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.

Planned improvements include new and enhanced transit stations, service amenities, improved pedestrian and bike connections, and placemaking opportunities, according to city officials.

Colfax Avenue is currently a four-lane arterial with center turn lanes and parking on both sides in most stretches. It serves as a major connection between Denver and Aurora and is home to bus line 15 and the 15L express line, which are consistently the most ridden buses in RTD’s network.

Denver officials estimate BRT improvements will reduce travel time by 15 to 30 minutes and provide more affordable and reliable access to over 250,000 jobs and community services along the Colfax corridor.

But cars also use the road. It serves Denver’s historic East High School, the convention center and countless businesses along the nearly 10-mile corridor. By halving the available lanes of traffic, city officials previously acknowledged there may be outsized impacts on surrounding streets like 13th, 14th and 17th avenues.

Businesses along the “longest commercial street in the country” may look wearily to the languishing 16th Street Mall, which has dealt with a refurbishing construction project for years. Officials maintain the planned high frequency bus service will spur development on Colfax Avenue, rather than stifle it, according to previous coverage by The Denver Gazette.

The contract is a major step in making the vision of a Colfax BRT a reality, but there are still hurdles the city, CDOT and RTD must overcome before groundbreaking can begin.

In other action Monday, the council will consider:

24-1107: A second reading and public hearing of a bill approving an amendment to the Welton Corridor Urban Redevelopment Plan for the 29th and Welton Project and authorizing the creation of the 29th and Welton property tax and sales tax increment areas. The Denver Urban Renewal Authority project will redevelop a 0.43-acre parcel at the northwest corner of 29th Street and Welton Street. The RTD-owned site is used for surface parking. The project would provide 62 affordable, for-sale residential condos, approximately 6,950 square feet of commercial space and 33 surface parking spaces.

24-1178: A resolution with Renewal Village Housing Corp. to amend the use restrictions to reflect the additional 26 housing vouchers from the Colorado Division of Housing by lowering the non-congregate shelter unit count from 107 to 81 and increasing the affordable housing unit count from 108 to 134, in Council District 9.

24-1127: A resolution with Albion Apartments for $6,760,000 to finance the acquisition of 170 affordable housing units to lease for qualified households in Council District 4.

24-1031: A $2,565,984 resolution for The Salvation Army to operate The Tamarac Family Shelter, an emergency homeless shelter, until June 15, 2025.

24-1152: A resolution for appointments and reappointments to the Community Corrections Board for the following individuals: Cari Ladd, Sheriff Elias Diggins, Lt. Michelle Folmar, Kimberly Howard and Chris Meeks for terms through June 30, 2028 or until a successor is fully appointed.

Denver Gazette reporter Alex Edwards contributed to this report.