Aurora and East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit officials will hold an open house for the public on Feb. 11 to talk about the transit project coming to the Colfax community.

The open house is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Manos Sagrados, 9975 E. Colfax Ave. in Aurora. The event was initially scheduled to take place at The People’s Building, but was relocated, according to a city news release.

Officials from the City of Aurora, Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center, the East Colfax BRT, Regional Transportation District and two nonprofits will talk to residents and business owners about the transit project, what to expect during construction and share resources for small businesses.

Light refreshments and activities for children will be provided, according to the news release.

Construction on the BRT project in Aurora is expected to begin this spring and will continue work started in Denver to replace the existing 15 and 15L buses and save riders up to 30 minutes in travel time from Union Station to the R Line Station at I-225, the release said.

Those interested in attending the open house can access the event on the 15 and 15L bus routes or via car, with public parking in the area.

Planning for the East Colfax BRT project began in 2008, when Denver officials saw a need for improvements to RTD service along Colfax, where service demand is higher than on all other RTD routes, according to the project webpage.

Officials conducted a Streetcar Feasibility Study in 2010 and a detailed analysis of transit needs in 2012, the webpage says. After six years of outreach and community feedback, officials decided on a center-running BRT, a design for which was complete in 2024.

Construction on the project began in October 2024.

The East Colfax BRT will run along Colfax Avenue from Broadway to Yosemite Street in Denver and from Yosemite to I-225 in Aurora on a designated transit lane. The project also includes new transit stations and improved pedestrian and bike connections, according to the project webpage.

Buses will arrive at stations approximately every four minutes during the day and reduce transit travel time by 15-to-30 minutes, according to the webpage.

The project, estimated to cost $280 million, is funded through $150 million in federal grants, including a $23 million Federal Transit Administration grant, Elevate Denver bonds and Capital Improvement Program funding.

As the BRT project continues, Aurora officials are developing the Colfax Avenue Downtown Development Authority to oversee revitalization along the corridor in Aurora.

Voters in November approved the creation of a DDA, and an application is open through Feb. 28 for members of the DDA board.

Core improvement areas for the DDA, as outlined in the Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan, are public safety, business support, housing stability, cleanliness and maintenance, arts and culture and public space.