City Accomplishments

A welcoming and inclusive community that fosters positive neighborhood and community relations and ensures that all residents are secure and cared for during emergencies and natural disasters. Public infrastructure is well-maintained and reliable, and natural resources like water, air, and land are protected.

• Opened a new climate-friendly Fire Station 3 that meets modern needs. The city also developed a multi-year funding strategy to replace aging fire engines, despite a constrained budget and rapidly escalating costs.
• Supported the Police Oversight Panel as members worked through by-law changes, stepped up training, worked through a backlog of cases, and—led by the city’s Independent Police Monitor—engaged with the Center for People with Disabilities to learn ways police can improve support for individuals with disabilities.

• Enhanced wildfire resilience efforts by updating the city’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), prioritizing community awareness of wildfire risks through the Wildfire Ready initiative and expanding detailed home assessments. The city is leveraging the Climate Tax to provide grants to eligible property owners for improvements that will help make the whole community safer. These efforts also emphasize equity with a focus on lower-income communities located near areas with higher fire risk. 
  

• Launched a new text message program to keep community members informed when the Emergency Operations Center is activated for a disaster. The program allows the city and county to share timely updates on incidents, community resources, road closures, shelters, and impacts. Messages are available in over 100 languages via the ReachWell translation app.
  
• Completed reprogramming the lighting control system in all multi-use path underpasses so that all lights are on 24/7 to support safety and comfort for people walking, rolling and biking.
  
• Adopted an update to the Public and Chronic Nuisance laws, designed to better define nuisance conditions and consequences, including for those properties exhibiting extreme repetition in generating violations. The updated laws ensure property owner accountability for life-safety and quality of life conditions.
• Started up new high service pumps and electrical system upgrades as part of a $30 million capital upgrade to the water treatment facility on 63rd Street, near Boulder Reservoir.
• Continued significant progress on three critical flood mitigation projects: specifically South Boulder Creek Phase 1, Gregory Canyon Creek, and Upper Goose Creek and Twomile Canyon Creek.
• Completed a comprehensive inventory of the citywide water distribution system to protect public health, focused on evaluating customer service lines and associated material (specifically lead). No lead service lines were found in the community.
  
• Reached a significant milestone on the $70 million Main Sewer Improvements project to fortify the largest wastewater collection pipe serving the community. While construction will continue into 2025, a critical milestone was achieved for tunneling the new sewer under and adjacent to Valmont Road (near 61st Street). The tunneling construction method was used to avoid a lengthy and impactful road closure on Valmont.
  
• Developed a data-driven and context-sensitive process to set speed limits on city-owned arterials and collectors, improving safety and consistency for travelers. The city has completed reducing speed limits on 13 different street segments and aims to fully implement the study recommendations across the transportation system by 2027.
  
• Enhanced public safety with the Boulder Police Department K9 program. The police dog, Astro, conducted firearm searches, responded to bomb threats, and performed safety sweeps at election sites, large events, and other service calls throughout the year.
  
• Expanded automated traffic law enforcement at three locations during the summer of 2024 to support Vision Zero. Efforts included the installation and activation of two new red-light cameras at 28th Street/US 36 and Jay Road and at 15th Street and Canyon Boulevard. The city also turned on speed enforcement cameras at Broadway and Pine Street.
  
• Achieved near full staffing across all Boulder Police Department divisions, including sworn officers and professional staff, enabling the department to begin fulfilling commitments outlined in the Reimagine Policing Plan.
• Upgraded the city’s building access controls to improve safety and security within city buildings.

All Boulder community members are able to meet their critical needs, enjoy high levels of social, physical, and mental well-being, and have access to abundant recreational, cultural and educational opportunities in an environment that respects and celebrates human rights.

• Celebrated the naming of Primos Park, a 9-acre site along Violet Avenue between Broadway and 19th Street. The name was chosen by young residents of the adjacent Boulder Meadows manufactured home community. “Primos” means “cousins” in Spanish, and reflects neighbors’ hopes of gathering with friends and family in the future park.
  
