers can use the modules for a variety of missions such as weather monitoring, communication, and observation.
The list goes on and on — including recognizable monikers such as Lockheed Martin, EnerSys, Merrick & Company, Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation, Ascent Solar, and many more.
It Begs The Question
With all these engineering geniuses in proximity, it is utterly baffling that Colorado — specifically the Front Range and the Western Slope I-70 corridor — are facing widespread engineering mishaps and systematic infrastructure breakdown. You would think that the elected leaders, with immediate access to such innovation and solution-oriented implementation, would reach out and ask for a bit of advice from folks who truly know how to solve problems. It is possible, however, that most of these aerospace firms have blocked incoming calls from government phone numbers. Or perhaps they are all simply too smart to get involved with politicians and bureaucrats. Or maybe — just maybe — given Colorado’s elevation and relative proximity to the stratosphere, they are all working in unison to find the quickest way off this troubled planet, if only for a little while.
by Regan Bervar | Sep 27, 2021 | Main Articles
“We didn’t start the fire/It was always burning, since the world’s been turning.” Billy Joel
by Luke Schmaltz
The brown cloud which frequently blankets the Mile High City has long been recognized as an unfortunate byproduct of progress. Since the 1980s, locally produced carbon emissions from coal-based energy production, oil refinement and the automotive combustion of gasoline has created a problematic airborne miasma. In the last few years, Denver has been given distinction among the top 10 cities with the poorest air quality in the United States. Federal records show air pollution was at elevated levels for more than 260 days a year in 2019 and 2020.
Meanwhile out West, the Golden State is leading the way in the creation of a different type of pollution, wildfire smoke. Just as California exports entertainment, social trends, and hordes of transplants, it also sends a generous share of air particulates from incinerated vegetation to round out its contribution to Colorado. A place that, as anyone who lives here knows, is already dealing with its own wildfire crises.
At times, the brown cloud over Denver can, in part, be attributed to the California wildfires.
Paper Is Made From Wood
To understand the proliferation of pollution, all you have to do is follow the money. America’s addiction to coal-based energy and oil-based propulsion has stakeholders running the ship aground who are perched in plain sight. The same is true with wildfire-based pollution. The logging industrial complex, which is particularly busy in some parts of California, is making a mint while communities are being destroyed, lives are being lost, and Colorado is choking on the ashes.
So far this year, Cal Fire (fire.ca.gov/inci dents) reports 7,377 fire incidents which have killed three people, destroyed 3,285 structures, and burned 2,243,663 acres of forest. The latter statistic is of particular interest here, as the massive plumes of smoke are systematically swept up by jet streams, carried inland, and deposited at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains.
A Climate-Driven Performance Enhancer
Lucy Walker’s film “Bring Your Own Brigade” tells the story of how concentrated fuel sources are creating fires that can’t be stopped.
Clearly, this phenomenon is ramping up in tandem with global warming. Unnaturally dry conditions can turn large expanses of forest into an incendiary event waiting to turn the tiniest spark into a nightmare inferno. Some of these blazes occur in clear-cut areas which have been recently “thinned” by logging operations both private and government-operated. For decades, the United States Forest Service (USFS) has conducted these “thinning” initiatives under the guise of “fire prevention” but the data overwhelmingly demonstrates that wildfires tend to spread faster and with much more intensity in clear-cut areas due to dry conditions and contiguous acres of branches and logs which were left over from the logging process. Recent examples include the Dixie Fire which incinerated large parts of the Sierra Nevada town of Greenville and the Caldor Fire which destroyed the entire town of Grizzly Flats, CA.
Chad Hanson is an Author and ecologist with the John Muir Project. He recently published Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Planet.
Author Chad Hanson blows the California wildfire story wide open in his new book, Smokescreen.
