Pavement Management Program

Cracks in the pavement are sealed to prevent moisture from entering the base and sub-base of a roadway, reducing the likelihood of pavement failures and potholes and extending the pavement life.

This is the most cost-effective treatment for preserving and extending pavement lifespan.

Asphalt rejuvenation is used on streets to restore the original pavement properties that degrade over time from oxidation and weathering. The rejuvenation process happens in three steps:

1. An oil-based emulsion is sprayed onto the street.
2. A layer of washed sand is applied on top of the emulsion to minimize tracking of the emulsion onto nearby surfaces during the 24-hour curing process.
3. The street is then swept the next day to remove the sand.

In response to questions from the community regarding the asphalt rejuvenation program, staff will be providing more advanced notice and additional signage before future treatments begin. View the Asphalt Rejuvenation FAQs for more information.

Chip sealing is a surface application used to prolong the life of an existing street by applying a liquid asphalt membrane binder (“seal”) and a layer of small crushed stone (“chip”) over the existing street surface. Chip sealing typically extends the useful life of the existing pavement by 8 to 12 years and is typically used on residential or lower-volume streets.

Streets that receive a chip seal typically require asphalt and curb and gutter repair in preparation for the actual chip seal application. The chip seal process does not significantly impact traffic but does require that parking be removed from the street while the work is being completed. The chip seal process typically takes two to three days. Typically, one to two days later, a thin layer of liquid asphalt “fog coat” is applied on top of the stone chips to provide further sealing of the pavement. The final step is sweeping the streets to remove any remaining chips that have come loose during the process.

Slurry sealing is a cost-effective pavement preservation treatment that consists of a mixture of finely crushed aggregate, asphalt emulsion, water and additives. It is applied as a thin, uniform layer over existing pavement to restore surface texture, seal minor cracks, and protect against oxidation and moisture infiltration. Slurry seal provides a smoother, more aesthetically pleasing finish and is well-suited for residential streets, low-traffic roads and urban areas.

Asphalt resurfacing, or overlays, are used on higher-volume roads or lower-volume streets that have deteriorated to a point that a chip seal or other pavement preservation treatments are no longer effective. An overlay typically requires some level of removing the existing surface by grinding, either along the edge or the full width of the street, depending on the condition of the street.

The overlay process generally occurs in several phases:

1. Removal and replacement of deteriorated curbs and gutters, as well as reconstruction of selected sidewalk ramps to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) criteria.
2. Two or more inches of the existing pavement section is removed through the roadway milling process.
3. After the removal is completed and the roughened surface is thoroughly cleaned, a fresh layer of asphalt is laid down through the paving process.

The overlay process at times may include a phase to remove and patch some areas of the street that have extensive wear or damage beyond the surface of the pavement. The existing asphalt pavement and subgrade are removed from the roadway and then reconstructed with six to eight inches of new asphalt pavement.

At times, streets deteriorate to a point that requires total reconstruction of the pavement structure. Streets requiring reconstruction will typically require similar steps as an overlay, beginning with pedestrian ramp and curb and gutter repair. Then, the existing pavement and sub-grade are removed, and the roadway is reconstructed with six to eight inches of new asphalt.

Improved Crosswalks

New or improved crosswalks can increase the safety of people walking or rolling across the street. Informed by the city’s pedestrian crossing guidelines, examples considered for mobility enhancements include:

• New crosswalk striping in locations without a crosswalk.
• Relocating crosswalks to better provide access to community destinations and serve nearby community members.

Bike Lane Striping and Pavement Markings

Bike lane striping and pavement markings can increase the safety of bicyclists and other street users by providing designated space for bicyclists and increasing the visibility of bicyclists. Examples considered for mobility enhancements include:

• Adding bike lane striping in places where it does not currently exist.
• Changing existing bike lane striping to widen the bike lane, adding vertical separation between bike and vehicle lanes, and/or adding a bike lane buffer, which is space between bike and vehicle lanes.
• Updating areas where people driving and bicycling interact near intersections, called mixing zones, to meet current city standards.
• Adding pavement markings such as green bike markings, bike boxes and/or two-stage turn queue boxes.
  • Two-stage turn boxes provide a way for people biking to wait outside of the vehicle lane and crosswalk when making a left turn from the right lane. Learn about Boulder's first two-stage turn box or watch the video to see it in action.

Traffic Calming

Traffic calming tools reduce vehicle speeds and increase safety for all street users, particularly on streets where people driving tend to travel above the posted speed limit. Examples of traffic calming tools considered for mobility enhancements include:

• Speed humps or cushions.
• Median islands.
• Curb extensions.
• Removing centerline striping.
• Narrowed or repurposed vehicle lanes. Vehicle lane repurposing can reduce prevailing speeds by up to 5 mph, and the vertical friction from bike lane separation can reduce speeds by an additional 2 mph. This lessens the severity of crashes if they do occur for all road users by moderating vehicle speeds. Repurposing lanes also reduces the number of lanes people walking and biking have to cross, which lowers the potential for a common type of crash identified in the Vision Zero Action Plan – collisions between vehicles and pedestrians/bicyclists crossing the street.

