Martha Valadez has weathered a recession and a pandemic during the 25 years she’s owned Martha’s Beauty Salon on 516 East Colfax Avenue, but the longtime business owner fears construction for a controversial Bus Rapid Transit line has finally choked off revenue to the point where she doesn’t expect to be open when the project finishes. “This is the worst year of business I’ve ever had,” she says. “Last month went horribly to the point where I said, ‘my god, what am I going to do?’” Monthly revenue has dropped by more than half, according to Valadez, who says she now brings home about $600 a month. The City of Denver expects the segment of BRT passing in front of her salon to finish in 2026. Major construction like tearing up the pavement or building new infrastructure hasn’t started, but she doesn’t know whether she’ll be able to renew her five-year lease when it expires in 2027, the same year construction for the complete BRT Colfax Avenue line is expected to wrap up. “I don’t know...