Hanson is an expert in the phenomenon and the region, having conducted fieldwork for his doctoral dissertation in the aforementioned Greenville. In a recent article published on Grist.org, he explains, “The primary focus of the agency’s forest management efforts is selling public trees to private logging companies, which generates about $150 million each year. That may sound like a small portion of its $2 billion budget for land management, but logging also brings in more than $1 billion in annual Congressional appropriated funds, which generate additional revenue that goes back into the agency’s budget.” In a clever pivot, the USFS recently stopped using descriptive terms like logging and timber harvest and instead began conducting the same activities under the banners of terms like forest health, ecological restoration, and fuel reduction. But, as Hanson points out, “Make no mistake. It’s all just logging.”
Rural Overpopulation
There is another dimension of the fire industrial complex at work in California, but it stems from an opposing set of dynamics. Commercial land which has been clear cut is being replanted with dense concentrations of trees slated for harvest as soon as they have matured to a certain height and width. The problem here is that thick concentrations of trees, especially those reduced to drought-choked rows of veritable matchsticks, create an overly-abundant fuel source — one which burns with unstoppable ferocity.
Contrary to popular opinion, clear cutting large sections of forest contributes to the wildfire phenomenon.
Lucy Walker is an Oscar-nominated director whose recent release “Bring Your Own Brigade” is once again heating up the wildfire debate. The film was shot in 2018 during the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, CA. While the piece makes a strong case for the need to reverse climate change, it also documents how efforts from the USFS and private corporations have created dense forests where a sparse topography once existed — setting the stage for heat- and drought-driven wildfires to thrive. “Comparing photographs makes it very clear,” she explains in the narration. “You can see the changes [through time] and you can see what ‘fire suppression’ has done. Forests just didn’t used to be this thick.” An unnamed resident interviewee confirms this, explaining, “In the past it was more of a savannah situation. Bigger trees spaced farther apart. Now, you’ve created a heat source you can’t stop.”
Professor Pyro
Gary Stephen Maynard, a Criminology professor and holder of a doctorate in Sociology, is accused of lighting forest fires in California.
Gary Maynard is a tenured academic of the California Collegiate system, teaching — quite ironically — criminal justice. The esteemed professor has, until recently, been an enthusiastic contributor to the Golden State’s greatest airborne export. In July and August of 2021, he allegedly went on an unprecedented spree of arson and wholesale destruction. He was recently accused of having set a series of half a dozen fires in the Lassen and Shasta Trinity National Forest areas. These blazes, according to agents from the USFS, were designed to trap authorities and firefighter crews.
Maynard also holds a doctorate in sociology from Stony Brook University in Brookhaven, New York, as well as two additional master’s degrees. Pinpointing his motives will no doubt be a challenge, and reports of court proceedings offer little insight into his mindset — other than repeated denials and blue streaks of profanity aimed at police officers. Whether this is an isolated incident and Maynard is an anomaly, or he is part of a bigger scheme to create anarchy is undetermined. Yet, given the climate of general mania which seems to have much of the general populace in its grip, the idea of a cabal of arsonists creeping about the California woods with a penchant for pyromania is not exactly farfetched.
While California wildfires are certainly not the main culprit of poor air quality in Denver, they are a definite contributor. Hanson and Walker have demonstrated the cause of some of these catastrophes while Maynard has shown how easy they are to ignite. While not wholly unavoidable, wildfires could be reduced were it not for the almighty dollar. This paper byproduct of trees seems to skew the logic of even the most perceptive of people. In this case, it is especially true for those with large government contracts worth many millions of dollars and not a damn to give about who chokes on what, where or when.
by Mark Smiley | Sep 27, 2021 | Main Articles
by Jessica Hughes
The towering castle of Ice World. Photo by Kennedy Cottrell | Courtesy of Meow Wolf
After four years in the making, Denver celebrated the grand opening of the highly anticipated Meow Wolf last month, finally making its way from fantasy to reality. As the company’s largest permanent installation, the immersive exhibit will showcase the work of over 300 artists, including 110 Denver artists within four stories of a 90,000 square-foot structure. Alongside the installations, the venue also hosts a large 450-person music venue and a 2,000 square-foot retail space and café.
