RTD of Denver completes 15L Improvement Project

The Regional Transportation District of Denver has completed upgrades to a nine-mile stretch of Colfax Avenue between Broadway in Denver to I-225 in Aurora. The RTD’s 15/15L bus routes operate on East Colfax Avenue and traditionally serves more than 20,000 customers per day.

The ridership on the routes remained at more than 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels and the upgrades will reduce travel time by as much as two minutes.

The 15L Project Improvements project upgraded 36 shelters at 34 bus stops, installed transit signal priority and queue bypass lanes, as well as curb extensions and expanded boarding areas with more waiting space at 11 locations. Street and sidewalk construction was completed in 2020 and the installation of bus shelters and additional amenities was completed in October of 2021.

RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson emphasized the project illustrated the collective and collaborative approach taken by the myriad stakeholders for the betterment of the communities situated along the Colfax corridor.

“Recognizing the significance of the Colfax corridor as one of the longest continuous business corridors in the country, which has yielded the busiest traveled bus routes for RTD, it is imperative the amenities located at the stops are reflective of the agency’s priority of customer excellence – to consistently deliver high quality customer service,” Johnson said.

The project was brought about by a partnership with the Federal Transit Administration; the Colorado Department of Transportation; Denver Regional Council of Governments; the city and county of Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure; and the city of Aurora. The $11 million federal and state grant-funded project was the first major capital investment in the Colfax line from Denver to Aurora since the bus stops were constructed more than 30 years ago.