What is the Transportation Master Plan?

The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is the city's long range blueprint for travel and mobility. First adopted in 1989, the TMP recognized the need to reconcile two seemingly conflicting goals: first to provide mobility and access in the Boulder Valley in a way that is safe and convenient; and second, to preserve what makes Boulder a good place to live by minimizing auto congestion, air pollution, and noise.

The TMP fits under the policy umbrella of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP), and implements the broader community vision contained in the BVCP for the area of transportation. The TMP covers all forms of personal travel - walk, bike, bus and automobile.

What Does the Plan Contain?

• Policies related to transportation;
• Modal Plans: Automobile, Bus (Transit), Bicycle, Pedestrian;
• Background on travel behavior and expectations;
• Strategic actions in the Four Policy Focus Areas;
• An Investment Program of proposed projects within our funding limitations;
• An Action Plan as a framework for community action to fund additional transportation investment; and
• The Vision for our ultimate transportation system.

How Does the Plan Affect Daily Life in Boulder?

The TMP describes a vision for our transportation future, identifies policies to help achieve that vision and contains the transportation funding program for implementation. These policies affect what choices we have for travel by car, bus, bicycle, and on foot. By identifying transportation priorities and the funding to support them, the TMP determines what projects are built and what programs are pursued. (See Investment Program)

TMP Goals and Objectives

Previous versions of the TMP contained goals, objectives and an extensive set of policy statements.  For the 2003 TMP, goals are retained ("stay the course") and the objectives are enhanced to better reflect the policy direction of the city. 

2025 Goals

2025 Goals are to develop:

• An integrated, multimodal transportation system emphasizing the role of the pedestrian mode as the primary mode of travel;
• A transportation system supportive of community goals;
• Sufficient, timely, and equitable financing mechanisms for transportation;
• Public participation and regional coordination in transportation planning; and,
• A transportation system supportive of desired land use patterns and functional, attractive urban design.

Objectives are those measurable things that reflect our goals. These objectives are expanded to more fully reflect the desired transportation system.

2025 Objectives

• Continued progress toward no growth in long-term
  vehicle traffic;
• Reduce single-occupant-vehicle travel to 25 percent of trips;
• Continued reduction in mobile source emissions of air
  pollutants;
• No more than 20 percent of roadways congested (at Level of Service [LOS] F);
• Expand fiscally viable transportation alternatives for all
  Boulder residents and employees, including the elderly and those with disabilities; and
• Increase transportation alternatives commensurate
  with the rate of employee growth.

As many of the policies from the previous plan have been incorporated in city design standards and standard practice, these policies continue as a given for the city. The smaller set of policies contained in the 2003 TMP focuses on areas where continued progress is needed.

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 08:44