• Distributed over $1.3 million to Boulder community artists and performers through 157 Office of Arts + Culture grants and fee waivers. Over the past two years, this office has seen a 63% increase in applicants and a 47% increase in the number of awardees, with 21% of these being first-time recipients. 
  
• Received a Blue Grama Award from the Colorado Open Space Alliance (COSA) for OSMP’s “Out in Nature” program, which was developed by staff to reduce barriers between LGBTQIA2S+ people and the outdoors. The program has cultivated a greater sense of community, improved the mental health of participants, and made it easier for community members to see themselves in nature.
  
• Activated public spaces across Boulder’s commercial districts through creative initiatives, including installing artist-designed Adirondack chairs on the East End in partnership with Downtown Boulder Partnership; engaging with the community with 20 free walking tours of downtown public art; highlighting over 30 unique sculptures, murals, and urban design projects; and expanding the Creative Neighborhoods Mural Program to bring art into local communities.
  
• Celebrated the 10th annual Boulder Arts Week, which drew over 17,800 attendees to hundreds of events.
  
• Collaborated with the Roots Music Project to launch "On the Rise" live music series on the Hill and in Boulder Junction, attracting more than 1,500 people, reflecting the city’s dedication to vibrant, community-driven experiences.
  
• Streamlined event planning processes for community groups across the city.
  
• Completed the first phase of the Census of Boulder Artists to assess the economic and societal impact of professional artists.
  
• Received an award from the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA) for the city’s tribal consultation and engagement work with American Indian Tribal Nations. The award nomination, supported by Tribal Representatives, recognized Boulder as "a model to other cities in their Tribal Consultation efforts."
  
• Developed a concept plan for OSMP’s Fort Chambers – Poor Farm Property through a two-year collaboration with Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribal Representatives for land with a direct community connection to the Sand Creek Massacre. The concept plan is guided by a shared city-Tribal vision of “Heal the Land; Heal the People” and includes recommendations to heal the land from past ecological disturbances and create a healing trail for education, reflection and gathering.
  
• Completed Design Construction Standards updates to enable narrow trenching in support of citywide broadband enhancements.
• Continued progress on the Civic Area Phase 2 and Future of Recreation Centers projects, guided by Boulder Parks and Recreation's Department Plan. These two projects aim to enhance the health and well-being of the entire Boulder community by upholding our commitment to providing high-quality parks, facilities, and programs. Community engagement for these projects will continue in 2025.
  
• Finalized Parks and Recreation’s Court System Plan to support the lifelong and growing sports of tennis and pickleball. The plan recommends building tennis and pickleball courts across the community, and in 2025 Boulder Parks and Recreation will start the design for both designated pickleball and tennis courts at East Boulder Community Park. In addition, the city rebuilt four tennis courts to improve playability, reduce maintenance costs and extend their lifecycle.
  
• Completed Form-Based Code updates to further implement the East Boulder Subcommunity Plan, which envisions the eventual transformation of this area to be more walkable, dense, and a mixture of uses.
• Hired over 300 seasonal employees for Parks and Recreation summer operations, the most ever, for maximum and safe summer fun.
• Celebrated the completion and opening of the new clubhouse, ProShop and public restrooms at Flatirons Golf Course. The project added a valuable community gathering space, improved energy efficiency, and included installing EV charging stations and redesigning the parking lot to improve accessibility.
  
• Provided completely free access to 3,236 participants who visited Boulder Parks and Recreation facilities 50,087 times in 2024, removing financial barriers and promoting health and well-being for all.
• Led the city’s Volunteer Cooperative program through the transition to GivePulse, a new volunteer management system that will provide better customer service to those who choose to give their time and energy to enhance their local government.
  

High-performing, safe, and well-maintained buildings and infrastructure that accommodate a diverse set of community needs for working, learning, playing, and living.

