Yes. CDOT’s current 30% design puts Federal Boulevard bus rapid transit stations at West 38th, 44th and 46th avenues along Berkeley’s east edge, plus 50th Avenue by Regis University. Construction is targeted for 2027, with service planned to start in 2030.
Federal Boulevard is the eastern edge of Berkeley, and through Northwest Denver it is a busy state highway, US 287, lined with shops, restaurants, gas stations and apartment buildings. The Colorado Department of Transportation, RTD and the cities along the route have spent several years planning a bus rapid transit line for it.
Bus rapid transit, or BRT, is a bus line built to run more like a rail line: fewer, larger stations, signal priority at intersections and, where there is room, lanes reserved for the bus. The Federal line would run about 18 miles from the Englewood light rail station to Westminster, and the plans for the stretch along Berkeley are now detailed enough to show where buses would stop.
Jason Sirois is a Denver Realtor with FORM at Compass, whose office is at 1900 W 32nd Ave in Northwest Denver. Here is what the current plans show for Berkeley, what is still undecided and how the timeline and funding stand as of October 2026.
Where would the Federal Boulevard BRT stop near Berkeley?
CDOT presented 30% design drawings at public open houses in October 2025, and those drawings are posted on the project’s public meeting materials page. Stations are shown as pairs, one platform on each side of Federal, so riders board on the side of the street that matches their direction of travel.
Between West 38th Avenue and Interstate 70, the drawings show three station pairs along Berkeley’s east edge, and a fourth just north of I-70:
| Location on Federal Blvd | Station in 30% design? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| W 38th Ave | Yes, station pair | Southeast corner of Berkeley; short bus bypass segments shown at the intersection |
| W 41st Ave | No | Signalized intersection only |
| W 44th Ave | Yes, station pair | Mid-point of Berkeley’s Federal frontage |
| W 46th Ave | Yes, station pair | Closest station to the I-70 interchange from the south |
| W 48th Ave / I-70 | No | Interchange area |
| W 50th Ave | Yes, station pair | Just north of 50th, beside Regis University |
| W 52nd Ave | No | Signal only; a curbside bus lane begins north of 52nd |
Two cautions apply. First, these are 30% drawings, labeled design in progress, so a station can still shift a block or be removed as final design moves forward. Second, the spacing is deliberate. BRT stations sit farther apart than local bus stops so buses spend more time moving, which means some blocks that have a local stop today would not have a BRT platform.
Would buses get their own lane along Berkeley?
Mostly no. On most of the corridor, the recommended design runs the bus in a dedicated curb lane. The exception is the central stretch through Northwest Denver. CDOT’s project overview says the BRT would share lanes with other vehicles between 20th and 50th avenues, while the project FAQ describes the shared section as running from 20th to 52nd. Either way, the segment along Berkeley is in it.
In the shared section, CDOT plans to speed buses up in other ways: queue jumps or short bypass lanes at targeted intersections, transit signal priority that holds a green light a few seconds longer for an approaching bus, and fewer stops. The 38th Avenue intersection is one of the places the drawings show short bus bypass segments.
For the blocks just west of Federal, that means the current plan relies on shared lanes rather than a bus-only lane along Berkeley. The most visible new features in the drawings along this stretch are the station platforms at 38th, 44th and 46th avenues.
The 38th Avenue intersection is also where the bus line meets another planned project. Denver’s West 38th Avenue redesign, which we covered here, includes possible bus bypass lanes at busy intersections such as Federal. We did not find any published plan showing how the two projects will be coordinated at that corner, so that detail is still open.
When will the Federal BRT open?
CDOT’s published schedule is:
- 2023 to 2025: preliminary design and environmental review
- 2026 to 2027: final design
- 2027 to 2029: construction, testing and commissioning
- 2030: BRT service underway
The Federal Transit Administration’s project profile is more specific and lists expected revenue service in January 2030. CDOT’s FAQ says construction could begin as early as 2027 if federal funding comes through and would take about three years.
In January 2026 the state Transportation Commission approved a construction manager/general contractor delivery method for the project, a contracting approach in which the builder joins during design. CDOT issued the contractor request for proposals in April 2026 and posted a shortlist in June 2026. We did not find an announced contractor selection as of mid-October 2026.
