Colorado Department of Transportation introduces new Bus Rapid Transit program in Denver

The Colorado Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that it has launched a new Bus Rapid Transit program for the Denver metro area.

According to CDOT, it is, "planning, designing and will build BRT routes on sections of Federal Boulevard, Colorado Boulevard and eventually Colfax Avenue east of I-225 in the Denver region."

The agency also says that work on the transit system is underway on, "CO 119/Diagonal Highway in Boulder County, and future rapid transit service is being planned on CO 7/Arapahoe Road between Boulder and Brighton."

CDOT describes BRT as a high-frequency service that is designed to be reliable, convenient and more accessible than the traditional bus service. CDOT says BRT achieves, "high-quality service because it reduces delays that can typically slow regular bus service, like making long stops or getting stuck in traffic at intersections."

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The service is also expected to help prevent crashes involving pedestrians, cyclist and vehicles on heavily congested roads in urban areas.

"Today's announcement shows that we are delivering an important part of the CDOT's 10 Year Plan, and that years of collaboration with our regional partners are setting Colorado up to leverage new sources of federal funding as we expand high quality transit options in the Denver area," said Shoshana Lew, executive director of CDOT. 

"A critical part of BRT planning is strong public and community engagement," said Jessica Myklebust, regional transportation director for CDOT's Denver metro region. "The success of a strong BRT program depends greatly on the partnership with the communities where the corridors are located. CDOT will have robust public outreach. BRT will connect our urban corridors and communities, providing vital transportation options that allow us access to jobs, shopping, health care, education, recreation and life."

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CDOT also confirms it has started environmental study and design work on building a BRT route that would cover 18 miles of Federal Boulevard from 120th Avenue in Westminster to Dartmouth Avenue in south Denver. 

Construction for the BRT program is expected to begin in 2024.