West Colfax Pedestrian Crossing & Transit Improvements
Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), in partnership with Graham Contracting, is currently installing various improvements on West Colfax Avenue from Irving Street to Sheridan Boulevard to make the corridor safer for people traveling on foot and to improve transit speed and reliability.
West Colfax Avenue was identified as a part of the high-injury network in the Vision Zero Action Plan. The high-injury network contains corridors with the highest percentage or serious injuries or fatal crashes. The pedestrian safety improvements are aimed at reducing crashes on the corridor and improving safety.
Once complete, improvements will include:
- Eight new landscaped medium refuge islands to decrease pedestrian crossing distances, provide people on foot with a safe place to stand when crossing the street and reduce left turns and conflict points between people walking and driving.
- Pedestrian bulb-outs at 19 intersections that reduce pedestrian crossing distances, slow vehicle turning movements, calm traffic and improve the visibility of people crossing on foot and on bike.
- Updated pedestrian ramps with new ADA-compliant crossings and relocating existing obstacles on sidewalks to ease travel for all users.
- New transit bulb-outs that provide larger waiting areas and safer boarding areas, that will reduce wait time for surrounding motorists and transit users.
History Buff?
A piece of Denver history was uncovered while crews were removing the center portion of the roadway under W. Colfax Avenue. While removing portions of the existing street to install new medians, crews uncovered trolley tracks that were part of the city's old tramway system that began operations in the late 1800s. See photo of a streetcar using the tracks on W. Colfax Avenue at Utica Street in 1949. The tramway was abandoned in the 1950s, and the tracks were paved over so cars and buses could take over the roadway. The photo below shows the unearthed tracks discovered by crews this fall, nearly 75 years after they went out of service.
Median installation on Colfax Avenue between Yates and Wolfe Streets
Crews uncovered trolley tracks that were part of the city’s old tramway system.
Streetcar using the tracks on West Colfax Avenue at Utica Street in 1949.
Project Update - December 2024
Crews have completed over half of the 37 new pedestrian-friendly street crossings and have begun median installations along West Colfax Avenue.
Current Impacts:
- Lowell Street is intermittently closed south of W. Colfax Avenue and travel lanes are pushed to the north to support intersection reconstruction.
- W. Colfax Avenue travel lanes are pushed to the outside between Yates and Wolff Streets to support median installation. The new median will restrict left-turn access to/from Xavier Street and through access across Colfax Avenue.
Upcoming Impacts:
- After the New Year, crews will begin work on the north side of W. Colfax Avenue at Stuart and Raleigh Streets. Travel lanes and street closures will be required.
Crews will continue to remove portions of the existing sidewalk, while maintaining business access. Please use assigned pedestrian detours to safely navigate around work zones.
Pedestrian access to businesses along W. Colfax Avenue will always be maintained.
Construction Impacts
Crews will utilize intermittent lane closures at off-peak hours, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and shift the path of vehicle travel to support the safety of the workers. Portions of the existing sidewalks will be removed and replaced, while maintaining access to businesses. Please use assigned pedestrian detours to safely navigate around work zones.
Two lanes of vehicle travel will be maintained during nights and weekends, in both directions on West Colfax Avenue.
Pedestrian access to businesses along W. Colfax Avenue will always be maintained.
Project Area
The street currently has two travel lanes in either direction, with a center turn-lane, and one lane for parking that is staggered along the north and south sides of Colfax.
Individual Block Renderings
Click on each accordion for a high-level view of the improvements we're making to various segments of the corridor.
Sheridan Blvd to Yates St
Tennyson St to Raleigh St
Q&A
How will this project improve pedestrian safety?
- Installation of eight median refuge islands to decrease pedestrian crossing distances, provide people on foot with a safe place to stand when crossing the street and reduce left turns and conflict points between people walking and driving.
- Bulb-outs at 19 intersections that reduce pedestrian crossing distances, slow vehicle turning movements, calm traffic and improve the visibility of people crossing on foot and on bike.
- Replacing various pedestrian ramps with new ADA-compliant crossings and relocating existing obstacles on sidewalks to ease travel for all users.
How will this project benefit transit riders?
- Bus stop consolidations to reduce travel time and quicken transportation for bus users
- Modifications to traffic signals to give buses priority and reduce travel time
- New transit bulb-outs that provide larger waiting areas and safer boarding areas
What will the impacts be for vehicles making left turns or accessing businesses?
Managing vehicle turns is a strategy to increase safety for pedestrians and reduce conflicts. By reducing the number of turning movements, the number of potential conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians is also reduced. As a result of the median designs left turns will be restricted at non signalized intersections, meaning that people driving may need to drive one or two additional blocks to reach their destination.
Will the number of on-street parking spaces increase or decrease?
Overall, the number of on-street parking spaces would increase on West Colfax based on the preferred alternative as a result of adding bulb outs and removing the center turn lane in select locations. The side of the street where parking is provided (north versus south) may change with respect to the design.
Additional Project Information
Community Task Force
A community task force group met during the planning phase of the project, to expand the objectives defined in the Elevate Denver Bond program, inform initial design concepts, and review the preferred alternative.
Background and Public Meetings
Pedestrian and transit improvements for West Colfax have been identified in several studies and plans:
A virtual public meeting to share the final design and discuss project updates was held May 5, 2022:
A virtual public meeting for West Colfax Area Program of Projects was held on December 2, 2021:
Elevate Denver
In 2017, Denver voters approved funds through the Elevate Denver Bond Program to be used to make pedestrian crossing improvements to West Colfax, as well as improving the efficiency and reliability of transit along the corridor.
Vision Zero
West Colfax has been identified in the Vision Zero Action Plan as part of the high-injury network. West Colfax is also considered a high-ridership corridor with more than 6,000 daily weekday RTD riders.