CO 7/East Arapahoe Avenue Projects

View the proposed preliminary designs on the CDOT website.

• CO 7: 28th Street to 63rd Street

Travel is only projected to worsen if we don't plan proactively. Projections show increasing congestion, growing safety concerns, and limited travel choices that aren't up to standards for people walking, biking and using transit. We expect traffic to increase by as much as 20% with growth in surrounding communities and Boulder’s position as a regional employment center. We need to provide better travel options for commuters and for the greater number of people working and living along the corridor today and in the future.

Our policy is to implement cost-effective roadway improvements that increase the efficiency of the existing transportation system. This is a long-term vision. Work will likely be completed in stages over the next 10+ years, through multiple sources of funding: whether they be local, regional, state, federal or private sources. Some projects have already been fully funded from these various sources, and future projects will follow a similar process.

Work will make travel safer for all transportation modes, including through targeted improvements at high-crash locations and for the most vulnerable travelers, such as people walking and biking. These projects support Boulder's actions to achieve Vision Zero – the community goal to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities resulting from traffic crashes.

BRT is a more convenient, reliable and desirable travel option. Future BRT service between Boulder and Brighton is projected to:

• Have dedicated lanes and signal priority to speed trips. Each of the future BRT options will reduce transit travel times in the corridor to within 1 to 3 minutes of eastbound auto travel during peak hours in the afternoon.

• Have fewer stops than the existing JUMP service.

• Improve options for people to travel the first and last mile.

• Reduce time spent at bus stops.

• More than triple ridership, from an estimated 2,400 weekday boardings today to between 7,000 and 10,000 boardings.

Today, Arapahoe Avenue currently provides the fastest travel route for destinations in the corridor. A detailed study of existing travel patterns, including alternative east-west travel routes, showed that diverting through nearby neighborhoods does not save driving time. People are typically good at finding the quickest travel paths. This plan aims to maintain efficient traffic flow and the competitive travel time advantage that Arapahoe Avenue already has, discouraging east-west travelers from using side streets. With these improvements, future travel on Arapahoe Avenue is projected to be shorter during the morning and afternoon peak travel times than in an alternative where we don’t build any changes.

We’re making progress on community and regional climate goals, but falling short of community goals. Boulder has set a strong goal for reducing single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) car trips by 2035, and we are not on pace to meet that goal. More progress is needed and we must also continue to address regional travel, particularly opportunities to improve options for non-resident employees.

This project supports improving travel options to reduce SOV travel and related emissions.

• This work can take up to 3700 cars off the road per day. That’s equivalent to all the parking garages in Downtown Boulder.

• Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is expected to increase by 5% or less – a significant difference compared to a nearly 18% increase if we don't act.

As East Arapahoe Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods become more of a destination, community and travelers of all modes are looking for a more comfortable experience. The plan dedicates a percentage of public right-of-way to these streetscape features, such as medians, landscaping, amenity areas, and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure – with features that are scaled for people and create a place that is attractive to both travel through and spend time in.

The first and last miles to bus stops can be challenging, especially in suburban communities. If walking or biking to a transit stop is too far, or connections are limited, travelers tend to avoid taking the bus.

By improving walking, biking and transit mobility options in the area to help people travel comfortably, conveniently and safely to bus stops, we aim to reduce these problems. The plan considers how to bridge these first and last-mile gaps with solutions like bike sharing, covered and secure bike parking, shuttle and car share services, and on-demand transportation services such as ride-sharing or ride-hailing.

Yes. A community working group provided input to city staff during the planning process. The working group's feedback helped staff explore future transportation options that serve the varied needs of the community. There was also extensive community engagement with the general community from November of 2015 to May of 2018 to consider major themes, ideas, concerns and suggestions raised by members of the public through a series of engagement activities. The full PDF report is available on request. You can also view the CWG's Statement of Findings, released Feb. 16, 2018.

