Public Meeting Materials

Colorado Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit - Public Open House Boards

Meeting date: Sept. 12, 2024

Sept. 12, 2024 Public Meeting 1 Recap

The Colorado Boulevard BRT Project’s first public open house was held on Thursday, Sept. 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver/Cherry Creek. The purpose of the open house was to share information about the project and to connect with residents and community members to listen to their thoughts on project priorities and areas for improvement along the corridor. Almost 170 attendees joined the public meeting, and 192 public comments were placed on our project corridor map.

Additionally, a survey on the future of transportation on Colorado Boulevard was taken between Aug. 9 to Sept. 27 to gather additional feedback from members of the public on their experience of and priorities for Colorado Boulevard. The project team collected surveys from 600 individuals.

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey and attended the open house!

A man wearing a blue polo shirt pointing at a location on a map. A woman wearing a white blouse observing.
Three people conversing while facing the Colorado Boulevard BRT boards
A crowd conversing in the middle of a room during Public Meeting

Project team members and public meeting attendees placing comments on the project corridor map.

Survey Results

Here’s a quick recap of what we heard from our public meeting:

What method of travel do you most commonly use when in Denver?
The highest selected response was private vehicle (48.1%), followed by bicycle or micromobility device (31.7%) and public transit (9.4%). The least selected response was rideshare or transportation network company (0.3%).

How frequently do you currently use public transit (bus/train/FlexRide) in Denver?
The highest selected response was weekly (30.8%), followed by rarely (26.7%) and monthly (24.3%). The least selected response was daily (7.3%).

What type of trips do you take using transit in Denver?
The highest selected response was recreation/leisure (30%), followed by work (20.8%) and transit connection (18.3%). The least selected response was tied school (3.3%) and other (3.3%).

How do you typically access public transit stations/bus stops?
The highest selected response was walk (55.6%), followed by private vehicle (15.8%) and bicycle or e-scooter (9.4%). The least selected response was other (0.6%).

How often do you travel on Colorado Boulevard using any mode of transportation?
The highest selected response was daily (39.4%), followed by weekly (32.3%) and monthly (19.2%). The least selected response was never (1.3%).

What type of trips do you take on/using Colorado Boulevard?
The highest selected response was recreation/leisure (24.2%), followed by shopping (24.1%) and work (13.5%). The least selected response was other (3.15%).

Are you supportive of improved bus service along Colorado Boulevard?
The highest selected response was strongly support (78.7%), followed by don’t support (9%) and moderately support (6.3%). The least selected response was little support (2.9%).

What result(s) of an improved bus service is most important to you along Colorado Boulevard?
The highest selected responses were tied buses running frequently (16.2%) and pedestrian improvements (16.2%), followed by buses running on time (13.5%) and roadway safety (12.9%). The least selected response was minimizing obstructions during construction (2.5%).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Based on the questions received during our first public meeting, the project team has developed the following FAQs.

To share your opinions, ask additional questions and get project updates, please email [email protected], call the project hotline at 720-900-5609 and continue to check our project website for updates.

