After postponing the matter last week, the Denver City Council on Monday will consider a $197.3 million contract for construction of a bus rapid transit system that would dramatically reshape the “longest commercial street in the country.”
The contract with Kraemer North America would be for the East Colfax Avenue Bus Route Transportation (BRT) project, which will cost a total of $280.5 million, according to city estimates.
Of that total, $150 million is funded by federal grants, $28.5 million from the Denver Regional Council of Governments, $14 million from the City of Aurora, $65 million from the Elevate Denver bond and $22.5 million from other sources.
The project is part of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s 10-year plan to improve sustainability. After multiple decades of studying East Colfax Avenue, the city decided to pursue a bus rapid transit system service from Broadway to Yosemite. The Regional Transportation District route would provide transportation in each direction.