Multimodal Corridors

Be Smarter about Where and What We Invest In

The multimodal corridors are the major transportation facilities which accommodate auto, bus, bicycle and pedestrian travel. These corridors provide for travel across town and connect with the regional transportation system.

Read about Broadway as an example of a multimodal corridor system.

We can increase travel efficiency in how we integrate future land uses along these multimodal transportation corridors. In the future, these corridors will facilitate linking different modes together (i.e., bikes on buses or being able to park once and walk to multiple destinations), giving people workable choices to travel. Information systems can also greatly improve how we travel in the future. Using technology to provide up-to-the-minute information on bus arrival times, carpool availability and road conditions will make transportation choices more convenient (see details on Intelligent Transportation Systems). "Smart" transportation can also help us provide workable transportation options for our aging population.

What are the Multimodal Corridors?

The 1996 TMP identified 10 multimodal corridors (six east-west and four north-south corridors) and called for improving all modes of travel along them. As these corridors carry a majority of the trips in the community and link important activity and commercial centers, maximizing their efficient trip-carrying ability requires improving the relationship between the multimodal transportation system, land use and design along these corridors.

Corridor Prioritization

Because available transportation funds are insufficient to fully fund all the corridors, improvements to the corridors need to be phased. The 10 multimodal corridors were divided and prioritized into 42 segments based on a number of transportation and land use characteristics. Improvements to these corridor segments are dependent upon the available funds. Eleven (11) of the 42 corridor segments can be constructed under the Current Funding program, the additional funds identified in the Action Plan would allow 21 of the corridor segments to be implemented, while the Vision program builds out all 42 segments (Compare all three investment programs).

Click here for more details about how the corridors are prioritized.

What improvements are proposed?

The 10 corridors' improvements include:

Roadway

• Roadway reconstruction to reduce long-term maintenance liabilities;
• Improved operational and traffic flow through intersection enhancements focusing on system “bottlenecks”;
• Roadway improvements which support multi-occupant vehicle use;
• Roadway-related (functional efficiency/safety) improvements in priority corridors; and
• Signal coordination optimization based on current traffic flow patterns.

Pedestrian

• Complete segments of missing sidewalks to provide direct and continuous connections between destinations and to transit;
• Continue adding enhanced pedestrian crossings at strategic locations; and
• Continue installation of pedestrian signals and crossing count-down heads.

Bicycle

• Complete missing bicycle trails and bicycle lanes to provide direct and continuous connections;
• Construct needed underpasses at high volume locations to provide safe connections; and
• Provide bicycle route signage.

Transit

• Deploy the high-frequency Community Transit Network (CTN);
• Construct enhancements at key high-frequency transit stops to include, at a minimum, transit signs and pavement platforms. At higher demand transit stops, shelters, benches and trash receptacles will be provided; and
• Operational system efficiency improvements, such as bus bypass lanes, bus signal prioritization and other improvements to increase the efficiency of the CTN.

Click here to learn about Transportation Network Plans (TNPs).

Build Upon What is Working ... Community Transit Network

The implementation of the city's Community Transit Network (CTN) originated with the HOP and SKIP services and was fully planned in the 1996 TMP.  This transit service has been highly successful at minimizing congestion impacts in corridors such as Broadway and has increased transit ridership more than 400 percent since 1990. The CTN has been supported by the public for both continuation and expansion as funds are available. Currently there are six (6) CTN services: HOP, SKIP, JUMP, BOUND, STAMPEDE and DASH; and the DART service to Longmont will start in 2004. The Current Funding program proposes continuation of these services for the life of the TMP for local funding to support service above the RTD base service level. The Action Plan builds on the CTN success and adds two important services, the LEAP (east Boulder) and the ORBIT (28th and Folsom loop), to serve the areas where the majority of development and redevelopment is expected to occur. The long-term vision for Boulder is to provide a network of 13 CTN services integrated with the RTD services as well as to enhance transit with real-time information and supplement Gunbarrel fixed route service with Call-n-Ride services.

Click on the maps below for a larger view.

 View all three Investment Packages for Transit

Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 October 2012 08:15