🚌 Denver's next BRT fight

🚌 The Future of BRT on Colorado Boulevard

The Colorado Department of Transportation held an open house last week seeking community comment on a proposal to add a new Bus Rapid Transit line to Colorado Boulevard. CDOT is proposing multiple options for residents to consider for improving transit service and changing lane configurations along Colorado Boulevard between Hampden and East 40th Avenues. Options include two different strategies for adding new bus lanes on the busy road, while a third option proposes no new lanes, but an increase in RTD service frequency, improved station infrastructure, and new buses. [Westword]

• Colorado’s safety problem: Colorado Boulevard is among the most dangerous roads in Denver. The road has been identified as a “high injury network,” meaning it accounts for "disproportionately high rates” of fatal accidents and is in need of considerable safety improvements. [Denverite; Denver.gov]
• What are proponents saying? At the most recent meeting, proponents of adding dedicated BRT service on Colorado say it would make the road safer for pedestrians, including cyclists and children, ultimately saving lives. Denver Streets Partnership, a nonprofit that advocates for safe, people-friendly streets, promoted a bus-only lane as a way to increase overall safety by slowing car traffic speeds. [Denver Streets Partnership]
• What is the opposing argument? Attendees who oppose the project say that eliminating lanes is a “by design” strategy intended to force people into using public transit. They say this won’t work, and a BRT line will only make traffic worse while deterring much-needed visitors from downtown. The opposing argument also believes construction on Colorado could be bad for local business, pointing out the numerous establishments that have closed since BRT construction began on Colfax Avenue. [Denver Gazette; Axios; Westword]

🏥 Children’s Hospital Ordered to Resume Gender Affirming Care

The Colorado Supreme Court ordered Children's Hospital to resume gender-affirming care to patients in a ruling Monday. In January the hospital halted the care after the Trump administration threatened to cut federal funding for medical providers offering transition-related medical services for minors. Monday’s decision came in the context of a case several families of transgender youth brought against Children's Hospital for allegedly violating Colorado's anti-discrimination law when it halted care. [9News; Denver Gazette]

🐻 Drought Conditions Push Bears Closer to People

Climate change is shifting the habits of Colorado’s black bears. This year’s unusually warm winter means the bears are waking from hibernation earlier, and the drought has pushed them into new territories searching for food. The result? In the first quarter of 2026, there were already 77% more bear encounters than all of last year. Experts are pouring funds into bear safety education, but the responsibility will ultimately fall on humans to change their behavior. [5280]

🍜 Benihana to Launch in LoDo

Benihana is planning to open a fast-casual concept on 16th street inside the old Panera, next to the new Mendocino Farms. Currently, there isn’t a Benihana location in downtown Denver, and it will be just the third to open in Colorado. Unlike its famous sit-down experience, this version will offer hibachi platters, breakfast bowls, and other quick meals that serve workers on the go. [Denver Post 🔒]

📚 A New Chapter for an Old South Broadway Haunt?

A longtime Denverite recently purchased the former Mutiny Information Cafe space at the corner of Broadway and Ellsworth Avenue. Neighborhood resident Jeremy Spira is a real estate investor who hopes to lease the storefront to a local business that brings back the “original character and essence” of the South Broadway area. Neighbors expressed hopes for anything from a bodega to a bookstore. [Denverite]