Boulder Advances Next Construction Phase of Baseline Road Transportation Safety Project

The City of Boulder is beginning the final phase of travel improvements to Baseline Road from 30th Street to Foothills Parkway. Upcoming construction will build on earlier work by replacing interim materials with permanent infrastructure and installing additional improvements for multimodal travel — walking, biking, taking the bus and driving. Work is funded by a $3.2 million competitive grant award managed regionally by the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). Construction travel impacts are posted to Cone Zones and expected to end in fall 2026.

Baseline Road is one of Boulder's top 10 crash locations for people walking and bicycling. It is also part of the High Risk Network: the 7% of city streets that experience nearly half of all serious- and fatal-injury crashes in Boulder. Following Phase 1 improvements, Baseline Road near Inca Parkway saw a 37.8% increase in average daily bicycle traffic, with ridership patterns indicating a shift toward bicycling for trips to and from work and school.

Whether by car, bus, bicycle, or on foot, the project will improve travel safety and connections to popular community destinations through:

• Lower crash risk through reduced vehicle speeds and safer intersections, where most serious injury and fatal crashes occur or would have been most likely to occur in the future.
• A signalized crosswalk midway between 33rd and 34th streets.
• Crosswalks, corner islands, and painted curb extensions that shorten crossing distances at key intersections when walking or biking.
• Additional bike lane protection at the highest-risk locations using tall concrete curbs.
• A better driving navigation experience, including designated spaces for turning vehicles at side streets.
• “Floating” concrete bus stop islands, where people boarding and exiting are separated from bicycle and vehicle traffic, and offering improved transit amenities.

During the first phase of construction in 2023, the city leveraged local dollars by pairing limited safety improvement work with scheduled Pavement Management Program (PMP) maintenance. More comprehensive work in the upcoming phase is funded by a Transportation Improvement Program grant award. The city was also awarded two Highway Safety Improvement Program grants from the Colorado Department of Transportation to implement a new pedestrian traffic signal at the Baseline Road and Canyon Creek intersection, east of 29^th Street, for easier and safer crossings, as well as traffic signal upgrades at the Baseline Road and Mohawk Drive intersection.

The project improvements are a high priority in Boulder's Core Arterial Network (CAN) initiative, a citywide roadway redesign effort that will make key streets safer, more comfortable and more connected for all ages and abilities. Learn more on the Baseline Road Transportation Safety Project webpage or by signing up for the department newsletter.