About the Project

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

Sumac Avenue is located in the North Boulder neighborhood and runs east/west between Broadway and 19th Street. The Wonderland Lake Trailhead is at the west end of the project limits, with Crest View Park and Crest View Elementary at the east end. 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.

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

Final Design

Property owner feedback from meetings held in winter 2025 has been considered in the final design, shown below:

Sumac Avenue Overall Improvement Map; details proceeding image on project webpage
Sumac Avenue Overall Improvement Map continued; details proceeding image on project webpage

Images represent a typical illustration of improvements and not a final construction plan set.

A detailed description of improvements is below:

  • The roadway is two ten-foot lanes with on-street parking in some locations.
  • An eight-to-ten-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.

Staff will monitor vehicle speeds after project implementation to determine whether traffic calming devices are needed.

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.

In winter 2025, project staff offered to meet with property owners to discuss the project’s design and funding.

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.

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 2025, project staff met 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.

Accessibility Statement

The City of Boulder is committed to digital accessibility. Some content may not be fully accessible due to technical limitations or issues. For alternate formats or accommodations, please visit Accessibility | City of Boulder or contact accessibility@bouldercolorado.gov.

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