The installation is called Convergence Station, where a mystical narrative follows the art on display through an immersive experience. According to the press release, “It is the first stop on a quantum journey of exploration and discovery as passengers traverse new worlds, and like all Meow Wolf locations, labyrinthine mysteries beckon from its vibrant walls, portals, and wormholes. Twenty-five years ago, a freak cosmic event merged four worlds from different universes, erasing the memories of all residents and spawning the mystifying disappearances of four women.”
The other world of CataCombs. Photo by Kennedy Cottrell | Courtesy of Meow Wolf
Visitors will be transported through different worlds including kaleidoscopic cathedrals, Corinthian catacombs, lush alien habitats, and dazzling and gritty cityscapes. In this hotbed of interplanetary cohabitation, memories serve as both currency and the key to unlocking the story behind the women’s disappearances and cause of the convergence — as do multimedia clues that reveal themselves to all the senses.
Muralists, sculptors, fiber artists, and technologists have come together to create a one-of-a-kind installation, including notable artists Kalyn Heffernan, Christopher Nelson, Everything is Terrible!, Molina Speaks, Sofie Birkin, along with Moment Factory and many others.
The venue is located at 1338 1st St., Denver, CO 80204, and is nestled in the middle of W. Colfax Ave. and I-25, in the heart of the Sun Valley neighborhood. Those passing by will recognize the stand-alone building, with its pizza-like shape, florescent lighting, and four floors of interactive exhibits interconnected through vertical travel and secret passageways.
“Denver’s art scene is active and vibrant, making it the perfect place for our next exhibition,” said Chadney Everett, Executive Creative Director of Meow Wolf Denver. “Convergence Station is Meow Wolf’s third permanent immersive experience, and it will truly change the way you look at art. This exhibition is unlike anything you’ve ever seen…from The Swamp to The Cathedral — there’s a strong narrative to be uncovered should you choose, alongside truly mind-bending art from the many talented creatives that have worked so hard to bring the vision to life. We can’t wait for everyone to explore.”
The Sa Lawn exhibit at Meow Wolf’s new Convergence Station in Denver. Photo by Kennedy Cottrell | Courtesy of Meow Wolf
Meow Wolf is a Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment company that creates immersive, interactive experiences to transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. The company’s first location in Santa Fe opened in 2016, showcasing the House of Eternal Return.
Then in 2019, Meow Wolf expanded beyond Santa Fe and opened Kaleidoscape, the world’s first artist-driven ride at Elitch Gardens in Denver. Meow Wolf recently opened their second permanent installation, Omega Mart, at AREA15 in Las Vegas, and the third permanent installation is now in Denver.
Meow Wolf is now open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. until 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Hours are subject to change.
Tickets are available for pre-purchase for $45 for General Admission ($40 Children / Seniors / Military), and $35 for Colorado Residents. Visitors are required to pre-book a time slot for entry.
by Jessica Hughes | Aug 27, 2021 | Main Articles
by Jessica Hughes
Wagon: A wagon reminiscent of those used on the trail. Located at Boggsville Historic Site. Photo by Jessica Hughes
The Santa Fe Trail was an overland two-way trade route that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. The portion of the trail that ran through Colorado was called the Mountain Branch section. This year marks the bicentennial of the Santa Fe Trail that ran through Colorado between 1821 and 1890. For the anniversary, there are several events and things to do to help commemorate this historic occasion.
Hosted by National Park Service partners and the Santa Fe Trail 200 organization, the bicentennial celebration will feature more than 40 in-person and virtual events throughout the length of the trail, from Missouri to New Mexico, with several planned in Colorado.
