Regional Travel

Create Effective Regional Partnerships that Produce Results

The greatest increase in projected travel over the next 25 years for the City of Boulder is in the area of regional travel. New employment and shopping opportunities will increase the need for travelers to be able to get to, into and through Boulder to reach their destinations. If our businesses are to be successful and thrive, we must provide a broad range of multimodal improvements to address congestion and mobility needs.

Recent transportation modeling shows that the greatest increase in future congestion will occur on the limited number of regional facilities connecting Boulder with neighboring communities. While the city has an investment program to fund facilities and programs within the city, there is very little additional investment currently funded for the regional facilities. Without some change, a significant increase in regional travel will occur on facilities that look much like they are today. The City of Boulder can play an important role in facilitating regional action to provide and fund convenient travel choices. While travel by Boulder residents within the city is generally on track with the TMP objectives, regional travel is still highly dependent on Single Occupant Vehicles. Due to the distances of regional trips, future travel will need to be balanced between automobiles, transit and strategies such as carpooling and vanpools. As with the U.S. 36 corridor, regional corridors will require long-term solutions that include and integrate multiple travel options.

Condition of our Regional Connections

Some corridors, such as U.S. 36, have been the focus of significant work over a number of years and have a well defined vision supported by the city and the other communities along the corridor. Other corridors such as SH 93 south of town have received very little attention.

As part of the 2003 TMP Update process, the regional connections were evaluated based on the amount of traffic traveling on the corridors. The map illustrates the results based on 2001 traffic data. In addition, information was compiled for each corridor describing the status and current activities, as of phase 1 of the 2003 TMP Update (fall of 2001).

What are We Currently Doing to Improve Regional Travel?

The City of Boulder has planned improvements that begin to address regional travel.

• Arapahoe Intersection Improvements from Foothills to 75th: In coordination with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), numerous intersection improvements are planned including turn lanes, transit bypass lanes, sidewalks and bike lanes.
  
  
• 28th and Colorado: Recently completed improvements at this intersection include the addition of double left-turn lanes for both north and southbound movements on 28th Street, the replacement of the traffic signal at Colorado and 28th, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
  
  
• Bus Bypass Lanes along 28th Street Improvements: As part of the 28th Street Study, there are a number of approved improvements that will benefit both local and regional transit. Key to this plan is the construction of bus bypass lanes on the frontage road along the south section of 28th Street. These bus bypass lanes are intended to enhance both local and regional transit times, making transit more competitive with the automobile as a viable transportation option. The 28th Street project also includes improved transit stops and pedestrian connections to local destinations.
  
  
• Williams Village Transit Center: The proposed Williams Village Transit Center will provide a strategic transfer area where regional patrons can walk to or from the local stop area as well as transfer from existing and proposed transit service.
  
  
• Boulder Transit Village: The Boulder Transit Village is intended to become a major connection between local bus service, bicycling and walking, and regional bus and rail service.
  
  

Regional Corridor
Partnerships Map

Key Partnership Strategy Areas Being Pursued

Many Boulder residents and employees travel daily through Boulder County and adjacent cities to reach their destinations, while nearly half of the city's workforce must use the regional facilities to reach their jobs in Boulder. Given these relationships, it is evident that Boulder is not in this alone and must work with neighboring communities to develop regional partnerships addressing regional travel.

U.S. 36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition (MCC) - Since 1998, the city has worked with the Boulder County Commissioners and U.S. 36 corridor mayors on developing a mutually agreed upon multimodal package of improvements for the corridor. The city will continue partnerships to support the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) set of improvements for the corridor. The city will proactively work with these partners and RTD, CDOT, Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), the federal government and the business community to complete the Environmental Impact Study (EIS), and to fund and build these improvements. Ideas and objectives for the U.S. 36 Corridor
include:

• Support the LPA package of improvements including additional travel lanes, HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) and bus rapid transit, commuter rail, and a corridor bikeway;
• Leverage local investments for state and federal funds;
• Develop Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS);
• Implement smart bus technologies with real-time transit travel times; and
• Support real-time carpool/vanpool technologies.

An example of this partnership can be found in the 2025 Denver Regional Transportation Plan and the US 36 Major Improvement Project.

Boulder County Regional Transit Committee - A key strategy of this plan is the proactive participation of the city in the Boulder County Regional Transit Committee sponsored by the Consortium of Cities to plan and finance our transit future together. (Part of this is in response to changes with RTD)

Ideas and objectives include:

• Develop an understanding of and methods for transit financing;
• Develop organizing structures to implement new financing and to determine operational approaches;
• Construct bus lanes or bus bypass lanes to reduce travel
  times;
• Develop Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS);
• Implement smart bus technologies with real-time transit arrival information;
• Support real-time carpool/vanpool technologies; and
• Reduce transit/carpool travel times through additional travel lanes.

S.H. 119/Diagonal Consensus - Through partnerships between Boulder County, CDOT, RTD, city of Longmont and City of Boulder, a collective set of near-term and mid-term regional solutions have been developed for this corridor. The city will continue partnerships to support the consensus set of improvements, including the pursuit of extending passenger rail up to the S.H. 119 corridor; funding; and construction. Ideas and objectives for the S.H. 119 corridor include:

• Construct bus lanes or bus bypass lanes to reduce transit and/or HOV travel times;
• Develop corridor-based funding strategies;
• Implement roadway and intersection capacity improvements, including a multimodal interchange at S.H. 52 consistent with the corridor consensus;
• Develop Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS);
• Implement smart bus technologies with real-time transit travel times;
• Support real-time carpool/vanpool technologies; and
• Submit joint requests for federal funding of improvements.

One project that is currently being implemented is the S.H.119/S.H.52 interchange reconstruction.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 October 2012 08:20