About the Project

The City of Boulder is addressing infrastructure needs and improving travel connectivity on Sumac Avenue from Broadway to 19th Street.

  1. Community Engagement

  2. Plan

  3. Design

  4. Build

  5. Complete

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Current Phase
Design

Project Overview

This project was initiated in 2019 but was paused in 2020 due to COVID-19, staffing and financial constraints. The project resumed in 2024 with staff re-engaging the community, advancing design and exploring funding options.

This project will improve connectivity and mobility for everyone traveling on Sumac Avenue between Broadway and 19th Street.

Project improvements focus on:

  • Pavement reconstruction.
  • Improving roadway drainage through new curb and gutter and storm drainage infrastructure.
  • Installing an 8-10’ sidewalk on the north side of Sumac Avenue.
  • New striping to better delineate a drop-off/pick-up lane at Crest View Elementary School.
  • New marked pedestrian crossings at 15th and 17th streets
  • New marked pedestrian crossing with flashing beacon at Broadway to Wonderland Lake Trailhead and RTD bus service.
  • Preserving and restoring landscaping and on-street parking, where feasible.

We are prioritizing work on Sumac Avenue because it is an important east-west connection in the North Boulder neighborhood to public and private schools and recreation opportunities, such as Crest View Elementary and Wonderland Lake Trailhead. The street’s pavement is deteriorating, and the city’s Low-Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan recommends walking and biking improvements on the corridor.

An aerial of Sumac Avenue from Broadway to 19th Street
The project area.

Prior to the project pause in 2020, city staff hosted a variety of public engagement opportunities including:

  • Two public open houses.
  • Two project questionnaires.
  • Partnering with Growing Up Boulder to learn how students and families of Crest View Elementary use Sumac Avenue to travel to and from school.

These efforts resulted in over 200 comments on the project and informed initial design work.

In spring 2024, project staff hosted a third open house and a virtual questionnaire to receive feedback on an updated project concept design. 80% of participating Sumac Avenue residents supported the concept design.

People gathered at an open house.

Public Open House #1 (November 2019).

People gathered at an open house.

Public Open House #2 (February 2020).

People gathered at an open house.

Public Open House #3 (May 2024).

Materials from past in-person open houses available upon request.

Proposed Improvements Summary

Since the public open house in May 2024, the design has been updated to reflect public input. Updates to the design include:

  • Removal of traffic calming*.
    • *Staff will monitor vehicle speeds after project implementation.
  • Shifting Broadway crossing to the south side of Broadway and Sumac Avenue intersection.

A detailed description of improvements is below:

*Staff will monitor vehicle speeds after project implementation.

  • The roadway is two ten-foot lanes with on-street parking in some locations. 
  • An eight-foot sidewalk along the north side of Sumac Avenue.
  • Vertical curb and gutter on the north side of Sumac Avenue (mountable curb will be installed at driveways on the north side of Sumac Avenue).
  • Vertical curb on the south side with no sidewalk.
  • A drop-off area for Crest View Elementary School between the school entry loop on the north side.
  • A flashing beacon crossing just south of Sumac Avenue to cross Broadway to Wonderland Lake and RTD bus service.
  • A marked crossing on Sumac Avenue at 15th Street and 17th Street.

For a visual representation of the proposed roadway improvements for Sumac Avenue, view the graphics below. The two graphics are aerial plan views of the proposed roadway split in the middle of the road. Below each graphic, typical sections are shown as they change through the corridor. The page 1 graphic is from Broadway to 1560 & 1565 Sumac. The page 2 graphic is from 1560 & 1565 Sumac to 19th Street. If more descriptive information is desired as a text alternative to the image, please reach out to the city at the contact information on this webpage.

Timeline

This project was initiated in 2019 but was paused in 2020 due to COVID-19, staffing and financial constraints. The project resumed in 2024 with staff re-engaging the community, advancing design and exploring funding options. In early 2025, project staff will meet with individual property owners on Sumac Avenue to discuss the project’s design and funding.

Annexation Agreements

Property owners with frontage, or land affected by the project, may share in the cost of the improvements according to the existing annexation agreements below. The City of Boulder will work in partnership with property owners to determine reasonable allocation of project costs.

Stay connected

The city will share project updates when available on this webpage and through the Transportation and Mobility newsletter.

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