Bent’s Old Fort In La Junta
Bent’s Old Fort: Looking inside Bent’s Old Fort near La Junta. Photo credit: Jessica Hughes
The keystone event for the 200-year celebration of the Santa Fe Trail will be held in La Junta at Bent’s Old Fort. This historic fort was an important stopping point along the trail where travelers came to rest and resupply. To highlight the fort’s significant role it played along the trail, they will be hosting the Santa Fe Trail Symposium, September 23-26, 2021.
Throughout the weekend, the event will showcase speakers, entertainment, and tours. Visitors can also participate in historian-narrated bus tours and living history events, including re-enactors at Bent’s Old Fort. Symposium activities are also planned at the Koshare Indian Museum, Otero Junior College, and the Otero County Museum.
Visit 2021sfts.com to view the entire schedule of events.
Trinidad
Bloom House: The historic Bloom House is part of the Trinidad History Museum. Photo credit: Jessica Hughes
Come to Trinidad for a week-long celebration of the Santa Fe Trail. Events and activities will be held September 27 – October 3, 2021, commemorating the development of American trade, cultural interactions, and the westward expansion that were all a result of this historic byway. The celebration will include historic tours of the trail and the Santa Fe Museum, period reenactments, historic family-friendly activities, theatre productions, art exhibits, and more.
Visit the Trinidad History Museum to view the featured exhibit of Borderlands of Southern Colorado: The Santa Fe Trail. The exhibit, housed in the Santa Fe Trail building, explores the trail through new eyes by telling forgotten stories that shaped the borderlands of southern Colorado. The property also houses the historic Bloom Mansion, the Baca-Bloom Heritage Gardens, and the Baca House, where tours are available.
Drive The Santa Fe Trail
Marker: One of 36 Santa Fe Trail markers in Las Animas, Colorado. Photo by Jessica Hughes
One of the best ways to experience the trail is with a drive along the historic Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail. The route roughly follows U.S. Highway 50 from Lamar to La Junta, and along U.S. Highway 350 to Trinidad, going into New Mexico. Visit historic landmarks along the way including Bent’s Old Fort, Boggsville Historic Site, Fort Lyon, Bent’s New Fort, Timpas State Station, the Baca House in Trinidad, and more.
Be on the lookout for the wagon ruts that are still visible in some places along the grass prairies. Much of the historic trail has faded away, so numerous signs are posted alongside the road to notify motorists where the trail once was. In fact, there are now 36 historic granite stone markers that follow the route, most of them denoting visible wagon ruts. Notable markers are found in Lamar at the Big Timbers Museum, north side of U.S. Highway 50 at the Kansas/Colorado state lines, and at Iron Springs along Highway 350.
For more information about the bicentennial of the Santa Fe Trail, visit https://santafetrail200.org.
by Regan Bervar | Aug 27, 2021 | Main Articles
“It seems as though all the devils were let loose on me; and if you think this is an exaggeration, ask anyone you meet who has lived in my district.”
by Luke Schmaltz
Colfax Avenue is revered, reviled and renowned — a pulsating conduit of commerce, crime and culture. If you live in Denver, you have inevitably been swept into its current, and the experience has no doubt left an indelible impression.
East Colfax: An artist’s rendition of what East Colfax might look like once the project is complete. This rendering is the intersection of Colfax and Krameria.
At any given moment along America’s longest avenue, nearly every type of human being on the move can be observed; pedestrians, drivers, motorcyclists, public transit customers, bicyclists, scooterists, skateboarders, and folks of questionable mental alertness doing their best to stay upright as they stagger along their way. According to a recent post on the RTD-Denver .com website, approximately 20,000 people travel this route every day going to and from work, play, and myriad other destinations. Related metrics posted on denver gov.org state, “Over the next 20 years, the corridor is expected to experience 25% growth in the number of travelers, 67% growth in employment and 25% growth in population. Denver cannot continue to grow and create more people-friendly spaces without efficiently moving more people through the East Colfax corridor.”