How is the Federal BRT being paid for?
The project’s financial plan, published in the FTA project profile, totals about $318.4 million. The largest piece is a federal Capital Investment Grants request of about $150 million, roughly 47% of the total. The rest is a mix of federal highway funds, state transit and clean-air funds, and smaller local contributions, including $2.5 million from Denver.
| Funding source (FTA profile, Nov 2025) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Federal Capital Investment Grants (Small Starts) request | $149.99 million |
| Federal highway funds (STBG and Carbon Reduction) | $91.17 million |
| State funds | $71.44 million |
| Local contributions (Denver, Westminster, Adams County, RTD, Federal Heights) | $5.80 million |
| Total | $318.40 million |
The federal grant is not awarded yet. The FTA’s dashboard shows the project in its Project Development phase with a Medium-High rating, and CDOT has said that full funding has not yet been identified, so it plans to build in phases. The first phase, as described in CDOT’s open house materials, covers station pairs from Alameda Avenue to 52nd Avenue and the queue jumps between 20th and 50th, which would include the stations along Berkeley. CDOT’s FAQ also says the project does not include increased taxes.
How often would the buses run?
According to CDOT’s FAQ, buses would come every 7.5 minutes at peak times and every 15 minutes off-peak between Westminster and Evans Avenue, which includes the Berkeley stretch. Weekday service would run from about 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. CDOT’s fact sheet describes 60-foot articulated buses and two overlapping routes that together produce the more frequent service in the middle of the corridor. The FTA profile lists a lower frequency, so treat these numbers as planning targets.
The line would connect with rail at several stations, including the G Line at Clear Creek/Federal and the W Line at Decatur/Federal, according to CDOT.
What it means for Berkeley homeowners and sellers
For now, the practical effects are about information rather than construction. A few points to keep in mind:
- Nothing is being built along Berkeley’s stretch of Federal in 2026. Construction is targeted for 2027 at the earliest and depends on the federal grant.
- Station locations are in the 30% design and can change. If a listing or a buyer conversation turns on distance to a future stop, check the latest drawings on CDOT’s project page.
- Federal is also seeing other change along this stretch, including the Regis Village redevelopment between 50th and 52nd, next to the planned 50th Avenue station.
- CDOT still has a general comment form on its project page. We did not find any public meetings scheduled for 2026.
For a wider look at the neighborhood, see our Berkeley community page. If you are weighing a sale or purchase near Federal and want to talk through how planned projects factor in, Jason and the FORM team are glad to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Federal BRT station at 41st and Federal?
Not in the current 30% design. The drawings show a traffic signal at West 41st Avenue but no station. The closest planned stations are at West 38th Avenue to the south and West 44th Avenue to the north.
Will the Federal Boulevard BRT take away a traffic lane in Berkeley?
CDOT’s plan has the BRT sharing lanes with general traffic between roughly 20th and 50th avenues, which covers Berkeley. Instead of dedicated lanes there, it relies on signal priority and short bypass lanes at some intersections, such as 38th Avenue.
When does construction on the Federal BRT start?
CDOT targets construction for 2027 through 2029, with service in 2030. The start depends on a federal Capital Investment Grants award, which the FTA’s September 2026 dashboard estimated for roughly fall 2027.
Is the Federal BRT the same as the Colfax BRT?
No. They are separate projects. The Colfax line runs east-west mostly in center-running lanes, while the Federal line runs north-south and uses side-running lanes where it has dedicated lanes at all.
How far apart are the Federal BRT stations near Berkeley?
They vary. The 30% design places station pairs at 38th, 44th and 46th avenues, then at 50th Avenue north of I-70, so the gaps range from two blocks to six, with no stations at 41st, 48th or 52nd.
Does the Federal BRT raise property taxes?
CDOT’s FAQ says the project does not include increased taxes. The financial plan relies on a federal grant, federal highway funds, state funds and local contributions, and the federal grant has not been awarded yet.
This article is for general information only and reflects published plans as of October 2026. Project designs, schedules and funding can change; check CDOT’s Federal Boulevard BRT project page for current details.
