The Federal Transit Administration today awarded the city and county of Denver $2 million for a next-level study of the feasibility of adding streetcar service to the East Colfax Avenue corridor between the State Capitol and the Anschutz/Fitzsimons medical campus in Aurora.

Denver already has prepared a preliminary analysis of the streetcar option for Colfax. That study can be found at www.denvergov.org/ColfaxStreetcarFeasibilityStudy.

“The need for this project centers on high bus ridership and crowding despite very frequent service,” the FTA said in a statement awarding the funds to Denver. RTD’s 15 and 15L bus lines on East Colfax are extremely high volume.

In all, FTA announced a total of $25.7 million in “alternatives analysis” transit grants to 23 projects around the country, including Denver’s potential streetcar venture.

FTA had received 67 applications from transit and governmental entities in 30 states that bid for the money.

Crissy Fanganello, director of policy and planning in Denver’s public works department, said the process of seeking the FTA funds was highly competitive and the city is “honored” to have won the grant for the Colfax transit study.