In partnership with the Boulder Valley School District and Boulder Housing Partners, the city was awarded $707,222 in Safe Routes to School funding for improvements to Manhattan Drive.

  1. Community Engagement

    2022 & 2025-2026

  2. Design

    2026

  3. Build

    2026-2027

  4. Complete

    2027

Jump To
Completion Date
2027
Current Phase
Community Engagement

Project Overview

From fall 2025 through spring 2026, we will engage the community in developing a design that improves safety and comfort for people traveling on Manhattan Drive from Baseline Road to Iroquois Drive. From summer 2026 through 2027, we will finalize and construct the design.

This project will provide improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, safer driveway and street crossings, and traffic calming elements to help the Manhattan Middle School community walk, bike and roll more safely and comfortably.

Context map. Long description linked in caption.
Jump to context map long description.

Timeline

  • Fall 2022: We heard from the Manhattan Middle School community that walking, biking and rolling on Manhattan Drive feel unsafe and uncomfortable, and submitted a grant application for funding to improve safety.
  • May 2023: We were selected for $707,222 in Safe Routes to School grant funding for improvements to Manhattan Drive. View the grant award press release.
  • Fall 2025/Winter 2025-2026: We received the grant award funds, continue community engagement and begin conceptual design.
  • Winter/Spring 2026: We will continue community engagement and design work
  • Late 2026/early 2027: We will finalize the design and begin construction
  • 2027: We anticipate completing construction, pending final design details and contractor availability.

Community Engagement

In 2022, we asked community members of all ages about their experiences traveling on Manhattan Drive. We re-engaged with the community in fall 2025 and winter 2025/2026 to understand the community’s concerns and priorities for improving safety on Manhattan Drive. Participants shared that walking, biking and rolling on Manhattan Drive feel unsafe and uncomfortable due to:

  • No bike lanes: Manhattan Drive does not have bike lanes or other dedicated spaces for people on bikes.
  • Narrow sidewalks: Sidewalks on both sides of the street are not wide enough for the number of people using them to walk, bike or roll.
  • Speeding: Data shows that over 70% of people driving on Manhattan Drive travel faster than the 20 mph speed limit, with most people driving up to 31 mph.
  • Uncomfortable crossings: Crossing Manhattan Drive feels unsafe due to high vehicle speeds, people driving not stopping for people crossing the street, and the heavy activity during drop-off and pickup times.
  • Poor visibility: The curves on Manhattan Drive and high levels of on-street parking make it difficult for everyone to see their surroundings clearly.

In spring 2026, we will ask the community for feedback on design ideas.

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Nearby Projects

The Baseline Road Transportation Safety Project is a multi-year project focused on improving safety along Baseline Road between 30th Street and Foothills Parkway, one of the city’s most-traveled corridors. Phase 1 improvements, including the installation of a protected bike lane, were completed in 2023. Construction for Phase 2 improvements begins spring 2026.

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This map shows Manhattan Drive from Baseline Road to the north to Keewaydin Meadows Park to the south between 55th Street to the east and Foothills Parkway to the west. The Safe Routes to School project limits are Manhattan Drive from Baseline Road to Iroquois Drive. Manhattan Middle School is located on Manhattan Drive between Tenino Avenue to the north and Keewaydin Meadows Park to the south. The school's bike parking and vehicle parking are located on the south side of the school. The school bus loading zone is on Manhattan Drive from just north of the intersection with Iroquois Drive to just south of the intersection with Seminole Drive.

Manhattan Drive has a 20 mph speed limit. There is a traffic signal at the intersection of Manhattan Drive and Baseline Road, and stop signs at the intersections of Manhattan Drive and Tenino Avenue, Manhattan Drive and Seminole Drive, Manhattan Drive and Iroquois Drive, and Seminole Drive and Sioux Drive. There are 4 northbound RTD bus stops and 3 southbound RTD bus stops on Manhattan Drive, as well as one eastbound and one westbound bus stop on Tenino Avenue north of the school and one eastbound and one westbound bus stop on Baseline Road.

There is a multi-use path that runs north/south to the west of Manhattan Drive on the westside of Foothills Parkway and a multi-use path that runs east/west to the east of Manhattan Drive through Keewaydin Meadows Park and East Boulder Community Park towards the East Boulder Community Center. Baseline Road has on-street separated bike lanes. Manhattan Drive, Tenino Avenue, Seminole Drive, Sioux Drive, and Iroquois Drive do not have bike lanes.

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