Boulder to Begin Construction on Downtown Boulder Station Expansion Project

The City of Boulder will begin construction at the Downtown Boulder Station to increase bus service capacity and better serve growing rider demand for more convenient, accessible and comfortable regional travel. The city anticipates work at 14th Street between Canyon Boulevard and north of Arapahoe Avenue to start on Jan. 13, 2025, and end in summer 2025, pending weather.

Travelers can anticipate 14th Street to remain open to all travel modes, with some sidewalk, parking and single lane closures. Alternate parking options are available on the city’s interactive parking map and parking lots with access from 14th Street will remain open.

Downtown Boulder Station is a key part of the region’s transit network with bus services connecting to cities like Denver, Golden, Lafayette and Louisville and destinations like Denver International Airport. While the station serves nearly the same number of bus lines as Denver’s Union Station, it has half the gate capacity, often leading to bus crowding. To address this and other issues, the Downtown Boulder Station Expansion Project will:

• Build five additional bus gates to accommodate existing and future transit services.
• Add landscaping and signage to improve traveler wayfinding between the existing station and the future expanded area.
• Construct accessibility improvements in line with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines, including wider sidewalks around bus gates.
• Install amenities including pedestrian shelters, trash receptacles, and bike racks.

The Downtown Boulder Station Expansion Project is part of a larger effort by the city and surrounding communities to improve transit connections across the region and supports Boulder’s transportation goals to be safe, equitable and reliable, provide travel choices, and support clean air and the city’s climate commitment. The project design was approved by City Council in 2022 as part of the city's Community and Environmental Assessment Process, a formal review process that considers potential social and environmental impacts, project-specific criteria, and community feedback. This project is funded in partnership with the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Regional Transportation District.

Once construction is complete, the city will complete subsequent related improvements with minimal traffic impacts in the area, including landscaping, fiber installations, updating turn lane changes on Arapahoe Avenue to allow RTD buses to turn into the station from Arapahoe Avenue, and replacing a traffic signal at 14th Street and Canyon Boulevard. 

The community can learn more on the project webpage, stay connected via the Transportation and Mobility Department newsletter, and find construction impacts on Cone Zones.