  1. How will business access be preserved during construction?
    As the owner of the project, CDOT will work to minimize impacts to businesses during construction. Regular communication will be maintained with the contractor and construction team to ensure access to businesses remains open during operating hours. Any necessary changes to access will be communicated in advance to individual business owners and to the public.
  2. How will automobile traffic be impacted, and how will BRT improve traffic (on Colorado Boulevard and adjacent streets)
    Traffic operations is a key component for overall mobility on Colorado Boulevard. We will be analyzing what happens to the traffic operations if BRT is implemented through a detailed traffic modeling effort. The traffic operations at intersections along Colorado Boulevard and on adjacent roadways will be projected for each viable BRT alternative. The results of the traffic operational study will be presented to the public at our next public meeting in spring 2025.
  3. When will potential stop locations and alternative layouts be established for public review?
    This information will be shared at the next public meeting in spring 2025.
  4. How will the BRT increase transit ridership and by how much?
    We are currently developing different alternatives for what BRT could look like on Colorado Boulevard. Once we've developed these alternatives, we'll evaluate them based on factors like transit ridership. Ridership projections will be developed based on each of the viable BRT alternatives, and the results of this ridership analysis will be shared at our next public meeting in spring 2025.
  5. How will property owners along Colorado Boulevard contribute to decision making?
    Property owners are key stakeholders in this project and have the opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process. To participate, submit comments through the comment form on the project website, email [email protected], call the project hotline at 720-900-5609 and continue to check our project website for updates.
    Another great way to get involved is by attending public meetings. To prepare for our next public meeting in the spring of 2025, please review the information available on our project website and leave feedback for the project team. Your comments will be reviewed and considered by the project team before final decisions are made.
  6. Will there be bike facilities constructed on Colorado Boulevard?
    The Colorado Boulevard BRT project is first and foremost a transit project, however multimodal connections are critical to the success of the project. Bike facilities— including above the curb bike lanes, multi-use paths, improved and/or new sidewalks, and connections to existing bike facilities off Colorado Boulevard— are under consideration.
  7. How will this project improve safety (pedestrian, bicycle, drivers, bus riders)?
    Safety is a key component of the purpose and need for this project. As such, we will prepare a safety analysis for the BRT project, which looks at conditions and trends on Colorado Boulevard. In addition, safety design features such as appropriate traffic signaling, sidewalks, and crosswalks will be incorporated into each BRT alternative that is developed. Safety will be used as a metric to compare each of the differing BRT alternatives, and this information will be shared at the public meeting in spring 2025.
  8. How will security be improved on RTD buses and at bus stops?
    This project is limited to infrastructure improvements, and CDOT does not have the authority to implement policy changes on behalf of RTD or security within RTD’s buses. However, CDOT and RTD are partners on the Colorado Boulevard BRT project and security concerns will be shared with RTD staff throughout the project. Security-related concerns regarding RTD buses and trains can also be submitted directly on the RTD website using the Customer Comment Form.
    Regarding security at bus stops, we are currently developing different alternatives for what BRT could look like on Colorado Boulevard. Once we've developed these alternatives, we'll evaluate them based on factors including safety and other relevant criteria. As project development proceeds, we will work with our project partners, stakeholders, and the public on incorporating security and personal safety into the design of BRT stations.
  9. How will this project improve comfort while walking, biking, riding and driving along the corridor?
    During the development of project alternatives, each BRT option that is developed will have design features such as improved sidewalks, crosswalks and traffic signal timing to increase the safety and comfort of people traveling on Colorado Boulevard. In addition, bike and pedestrian facilities along and connecting to Colorado Boulevard will be considered to enhance connections to the BRT for transit riders. More information about the design features for the BRT alternatives will be presented at the next public meeting in spring 2025.
  10. How will this project provide better connections to other forms of transit and improve my ability to get where I need to go?
    Connections to the existing transit network is a key driver for this BRT project. Currently, both project termini connect directly to RTD stations that serve existing bus routes and rail to the rest of the RTD service area. Additionally, connecting to future BRT routes, such as the East Colfax BRT, is a priority for this new service. Another key aspect to improving transit connections is the amount of time is takes to make the connection. This new BRT service is planned to operate with high frequencies during the peak periods. This high-frequency service will allow for faster, more reliable connections to the rest of the RTD transit network.
  11. How much will it cost to ride the Colorado Boulevard BRT?
    The cost to ride the BRT will not be determined until the project is past the planning stage. However, it is likely that the cost to ride the Colorado Boulevard BRT will be typical of other BRT routes in the RTD network.
  12. What are the benefits for people who won’t ride the Colorado BRT regularly?
    In general, transit projects can allow for additional capacity for people traveling on Colorado Boulevard. By increasing the efficiency and reliability of buses, transit services can move more people in a single lane per vehicle than can personal automobiles. This often eliminates the need to build additional travel lanes for automobiles. Increasing transit service can also improve overall air quality for the broader community.
  13. Who will pay for constructing this project?
    The funding for construction has not yet been identified, though this project will likely be funded through a combination of federal, local and state funds.