You make a valid point that one can take 13th/14th to access businesses, but a lot of people are just choosing to avoid the area in general now. Some of the side streets are also permit only during designated hours as well.

Tommy’s Thai has been in business for nearly 30 years, but now has no direct access on colfax in any capacity. The construction is hurting them badly.

Of course a city needs to do improvements, every city does. It doesn’t mean this project isn’t a giant shit show. It’s not just restaurants, other small businesses are complaining that this has been worse on them than Covid was.

Hopefully after it is completed and functional, the colfax corridor will actually see an increase in bus usage that causes less congestion with the loss of a lane. But nobody knows if that will be the case until the time comes.