Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) has approved the purchase of 47 new 60-foot articulated buses from New Flyer for the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
The contract allows RTD to acquire the vehicles from New Flyer of America for a total cost not exceeding 66.9 million USD. It also includes an option to purchase up to 80 additional buses over the next five years.
The buses are intended for use on the East Colfax corridor between downtown Denver and I-225 in Aurora. The vehicles are designed for BRT operations and will replace existing articulated buses in the agency’s fleet.
The new buses will include features such as three-door entry, level boarding, and dedicated bicycle storage. These design elements are intended to support faster boarding and improved accessibility for passengers using mobility aids, bicycles, and strollers.
The procurement forms part of wider work on the East Colfax BRT project, which is currently under construction across multiple sections of the corridor. Earlier this month, RTD and project partners began construction on the Aurora segment, meaning work is now underway across all five project segments between Denver and Aurora.
Construction activity includes station development, utility relocation, drainage work, paving, and streetscape upgrades.
Operational preparation is ongoing alongside construction. RTD teams are carrying out testing of 60-foot buses in relation to centre-running lanes and level boarding platforms to assess alignment and boarding procedures. This work is intended to support future service reliability and station operations.
Once complete, the East Colfax BRT line is expected to reduce end-to-end journey times by up to 30 minutes and improve connections to employment centres and local destinations along the corridor. Full service is planned for 2028.
RTD has also noted its longer-term intention to transition towards lower- and zero-emission vehicles where funding, manufacturing capacity, and regulatory requirements allow. The agency said that at present, clean diesel remains the only federally compliant option available for 60-foot articulated buses used in high-capacity corridors such as East Colfax.