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Projects Map Long Description

A map of the East Arapahoe Ave corridor from Folsom Street out past 63rd Street that displays various projects and their status. The CO 7 Multimodal Corridor Preliminary Design project from 28th Street to 63rd Street was completed in 2024, and final design for CO 7 (28th Street to Foothills Parkway) is underway in 2024-2025. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Resurfacing and Bus Lane Signing and Striping from 28th to Cherryvale will take place in the summer and fall of 2025. The preliminary design for the 30th Street and Arapahoe Avenue Protected Intersection will be done by the North 30th Street Project from 2024-2025. The Arapahoe Avenue Safe Streets for All Improvements Project construction is expected in 2026/2027. The Multi-Use Path and Transit Stop Enhancements Project from 38th/Marine Street to Cherryvale Road was designed in 2022 with construction planned for early 2025. Regional Bus Service from Boulder to Brighton will begin operations in 2026.

Comprehensive Map Long Description

A map showing the East Arapahoe corridor from Folsom Street out past 63rd Street and that includes the plans and policies that guide projects on this corridor. These plans and policies are: the East Arapahoe Transportation Plan (Folsom Street to 75th Street, by the City of Boulder), the CO 7 Multimodal Corridor (Boulder to Brighton, by the Colorado Department of Transportation), the Low-Stress Walk & Bike Network Plan (Folsom St to 63rd St, by the City of Boulder), the East Boulder Subcommunity Plan and the 55th and Arapahoe Station Area Master Plan. East Arapahoe is also a City of Boulder Core Arterial Network (CAN) Corridor (from Folsom St to 63rd), a City of Boulder High Risk Network (HRN) Corridor (from 14th to 56th St), a Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Critical Corridor (from 28th Street to Foothills Parkway), and it lies on the DRCOG High Injury Network (Broadway to US 287).

BRT Station Conceptual Rendering Long Description

A rendering of a BRT station design looking northeast at Arapahoe Avenue and 38th Street, including a separated multi-use path and bike lane, BRT signage, BRT station and amenities, BAT lane and general purpose lane

Intersection Conceptual Rendering Long Description

Rendering looking from the multi-use path towards the protected bike and pedestrian intersection. The view is standing on the multi-use path looking northwest at Arapahoe Avenue and 38th Street. There is a bike lane, protected intersection, multi-use path including a separator, amenity zone, BAT lane and general purpose lane.

Roadway and Intersection Conceptual Rendering Long Description

A rendering view of the entire roadway cross-section. This is a bird’s eye view looking northeast at the intersection of Arapahoe Avenue and 38th Street. The BAT lanes, BRT stations, travel lanes, and protected bike and pedestrian intersections are all fully visible.

Recommended Alternative Typical Long Description

Overall Typical

The conceptual graphic of a typical section of the future road shows several transportation features for different modes of travel. These include: Multi-use paths which may be used by both people walking and biking. Between the multi-use paths and the bike lanes are amenity zones that are used both as landscaping buffers and flexible spaces that may accommodate lighting, seating, public art, trash receptacles, bike parking, wayfinding signage, and transit facilities. Next to the amenity zones are the raised protected bike lanes, which are separated from the roadway by either a narrow paved buffer or a wide amenity zone with street trees. This configuration will likely vary by location and be refined in a later design phase. Next to the bike lanes are transit stations, which include shelters and seating, lighting, real-time transit arrival information, off-board fare payment, level boarding, wayfinding signage and art. Next to the bike lanes are also the Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, also known as bus and turn lanes. These curbside lanes allow a combination of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), local transit, High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV), right-turning vehicles, and new technologies such as shared autonomous/connected vehicles. Then there are General Purpose Lanes, with four lanes in total or two in either direction, maintained for most of the corridor.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Options

The graphic also includes Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Options, with two design options that are feasible and will vary by location. The configuration will be refined in a later design phase. Design Option One: a narrow paved buffer separates the protected bike lane from the roadway, and a wide amenity zone with street trees is located between the protected bike lane and the multi-use path. Design Option 2: A wide amenity zone with street trees separates the protected bike lane from the roadway, and a narrower amenity zone is located between the protected bike lane and the multi-use path.