Transportation

Just the ‘fax: Colfax survived Covid, but can it survive BRT construction?

Karl Christian Krumpholz walked from the Capitol to Colorado Boulevard. Here's what he saw and who he talked to along the way.
By Karl Christian KrumpholzJune 3, 2026
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A comic panel showing iconic Colfax destinations, like the Bastien's sign, the PS Cocktail Lounge sign, the Azar's Big Boy mascot, and more. Construction runs rampant in the foreground.
The comic, our narrator, embarks from the Colorado State Capitol on his first walk down Colfax since early 2022. A couple takes a selfie on the capitol steps.
The narrator explains that BRT construction started in 2024 to improve transit and make Colfax more vibrant. The construction continues today.
He describes and illustrates "new white-arched islands for busses" that "break through the recently re-tarred street like the dorsal fin of some sea beast." They are surrounded by the mess of ongoing construction.
The narrator stops into Capitol Hill Books, a local establishment since 1980, to ask the owner Ben how things are going. Ben says all of the restaurants on the block have closed.
The narrator walks past closed restaurants, noticing "for lease" signs and boarded up windows.
The narrator notices that longtime bar, Nob Hill, remains open. He says, "Bars always seem to hold on in bad times. People need them."
He gazes at the former Duman's Custom Tailor Shop, that closed in 2024 following a fire.
He peers through the window, noting the store's gutted interior.
A framed article about the shop gathers dust on the floor.
The narrator passes the shuttered Cheeky Monk pub, noticing a "Mask Required" sign in the window, a remnant from the pandemic.
He looks at the street, center lane blocked off with single-lane traffic on each side of Colfax. Bikes and cars fight to share the road. Parking spaces seem to have been permanently removed in the rennovation.
The narrator notices what is likely a new-build condo project where an old laundromat used to be.
But the street sill contains some signs of life, like a man bellowing incoherently.
He notes a new median that has been constructed to prevent turns at smaller intersections like Marion and Humboldt streets. He wonders if this will make traffic worse, instead of making the street safer.
He also notices that an empty flower shop that sat at the corner of Franklin and Colfax for years has finally been torn down.

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A trio of groundskeepers clean up trash on the sidewalk as the narrator walks by.
The narrator notes that some businesses look like "Schrodinger's Shop," theoretically active, but never open.
He notes loud construction hammering at York and Colfax, and the sound of police sirens in the distance.
People gather at temporary bus stops amid the construction. A man on an e-scooter rides down the middle of the street.
He zooms by, with little traffic in his way.
The narrator notes that after 18 months of rennovations, the 1959 All-Inn Motel has been cleaned up and reopened.
He stops into the St. Paul Tavern and asks the bartender, Johnny, about the construction. Johnny says regulars are still showing up and business is fine. But others on the block have suffered.
A regular chimes in, saying, "I'm not against the construction, but what's it going to do? ... Will anything be better? If not, what's the point?"
The narrator notes that the city says construction, at least up to Colorado Boulevard, should be over by the end of the year. The regular scoffs.
Outside, the narrator sees piles of dirt and rubble at the intersection of Adams and Colfax. A car, confused by the maze of orange construction barrels, struggles to find the correct lane.
A group of four, all dressed as Waldo from "Where's Waldo?" sit on the patio of a mezcal bar.
At Hooked on Colfax, a longtime staple on the street, Jason behind the counter says "the parking and lack of foot traffic definitely hurt us, but we still have our regulars coming in."
The narrator notes that Paradise Cleaners at Adams and Colfax was knocked down in 2024 to make way for much-needed parking in the Bluebird District.
He notices a man walking in the street, waving a stick, unaware of the traffic and honking cars behind him.
The narrator stands in front of Bastien's, amid a mess of construction, detour and "businesses are open" signs.
He notes closed sidewalks, fenced-off pedestrian lanes, and other barriers that make it hard for people to access businesses and cross the street.
As he reaches the end of his walk at Colorado Boulevard, he sees construction continue east down Colfax Avenue with no end in sight.

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