• Launched a Day Services Center for individuals experiencing homelessness with the support from City Council and through an important partnership with All Road Boulder County. This resource filled a significant gap, giving unhoused community members a safe place and access to potentially life-changing services during the day. 
  
• In the first 10 months of 2024, assisted 845 households facing a potential eviction, which is more than in all of 2023. Eighty-five percent of the cases were resolved without eviction. In addition, between January and mid-October, the city provided $142,562 in direct rental assistance to 62 households.
  
• Completed Area III-Planning Reserve Urban Services Study, modeling potential development intensities and infrastructure demand, aligning with City Council's 2022 direction. The study allows consideration of a Service Area expansion as part of the Bouder Valley Comprehensive Plan update.
  

• Launched Elevate Boulder: direct cash assistance for financial stability. Elevate Boulder, the city's guaranteed income pilot project, began in January providing $500 per month in unconditional and unrestricted financial assistance to 200 low-income Boulder households. Anticipated outcomes include increased food security, better mental health, ability to withstand financial emergencies and increased financial stability.

• Developed scope, schedule and inclusive engagement plan for the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update, launching the project in October 2024, per City Council's 2024 retreat guidance.
  
• Removed over 118 tons of debris from public spaces through 1,000+ clean-ups citywide via the Safe and Managed Public Spaces Program (SAMPS).
  
• Advanced the city’s affordable housing goals by opening Boulder Mod, a facility that produces modular home and provides workforce training for Boulder Valley School District students. In partnership with BVSD and Flatirons Habitat for Humanity, the facility will initially produce 12 to 15 homes per year, with the capacity to build up to 50 homes annually, contributing to the city's inventory of over 4,000 affordable homes where one in 11 Boulder residents now live.
• Adopted an ordinance to increase the minimum wage in Boulder by 8%, bringing the minimum hourly rate to $15.57. This new minimum wage is 5.1% above the planned state minimum wage of $14.81 for 2025. The council action was informed by an unprecedented regional engagement effort, conducted in partnership with several surrounding towns.

A safe, accessible, and sustainable multimodal transportation system that connects people with each other and where they want to go. Open access to information is provided both physically and digitally to foster connectivity and promote community engagement.

• Opened the long-anticipated North Sky Trail, a 3.5-mile stretch north of Boulder and west of U.S. Highway 36. The trail links the city's Foothills North Trail to the Joder Ranch Trail. It’s open to hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. This fall, the city also welcomed visitors to the Vesper Trail, a 1.5-mile trail on Gunbarrel Hill near 75th Street and Lookout Road.
  
• Improved transportation and mobility conditions along Baseline Road and received approval from City Council for an Iris Avenue redesign, intended to support the city’s Vision Zero safety commitment. Both are key roadways identified as part of the Core Arterial Network, or CAN, project. 
  
• Engaged over 500 community members at the family-friendly What's Up Boulder event, fostering connections with city staff and council members while showcasing city projects, services, and interactive activities.
  
• Advanced the city’s commitment to digital accessibility by completing Phase 1 of the program, which included 16 specialized workstreams to address key areas such as vendor compliance, website accessibility, high-impact platforms, and staff training. The city also hired a full-time Digital Accessibility Program Manager who will support the operational phase of this work to ensure ongoing compliance and equitable access for all.
  
• Began construction along 19th Street in north Boulder to improve flood mitigation and multimodal transportation for all travelers, including building a new bicycle and pedestrian underpass connecting Tamarack Avenue to Upland Avenue and replacing and widening the 19th Street bridge over Fourmile Canyon Creek.
• Enhanced processes and support for the award-winning Community Connectors model, including the creation of a Community Connector Manual, the launch of a Confluence event to welcome incoming participants, the pilot of wellness and mental health programming, and the sunsetting of the Emergency Response Connector program. 
• Transitioned Community Court hearings to the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building to ensure stability and consistency of service for unhoused residents. The Boulder Municipal Court was also named a mentor court by the Department of Justice for the exemplary success rate it as achieved through its Community Court program.
• Launched Colorado's first Autism Decal program to assist individuals with autism. Boulder Police Department's program encourages individuals with autism to display a free decal on their vehicles or homes, indicating to responding officers that someone associated might have autism. This helps officers be aware that certain behaviors like lack of eye contact may be related to a person’s autism.
  
