Denver, Aurora, DRCOG, Colorado Department of Transportation, and the Federal Transit Authority are working together to construct the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service.[1] This line will offer service between Broadway and the R-line station at I-225[2] and offer faster times than currents buses. This BRT was chosen after a need was identified in Denver’s 2008 Strategic Transportation Plan.[3] East Colfax was selected as the pilot because the 15/15L bus service route is the busiest in the city.[4] The route is also straightforward and well known to RTD riders, making it a great candidate to test out this program. Construction began on this project in 2024.[5] Denverites have likely noticed an increase in traffic around East Colfax due to the massive construction this project requires.[6] Aside from that, transportation systems like this one are costly. Denver’s public transportation system often leaves riders wanting more, but at a $116.5 million price tag it is understandable that the city has only made steady changes to the system.[7] When hearing about the East Colfax BRT, many people in Denver instantly thought about the cost and how it would relate to their tax dollars.[8] Considering there are bus and train routes in need of attention, it is important to understand why this project has garnered so much attention.
When the city undertakes such a large project, funding allocation is always a major issue. In Denver, a budget deficit can make people more uneasy about such large scale projects so it is important to understand how they are funded.[9] The East Colfax BRT boasts three main streams of funding including a grant from the Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant, bond funding from Elevate Denver, and funding from Denver’s Capital Improvement Program.[10]
First, The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is a sector of the U.S. Department of Transportation that largely focuses on providing funding to transit systems nationwide.[11] The FTA’s Capital Investment Grant Program provides funding for transit systems like the Colfax BRT and requires certain steps to be completed on a project receiving funding within a given timeframe.[12] These projects also must be rated by the FTA throughout their building process to ensure the utilization of funds.[13] The FTA Grant in addition to priorly allocated federal funding accounts for $150 million of this project, but the project has a cost of the $280 million cost, so what are the other funding sources?[14]
Next, The Elevate Denver Program accounts for $75 million of that cost, $55 million for the system allocated through voters and $20 million for pedestrian improvements on Colfax.[15] Elevate Denver is a 10 year long general obligation bond that was approved by the voters of the City and County of Denver in 2017.[16] The purpose of this program is to provide critical improvements to city infrastructure such as roads, bridges, trains, and buses.[17] The Elevate Denver Bond, like other General Obligation Bond Programs, was adopted by Denver voters and acquires its funding through a deficit that is repaid through property taxes.[18] This program promises to invest in projects the city truly needs such as sidewalks, transit, libraries, and public safety facilities.[19] The Elevate Denver program comes directly from the city of Denver and is funded by the taxpayers.[20]
The third main funding source comes from funding from the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).[21] This program focuses on the funding to make certain intersections on East Colfax safer.[22] This largely comes from Denver’s Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan, scheduled to take place from 2025-2030 and improve many of the same necessary infrastructure elements as the Elevate Denver Bond.[23] This plan guides the budgeting process and helps inform the city on how to allocate financial resources.[24] The funding for the CIP comes from sources such as sales tax, use tax, agreements with private companies, Colorado Lottery funds, levies, and transfers from the general fund.[25] Unlike Elevate Denver, CIP takes from funds the city has already accounted for, meaning taxpayers can worry less about a direct tax increase from this project.
The East Colfax BRT promises a more accessible Colfax and citizens can worry a little less about how it will affect their taxes as the money largely comes from federal programs, city grants, and already attained local tax funds. Could this project be a pioneer in future public transit funding?
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