Current Projections
Colfax And Downing: The Colfax BRT would run from Broadway to Yosemite St. in Aurora.
It is apparent that, with the current rate of growth in the Mile High City, the need to access this route will far outweigh the volume per hour capacity and thus, the Colfax Corridor BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Project was initiated by the City and County of Denver. According to a quote on the Streets blog.org website from Jill Locantore (of the Denver Streets Project) this initiative, “is going to allow Colfax to carry more people than it does today. If you get more people out of their cars and on the buses, you have nearly infinite capacity for people, compared to very limited capacity for personal vehicles.”
Benefits vs. Drawbacks
The project proposes the replacement of side-running BRT with two repurposed center lanes for transit-only vehicles which passengers will access via elevated, wheelchair accessible platforms. Among the advantages listed on a denvergov.org web page are better-organized traffic flow, reduced crashes, improved travel efficiency, reduced conflicts with parking and other related curbside activities as well as streetscaping opportunities. Another listed benefit will be “improving pedestrian safety by moving transit lanes to the center.” This is where some highly questionable oversight may be at work, as the idea of people disembarking from public transit in the middle of Colfax and presumably making their way from the center to one side of the street elicits images of pedestrians being mangled by oncoming traffic a-la the 1980s video game Frogger. Sure, travelers will no doubt be instructed to use the crosswalk, but those who exit the BRT shuttle toward the rear of the vehicle — at the furthest point from the crosswalk — will inevitably take a shortcut to the sidewalk and simply jaywalk across the street. It is Colfax Avenue, after all — not exactly a place where people go to follow the rules. Add the winter conditions present in Denver half the year, the pedestrian danger could elevate to Ice Road Trucker Frogger.
BRT: The East Colfax Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project is still in the planning stages and may not see completion until 2028. Image: Denvergov.org
While popular among developers and city agency personnel, BRT presents a host of pressing concerns among residents and local business owners. The driving lanes will be reduced to just one lane for motor vehicles traveling east and west from Broadway in downtown Denver all the way to Yosemite St. in Aurora. Artist renditions of the proposed configuration present the very picture of congestion — a condition that could spell certain doom for streetside businesses.
Insight From A Bureaucracy Outsider
Velvet Elvis: Colfax Museum curator Jonny Barber (aka Velvet Elvis) has some transit enhancement ideas that are a bit more eccentric than those of the Colfax BRT.
Jonny Barber is a celebrated Denver musician, highly sought-after Elvis impersonator (The Velvet Elvis), curator of the Colfax Museum and administrator of the popular website ColfaxAvenue.org (along with wife Anistacia). Barber is considered by many to be the preeminent local authority of all things Colfax Avenue, including past iterations as a well-managed thoroughfare. He recalls how from the late 1800s until around 1950 or so, much of the traffic on Colfax was managed by streetcar trolleys which shuttled residents from west to east and back again. He contends that the original tracks still exist beneath a few layers of asphalt, and that perhaps a step back in time is a better approach. “Yes, we need transit on Colfax,” he begins. “Is BRT the answer? I don’t know but while we’re at it — we might as well do something a little sexier — like bring back the trolleys.”
A Crowded Kitchen
Meanwhile, BRT planners postulate the project will not reach completion until 2028, with a host of bureaucratic agencies acting as stakeholders, the process will no doubt be hindered by a quagmire of negotiations, objections, and red tape of every stripe. To elaborate on the complexity of the various agencies at play, CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) owns the actual road that is Colfax Avenue, RTD operates the public transportation vehicles, the City of Denver DOTI (Department of Transportation and Infrastructure) is responsible for maintenance and operation, and the FTA (Federal Transit Authority) is overseeing the entire BRT project. All parties must agree on how things will be managed, paid for, contracted, and carried out. Such a complex proposition is not just a traffic jam, but a multi-vehicle pileup that works well as a fitting metaphor for the future of Colfax Avenue.
