28th Street Improvements Project

The primary purpose of the project is to enhance regional bus service on 28th Street, which is one of the busiest corridors in the city. 28th Street connects CU Boulder, the Twenty Ninth Street retail district, Boulder Junction, local and regional transit routes, and the multi-use path system. The improvements strengthen multimodal travel throughout the region and allow the future CO 119/Diagonal Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Boulder and Longmont to run on 28th Street.

The project will provide multimodal transportation options to accommodate safer travel for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and drivers. The project will fill inclose gaps missing links in the multi-use paths along both sides of 28th Street, to create a continuous north-south multi-use path facility from Baseline Road to Iris Avenue, as recommended in the city’s Low-Stress Walk & Bike Network Plan.

The improvements expand travel options for people commuting into and out of Boulder and for employees of 28th Street businesses by providing roadway enhancements, a continuous multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists, better lighting, improved transit stops, and continuous and efficient future BRT bus service via the bus lanes.

Drought-resistant landscaping such as fertile grasses, shrubbery and trees requires little maintenance. The new irrigation system and wood mulch dramatically reduce water loss, surface runoff and weed growth. This system is designed to allow the city to selectively irrigate portions of the landscaping in possible drought conditions.

The improvements on 28th Street encourage private investments by improving access to businesses and adding value to existing commercial centers, such as the Twenty Ninth Street retail district.

This project supports the Core Arterial Network (CAN), the connected system of protected bicycle lanes, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities, and transit facility upgrades that will help reduce the potential for severe crashes and make it more comfortable and convenient for people to get where they need to go along Boulder’s main corridors. It also supports the city’s commitment to Vision Zero – the goal to reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries to zero.

The primary purpose of the project is to enhance regional bus service on 28th Street, which is one of the busiest corridors in the city. From Iris Avenue to Pearl Street, the project will add continuous bus lanes on 28th Street. Bus lanes may be used by buses and right-turning vehicles. They help buses move more efficiently, facilitating on-time performance. They also improve safety by separating right-turning vehicles from through traffic at intersections and driveways. Buses do not stop in a through vehicle lane when accessing bus stops, reducing the potential for rear-end crashes. The project will also improve bus stops on both sides of 28th Street. These enhancements will allow the future CO 119/Diagonal Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Boulder and Longmont to run on 28th Street.

In addition, the project will close gaps in the existing multi-use paths on both sides of 28th Street to create a continuous ten-foot-wide path from Baseline Road to Iris Avenue. This improvement is consistent with recommendations from the city’s Low Stress Walk & Bike Network Plan.

Benefits include more convenient and reliable transit service, including increased transit efficiency for the future CO 119/Diagonal BRT service. The project will provide additional travel choices for people commuting into and out of Boulder as well as employees of 28th Street businesses, one of the main commercial centers in the city. Additionally, the project will provide enhanced bicycle and pedestrian access along 28th Street with the installation of a continuous 10-foot-wide multi-use path on each side of the street. The project also supports the Core Arterial Network, the connected system of protected bicycle lanes, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities, and transit facility upgrades that will help reduce the potential for severe crashes and make it more comfortable and convenient for people to get where they need to go along Boulder’s main corridors.

This project is the last phase of a larger project that first launched in the 1990s and aimed to improve transportation on 28th Street between Baseline Road and Iris Avenue. 28th Street was chosen for improvements because it is one of the busiest corridors in Boulder, a major north-south connection serving many residents, commuters, and visitors, and a major center for retail and business. Additionally, 67% of crashes in Boulder that result in serious injury or fatality occur on our arterial streets, like 28th Street, according to the city’s Safe Streets Report. These factors, along with the recommendations from the Low Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan, make it a top candidate for travel enhancements.

As outlined in the city’s Transportation Master Plan, increasing transit capacity is key to meeting the needs of the Boulder community and all who live, visit, work and play here. The improvements on 28th Street will allow the corridor to provide future CO 119/Diagonal Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. This will help many current commuters who travel between Boulder and Longmont by car to switch to faster and more convenient transit service. Improving regional travel connections and providing more attractive, non-vehicular options for commuting is key to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, meeting our city's Climate Commitment goals and providing more comfortable, efficient and convenient travel for all, no matter their mode of travel.

This project will increase transit service capacity by adding bus lanes, improve regional travel options, and close gaps in the multi-use path system, all key goals of the city’s Transportation Master Plan and Low-Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan. It also supports the Core Arterial Network and Vision Zero Action Plan.

The bus lanes being added to 28th Street will be used only by buses and right-turning vehicles, which will reduce conflicts between buses and through traffic. Currently, buses are required to merge with all other vehicles at multiple points along the corridor, reducing efficient bus travel and adding potential conflict points. The multi-use paths added along both sides of 28th Street will be complimented by raised driveway crossings, warning signage at driveway exits and colored conflict markings, all of which will increase safety and visibility for people traveling on and across the multi-use paths. This design aligns with current Vision Zero best practices intended to increase safety.

Additional safety enhancements include:

• Reconstruction of the 28th Street/Mapleton Avenue and 28th Street/Glenwood Drive intersections to improve left-turn signal timing.
• Addition of center medians on 28th Street at the 28th Street/Mapleton Avenue and 28th Street/Glenwood Drive intersections to better delineate vehicle travel lanes.
• At Pine Street, addition of a raised north/south crosswalk and curb extension to slow vehicle turning speeds, increase driver awareness of people crossing, and shorten pedestrian and bicyclist crossing distances, and an extended median on 28th Street at Pine Street and implementation of right-turn in and out only at Pine Street to reduce the risk of conflicts in the crosswalk.
• Evaluation of corridor traffic signals where Pedestrian Head Start signal timing could be added. Pedestrian Head Starts give people crossing a 3-7 second head start to enter the crosswalk before the light turns green for vehicles. This increases the visibility of people crossing and establishes their right-of-way, and can reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions by as much as 60%.
• Evaluation of vehicle turning movements to understand if any locations would benefit from right-turn-on-red restrictions or other traffic signal modifications.

An outside lane (already striped as a bus lane in some areas) currently exists on the majority of the project corridor. This project will repurpose portions of the existing outside lane into a bus lane and expand the bus lane where only two lanes currently exist to create an uninterrupted lane prioritized for bus service. The bus lane will not increase vehicle capacity along the corridor; rather, it will allow for better access to businesses along 28th Street and improve the convenience and attractiveness of transit service. Staff do not anticipate that this project will result in any noticeable increase in vehicle speeds, but will continue monitoring speeds along the corridor prior to and after project implementation.

These improvements are funded by a number of sources, including $1.3 million in city transportation funds and $4.7 million from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).