• Added multiple new community liaison positions within the Boulder Police Department, including three additional LGBTQ+ liaisons and liaisons for Latino, Jewish, and Muslim communities as part of the Reimagine Policing Plan’s commitment to outreach and engagement. The department is in the process of adding Black or African American liaisons.
  
• Strengthened partnership work between the police department and various organizations supporting people with disabilities such as Autism groups/societies, the Center for People with Disabilities, Colorado Commission for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind, and the Tourette Association of America.
• Expanded cross-departmental membership of Language Access Liaisons and facilitated a comprehensive training to build capacity across city departments and educate about language access resources and processes. 
  
• Installed pedestrian wayfinding signs on the Hill and in Boulder Junction, improving district identity; upgraded BoulderPark garages for safety and served over 710,000 visitors with gateless parking; restriped parking spaces to improve accessibility and safety.
  
• Streamlined the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request process by creating an online request form, improving request tracking, and providing educational materials on records stewardship. Added resources to the public records archive, including a collection of fulfilled requests, to reduce redundant submissions.
  
• Published the 2024 Modal Shift Report, which summarizes the 2023 Resident Travel Diary Survey results. These survey findings are key to tracking progress toward key city transportation goals, inform policy analysis and improve planning efforts, programs and services. 2023 findings support ongoing efforts to reduce single-occupancy vehicle travel, continue partnerships to restore transit service and expand micromobility access — ways to get around locally with smaller-scale travel like bikes and scooters.
• Initiated an update to the Pedestrian Crossing Treatment Installation Guidelines as part of the Transportation Master Plan and the Vision Zero Action Plan. This project supports safe, accessible travel connections for our community by improving the consistency of new crosswalks citywide.
  
• Installed markings on paths across Boulder to mark the route of the community’s treasured Boulder B360 and B180, and W360 and W180 — biking and walking routes that circle all of Boulder. All routes are available on new walk and bike maps and support visitors and residents getting to know our town by bike or on foot.
  
• Completed a long-awaited update to the City of Boulder Bike Map and Walk Map and created a new Bus Map for all routes and stops in the city. These maps support our community’s travel around Boulder and are a few of the city’s most popular web resources.
  
• Finished construction for the first protected intersection in the city along with an underpass at 30th Street and Colorado Avenue, providing important safety, accessibility, mobility and drainage improvements to the intersection.
• Continued to expand access to more sustainable ways of travel and advance Boulder's climate and transportation goals through the E-Bike Incentives Program. The new and improved 2024 program aimed to prioritize income equity and received high community interest with over 1,500 registrants entering the random selection process.
  
• Launched the Boulder Clean Commute Program, aimed at encouraging employers and employees in Downtown Boulder and Boulder Junction to shift away from single-occupancy vehicle trips in favor of more sustainable transportation methods. Employees earn city-matched financial rewards for each sustainable trip, which can be spent at participating businesses in commercial districts.
• Updated the RTD EcoPass program to include part-time employees in the Central Area General Improvement District (CAGID) further expanding sustainable commuting options across the city.
  
• Completed the Snow and Ice Response Review Project, which included developing a storm-size prioritization approach based on input from the community. The snow response team has been trained for the new approach and will be deploying the changes with the first snows. These changes are budget neutral and can be adjusted as resources and infrastructure use change in future years.
  
• Completed three crosswalk construction and improvement projects at Aurora Avenue and Evans Drive, Colorado Avenue east of 33rd Street, and 15th Street and Iris Avenue. Funded by a Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) grant, these crosswalks improve the visibility of people crossing to drivers, leading to safer crossings for all, including children and adults traveling to and from four nearby schools.
  
