Denver BRT

[locoluke]

I’m pretty impressed by and a little jealous of the physical infrastructure built so far for Denver’s first BRT project. It’s center-running, and I really like how the stations look.

First East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit lanes open Sunday

The first section of East Colfax Avenue’s Bus Rapid Transit system opened Sunday, giving riders the opportunity to try out new midroad station platforms and dedicated bus lanes through the historically congested Capitol Hill area.

RTD routes 15 and 15L were both shifted into the dedicated center-running lanes on East Colfax Avenue on Sunday as an interim phase of the East Colfax Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, led by the City and County of Denver with RTD and the city of Aurora as

Once construction is complete across the entire corridor, which extends east to I-225, in late 2027 or early 2028, routes 15 and 15L will transition completely into the branded “Lynx BRT” service, according to RTD.

“Bus-only lane operation is an important first step in the future full implementation of the East Colfax Avenue BRT,” RTD Deputy CEO Angel Peña said in a Thursday news release. “Customers on routes 15 and 15L will benefit from faster, more reliable service between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard before full Lynx Colfax BRT service launches in early 2028 out to I-225.”

Under the new setup, riders boarded the buses at station platforms in the middle of the road, accessed by crosswalks, and the two center lanes of Colfax Avenue from Broadway to Colorado Boulevard began to operate as bus-only lanes, with passenger vehicle traffic restricted to the outer lanes.

The transition proved a bit tricky for some on the first day of the new setup.

“I was really confused at first,” said Capitol Hill resident Amber Kalafus as she rode the 15L Sunday. “I was like, ‘Wait, if (the bus stops) are in the middle, how do I get off of the bus?’ But I think (the new setup) is going to be convenient.”

Kalafus wasn’t the only confused rider Sunday.

A woman who did not give her name waited at one of the old bus stops off the side of the road for several minutes Sunday trying to flag down passing buses that no longer serviced the nonmedian stop.

“This does not make sense at all,” she said, exasperated, as she headed off toward one of the center-median stops after catching on to the new setup.

People were turning to fellow riders for assistance figuring out the new system Sunday, Kalafus said.

“The people I’ve seen crossing the road to get (to the bus stops), they seem confused — Like, ‘What do I do?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know,’” she said. “I was at that stop where I got on, and a man kept asking all these questions. I was like, ‘I don’t know. Like, yesterday it was over there. Today it’s over here. I do not know, sir.’”

Fort Collins resident Ashis Radh grabbed the 15 Sunday while on his way to see a movie, and said he enjoyed the new system.

“Everything is pretty convenient,” he said of the new median bus stops and center-lane bus setup.

Most drivers seemed to be navigating the unique lane setup without incident Sunday and leaving the bus lanes to the buses — with the exception of a driver who used a bus lane near the Colfax and Downing station as a left turn lane, prompting honks and gestures from other drivers who had to swerve to avoid a near collision.

Left turns are only permitted between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard where there is a left-turn lane and arrow, and a curb median separates the eastbound and westbound travel lanes as a safety precaution, RTD said.

Other changes accompanying the new system include “Transit Signal Priority” technology built into buses, which coordinates with traffic signals to allow more efficient movement through intersections, and free two-hour parking zones along Colfax and on side streets, according to RTD.

[remline]

I don't like the idea of center-median bus stops, because while you wait you are stuck between noisy, busy traffic lanes. What are the advantages of placing the bus stops in the center instead of the outside? Perhaps because it allows you to build one shelter to share both directions instead of two shelters?

[TitosBuritoBarn]

I don't like the idea of center-median bus stops, because while you wait you are stuck between noisy, busy traffic lanes. What are the advantages of placing the bus stops in the center instead of the outside? Perhaps because it allows you to build one shelter to share both directions instead of two shelters?

Passengers enter/exit the bus from its right side, so they couldn't build one shelter to share both directions as that would require doors on the left and it would cost extra money to order special buses with that configuration (to my understanding) that they could only use on the BRT line and not redistribute elsewhere if needed. They could do counterflow bus lanes, but those are unintuitive.

I believe it is because the stations, in order to provide adequate loading space as well as an ADA compliant grade for wheelchair ramps, are quite long, longer than most of the block lengths along E Colfax, which are quite short. To have stations along the side of the street, they would need to close access to a number of intersecting streets to fit those stations in. Whereas with middle stations, these intersecting streets become right-in-right-outs.

It also allows preservation of curbside functions along commercial corridors like this one.

[Garrett]

I don't like the idea of center-median bus stops, because while you wait you are stuck between noisy, busy traffic lanes. What are the advantages of placing the bus stops in the center instead of the outside? Perhaps because it allows you to build one shelter to share both directions instead of two shelters?

Center running bus lanes are far more effective than curbside bus lanes because they are far less likely to be involved in conflicts like double/bad parking, deliveries/drop offs, right turns, bikes, etc. The only conflict with center running bus lanes is really left turns.

[locoluke]

I don't like the idea of center-median bus stops, because while you wait you are stuck between noisy, busy traffic lanes. What are the advantages of placing the bus stops in the center instead of the outside? Perhaps because it allows you to build one shelter to share both directions instead of two shelters?

What Garrett said.

Additionally, a median station with only one lane of car traffic in either direction plus the two bus lanes of separation on one side and a physical barrier on the other side is going to be miles more comfortable than the curb stations just feet away from 5-8 lanes of traffic we have with ORBT. With planned peak headways just over 4 minutes, there shouldn’t be much time spent waiting either.