Protect our neighborhoods and save our businesses!
Join us this Thursday Nov 12th at 6pm in the Infinity Park Events Center. The Colorado Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit project is gathering public feedback now on the next leg proposed for Glendale. We want to make sure you're well-informed, have your community voices valued and heard, and are ready to fight to protect our way of life.
What Exactly Is Going On?
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is planning a major construction project that will shut down Colorado Boulevard in Glendale for years while they build two dedicated bus lanes, as part of CDOT's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system along Colorado Boulevard, running from I-70 all the way to south of Hampden Avenue.
That includes the one-mile stretch right through the heart of Glendale, between Mississippi Avenue and Alameda Avenue. Local Colorado Bouvelard adjacent neighbohoods from Colfax to Hampton will be heavily impacted. Construction is currently suggested to begin in 2030.
If you live in the neighborhoods adjacent to Colorado Boulevard, or own a business on Colorado Boulevard, your way of life and business interests are at risk! Now is the time to learn more and have your voices heard.
What You Need to Know About the Timeline & Corridor
Right Through Glendale
Mississippi Ave to Alameda Ave
The dedicated lanes option involves ripping-up Colorado boulevard to pour concrete and build access and stations for multiple years. Construction will block access to local businesses and disrupt the neighborhoods.
Projected Construction Start
Planning & environmental review is now
With years of construction-related harm coming soon to our neighborhoods and businessess, the real question is will ridership on the Colorado Boulevard Route 40 line will increase over time, or will the 45% drop-off from 2024-2025 continue?
Of Active Pre-Planning
Before shovels hit the ground
The time to speak up is before final engineering is locked in — not after heavy equipment arrives on your street.
S. Colorado Blvd between E. Mississippi Ave & E. Alameda Ave
Where Glendale Stands in the Process
Planning & Visioning
CDOT corridor studies, route alternative analyses, and environmental reviews. Now is the time to advance the evaluation of a "no build" option.
Engineering & Design
Station placement finalized, lane configurations designed, and right-of-way details locked. Side street cut-through protections drafted.
Pre-Construction
Utility relocations along Colorado Blvd, traffic detour bidding, and construction contractor selection across corridor segments.
Construction Begins
Heavy machinery, median reconstruction, dedicated BRT lane paving, station platform builds, and traffic lane closures along the 1-mile stretch.
BRT Service
High-frequency bus rapid transit launches from I-70 to south of Hampden with modern stations, improved sidewalks, and signal priority.
💡 Why 2024–2026 is critical: Once design and environmental engineering are finalized in 2028, route and detour decisions cannot be easily changed.
Submit Input for Current Phase →Past promises, generational memory and today.
When most of America's communter rail was ripped-up in the 1950s, it was to make way for the urban explosion of automobile ownership, and for the proliferation of buses. Every generation is asked to pay for the next stage of development, without anyone holding anyone accountable.
The Known Negatives
Traffic Detours
High ImpactNavigation systems will reroute cars to use side streets, turning quiet neighborhood roads into cut-through corridors. This will increase car accidents in the local neighborhoods involving children, seniors and pets.
Noise & Disruption
Daytime HoursHeavy equipment, lane closures, and construction activity will affect daily life for residents and business customers alike. Diesel concrete trucks, graders and dump trucks will take over Colorado Boulevard, with back-up horns blaring, engines reving, thick black smoke and the smell of diesel.
Business Access
Chamber PriorityAccess from Colorado Boulevard into business parking spots will be blocked during construction. Getting in and out of local shops will be very difficult during the construction years. Mitigation of business customer access interruption is a crucial concern.
Security Concerns
Community WatchThousands of cars redireceted down adjacent residential streets will cause neighborhood harm. There will be more car accidents in residential areas, with children, senior citizens and pets being the hardest hit by cars racing through side streets because they are late for work, or dinner at home.
Duration
Multi-PhaseThis isn't a weekend project. Construction along the corridor could span 2-3 years.
The Potential Positives
Increase Bus Travel
Faster RoutesThe main premise is that dedicated bus lanes will lead to more bus ridership over time. However, RTD's own ridership data does not support this theory in reality, with declining local ridership trending (45% reduction of ridership on RTD Route 40 from 2024 to 2025).
Safer Streets
Pedestrian FirstAfter completion, the project claims Improved sidewalks, ADA-compliant ramps, crosswalks, and pedestrian infrastructure. During construction, there will be harm caused by redirected traffic through local neighborhoods, plus noise and air pollution from large diesel trucks.
Economic Opportunity
Long-Term GrowthFor the local businesses that manage to survive the lack of customer access and sales during the years of major road construction disruption, the long-term improved connectivity could attract new visitors and customers to Glendale businesses. The loss of local businesses on Colfax Avenue is real and must be studied, before BRT planning for Colorado can proceed.
Greener Commutes
Clean AirThe premise is that more bus riders means fewer cars and lower emissions along the corridor. The increasing ridership assumption is not supported by the data. RTD data shows a recent sharp drop in 2025 ridership data. Wishful thinking will not change how individuals decide to move themselves from home to their place of work. Local residents own cars and can afford automomous vehicles and do not have time the time needed for taking a bus from fewer stations located farther apart.
The Chamber's Stance: We are open to transit solutions based on actual ridership data, and the BRT project should not move forward if it harms local Glendale businesses or neighborhood safety.
In a Town This Connected, What Affects One of Us Affects All of Us
Glendale is one of Colorado's smallest incorporated cities — and that's one of the things that makes it special. We know our neighbors. We support our local businesses. We show up for each other.
That also means that when a major infrastructure project rolls through, the ripple effects are felt by everyone — from the family-owned restaurant on the corner to the resident trying to sleep through the night. That's why the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce is committed to keeping our community informed, engaged, and empowered.
“We're not here to scare you. We're here to make sure you're never caught off guard.”
Stay Informed & Get Involved
Sign up below to receive updates, community meeting invites, and resources — and let us know how you'd like to help.
Have something specific on your mind? We want to hear it.
Your voice matters. Every concern submitted goes directly to the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce and helps shape how we engage with CDOT and local officials on your behalf.
Submit Your Concern BelowMake Your Voice Heard
Tell us what's on your mind. Whether it's about your business, your block, or your daily commute — every concern is valid and every voice counts.