• Included bicycle, pedestrian and transit facility improvements in the annual Pavement Management Program to help make streets safer along parts of Moorhead Avenue and Baseline Road.
  
• Completed construction on the 28th Street and Colorado Avenue Protected Intersection Improvements project to improve multimodal transportation — walking, biking, driving and taking the bus. The project aims to increase safety, comfort and connectivity at and nearby the intersection, one of the areas in the city with the highest number of crashes.

• A sustainable, thriving, and equitable community that benefits from and supports clean energy; preserves and responsibly uses the earth’s resources; and cares for ecosystems.

• Expanded the city’s wildfire mitigation work on OSMP-managed lands, adding a new mowing program in open space areas adjacent to select residential areas to a multi-faceted approach that includes tree thinning, prescribed burning, invasive weed removal and targeted grazing.

• Completed the purchase of over 4,400 streetlights from Xcel Energy. The plan is to convert the lights to more efficient LEDs in 2025. This long-awaited move will save money, improve reliability, enhance safety and reduce carbon emissions.
  
• Expanded the city’s fleet with 15 new electric vehicles, advancing electrification goals, and welcoming two brand-new electric RTX engines for Boulder Fire-Rescue. These cutting-edge apparatuses support the city’s climate goals while enhancing firefighter safety with reduced toxic fumes and improved maneuverability.
  
• Launched a summer employment program for youth aged 14-17 in collaboration with community organizations, employing 10 local youth—over half of whom identified as Spanish-first speakers—to provide tree care and gather heat data in neighborhoods across the city.
  
• Adopted the updated Energy Conservation Code, which brings new buildings to their highest energy efficiency ever and requires complete electrification of structures, with minor exceptions to use natural gas for industrial and similar uses. The city also kicked off a new project to update its vision and roadmap for improving performance and resilience of all of Boulder's buildings over the next decade.
  

• Awarded approximately $1.2 million through multiple Colorado Department of Transportation funding sources to purchase 1 battery electric bus, supporting the city’s current HOP bus fleet of electric and non-electric buses, reducing emissions, and supporting travel operations with an all-electric, emissions-free bus.
  

• Completed installation of 26 new electric charging ports at five different locations across the city. Twenty-two of the 26 are for city fleet vehicles, and four provide access for the community.
  
• Improved electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure maintenance processes and performance have led to a 10% increase in utilization. This enhancement in efficiency has also resulted in a substantial rise in EV charging activity, with more than 550 additional charging sessions per month in comparison to 2024.
  
• Joined regional partners to secure nearly $1 billion in federal and utility funding that will be invested in building decarbonization (energy efficiency improvements and heat pump adoption) in the region over the next 5 years.

A local government that provides an excellent customer experience, responsibly manages the city’s assets, and makes data-driven decisions informed by community engagement inclusive of those who have been historically excluded from government programs and services. The city organization exemplifies an employer of choice with policies and programs to support employee inclusion and well-being.

• Created the city’s first-ever Citywide Strategic Plan, informed by significant feedback from departments, identifying 15 strategies and 54 actions that, over the next two years, will advance each of the city’s SER focus areas. While the SER Framework and City Council–identified priorities help shape the city’s operational workplan, staff has never had a centralized strategic plan.
  
• Took considerable strides toward enhanced transparency and data-informed decision-making with the completion of a three-year effort to move toward outcomes-based budgeting. Every program across the organization has now identified at least three desired outcomes and ways of measuring progress. This will allow the city—and the community—to monitor whether resources are having the intended effects.
• Implemented Boulder's 2024 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues by actively contributing to efforts to pass landmark land use and affordable housing laws that will facilitate Colorado's construction of accessory dwelling units, restrict the imposition of parking minimums, and allow for more housing options in transit-oriented communities.
• Helped the passage of a Colorado Stall Bill that furthers the city's Vision Zero safety goal by requiring the use of hands-free phones while driving.
  
• Lobbied to help secure three major federal grants: (1) $66.4M which can be used to further the governance, finance and operational model to deliver passenger rail between Denver Union Station and Fort Collins, via Boulder; (2) $47 million to construct wildlife crossings and intersection improvements, add passing lanes and centerline rumble strips, widen shoulders, and install median barriers along U.S. 287, and; (3) $23M to the City of Boulder to improve transportation safety through projects to improve intersections, crosswalks, bus and bike lanes and more.
  
• Fostered ongoing professional development by supporting fleet services team members in pursuing Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) certifications and training, while advancing the development of a comprehensive Facilities Operations and Maintenance training program set to launch in 2025 to enhance the knowledge and performance of staff.
  
• Continued work toward full accreditation by the gold standard in policing through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) after months of in-depth work by the police department.
  
• Started a Fleet Internship program in collaboration with Saint Vrain Valley School District with their Career Elevation and Technology Center to give work-based learning opportunities to high school students looking for a career in trades.
• Launched two new public-facing public safety dashboards to enhance transparency. The first dashboard highlights how the Boulder Police Department utilizes drones to protect both the community and officers during high-risk situations. The second dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of fatal and serious bodily injury traffic crashes, detailing their progression from initial cause to final adjudication.
  
• Completed the Airport Community Conversation project to understand the community's desired future for the Boulder Municipal Airport site and explore high-level scenarios for its future. While community engagement is complete, the city is pursuing additional information requested by City Council on behalf of the community.
  
• Secured an unprecedented grant award of over $23 million from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All to support implementing the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan by improving intersections, crosswalks, bus and bike lanes using a safe system approach and targeting four of the seven most common crash types on the city’s High-Risk Network and addressing safety on the city’s Core Arterial Network.
  
• Realigned $3 million in the 2025 Recommended Budget, including funds from Transportation’s Operations Program gas and electricity budget to support the management of over 4,400 newly acquired city streetlights, establishing a Streetlight Maintenance Capital Maintenance Program in the CIP, funding ongoing repairs and maintenance, and creating new Streetlight Maintenance positions.
  
• Implemented a major upgrade and replacement of outdated utility billing and customer interface software, improving reliability with this essential financial system.
  
• Awarded a Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) grants of $1.2 million to improve travel reliability, performance and safety. The grant will support improved regional and neighborhood travel connections through traffic signal improvements, which include traffic lights at intersections and crosswalks, on parts of five streets.
• Reduced failure to appear by 10% at Boulder Municipal Court using electronic reminders like text messages for court dates and payments.
• Enhanced customer service in the Planning and Development Services Department by streamlining development review processes, optimizing submission procedures for clarity and efficiency, and transitioning applications and guidelines to web-based formats to meet digital accessibility standards.
• Published an external writing guide available on the city’s website to inform how consultants and contractors produce work on behalf of the city. The guide centers a One Boulder approach, clarity, consistency, simplicity and language that reflects the community’s equity values.
  

A healthy, accessible, resilient, and sustainable economy based on innovation, diversity, and collaboration that benefits all residents, businesses, and visitors.

• Launched a new Affordable Commercial Grant Pilot Program to address the rising cost of space for small businesses. The pilot program strives to provide more affordable options for local small businesses, including women-owned and minority-owned businesses especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  
• Began efforts to create an updated Economic Vitality Plan as a City Council priority, with a focus on nurturing the vibrancy of locally owned retail and restaurants and addressing issues in Boulder’s business districts. Community engagement is already shaping what will be included in that plan.
  
• Strengthened the city’s partnership with Boulder Small Business Development Center (SBDC) by hiring staff as city employees and offering IT and operational support to expand services for small businesses.
  
• Increased participation in the city’s Outdoor Dining Pilot Program, adding two new restaurants and expanding patio space for an existing participant.
  
• Hosted the city’s first Community & Council Forum in September to gather broad input early in the planning process, focusing on the council priority of developing an Economic Development Plan and Program Enhancements. The forum brought together community members, subject matter experts, city council members, and city staff, providing valuable feedback and guidance to update the city's economic vitality strategy.