Signage

Signage improves safety and provides clear wayfinding and navigation for everyone traveling on the street

Mobility enhancements on 6th Street, a proposed Neighborhood GreenStreet, are located in 4 primary locations. Concrete work was completed in winter 2024-2025/spring 2025, and repaving will follow this summer.

• South of Boulder Canyon Drive: We relocated the pedestrian crossing between the Boulder County Justice Center and its parking lot to just south of the parking lot driveway to align with the existing ADA ramp to the Justice Center. We also added a pedestrian refuge island at this crossing to enhance the safety of pedestrians crossing.

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• University Avenue: We added curb extensions and the east-west crosswalk was relocated to shorten pedestrian crossing distances and increase pedestrian visibility.

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  • Pleasant Street: We relocated the east-west crosswalk to the south side of the intersection and added a short section of new ADA-compliant sidewalk was constructed on the southeast corner of the intersection. These improvements increase pedestrian visibility and safety, and provide an enhanced route to Flatirons Elementary School.

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  • Euclid Street: We decreased the turning radii to slow vehicle speeds and improve visibility through this turn.

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New sidewalks were constructed on 11th Street, a proposed Neighborhood GreenStreet, to close gaps in the important pedestrian corridor between University Hill and Downtown Boulder.

• The new sidewalks improve the walking experience along 11th Street, creating a safer and more pleasant alternative to walking along Broadway.
• These sidewalks follow the path of new pedestrian-scale lighting we installed on University Hill a few years ago — shorter, visually appealing lights that better illuminate the sidewalk for people walking.
• The sidewalks were added just north of Marine Street on the east side and just north of Grandview Avenue on the east side.
• To maintain room for vehicle travel lanes with the added sidewalks, we added short No Parking Any Time zones on part of the street, on one side.

Timeline

This work was completed in early March. Following sidewalk construction, we will repave 11th Street and other streets in the neighborhood this summer.

Grandview Avenue

Marine Street

Before photo of Marine Street without a sidewalk. 

Concrete work was completed in winter 2024-2025/spring 2025, and repaving will follow this summer. Mobility enhancements on Martin Drive, a proposed Neighborhood GreenStreet, were informed by what we heard from the Creekside Elementary School community in fall 2024 and include:

• Traffic calming: The existing raised crossing at the Bear Creek Multi-Use Path cannot be reconstructed to comply with ADA within this program’s resources. To mitigate this, a speed hump will be added on either side of the current crossing.

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  • An additional speed hump near the south end of Martin Drive will be added to slow vehicle speeds and respond to community feedback about vehicle speeds near Table Mesa Drive.
  • The existing crosswalk in front of Creekside Elementary will be relocated to provide a safer and more direct crossing to the school.

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• The sidewalk adjacent to the Creekside Elementary parking lot driveway was slightly widened to improve pedestrian access between the school and the Bear Creek Path.

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• As curb ramps at intersections were reconstructed to comply with ADA, curb radii were reduced to slow vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian crossings.

Concrete work on Ash Avenue, a proposed Neighborhood GreenStreet, was completed in winter 2024-2025/spring 2025, and repaving will follow this summer. Two existing speed humps will be replaced with speed cushions to continue to provide traffic calming while accommodating emergency response vehicles. An additional speed cushion will be added to slow vehicle speeds and make the street safer for everyone using it.

Cost-efficient mobility improvements on Colorado Avenue between Folsom Street and Regent Drive will be coordinated with scheduled repaving this summer.

These mobility enhancements will achieve two key objectives supported by the 30th Street and Colorado Avenue Corridors Study: closing a key gap in the low-stress bike network connecting CU Main and East campuses, and improving the speed and reliability of Buff Bus transit service.

Enhancements include:

• An eastbound floating bus stop just east of the Folsom Street intersection. Floating bus stops include a boarding island, which is a dedicated space for people to wait, and allow buses to stop in-lane, improving transit speed and reliability. These bus stops also remove conflicts between buses and bicyclists by placing the bike lane behind the bus stop, enhancing safety for bicyclists and improving transit reliability.
• Improved bike lanes with vertical separation provided by flexible delineator posts.
• The two-way center turn lane between Folsom Street and Regent Drive, turn lanes at Regent Drive, right-turn lane at Folsom Street, and access to adjacent properties and driveways will all be maintained. Approximately 400’ of one of the westbound vehicle lanes will be repurposed to create space for the floating bus stop and improved bike lanes. Vehicle lane repurposing can reduce vehicle speeds by up to 5 mph, and the vertical friction from bike lane separation can reduce speeds by an additional 2 mph. This lessens the severity of crashes if they do occur for all road users by moderating vehicle speeds.
• The area where people driving and bicycling westbound interact before the Folsom Street intersection, called a mixing zone, will be updated so that people driving and bicycling have separated spaces up to the intersection, improving safety for all travelers.
• Dedicated bike ramps will be installed at the south end of the Folsom Street intersection to better connect the Folsom Street bike lanes to CU Main Campus.

Moorhead Avenue between 27th Way and Table Mesa Drive

We repaved Moorhead Avenue between 27th Way and Table Mesa Drive in summer 2024.

While the posted speed limit is 25 mph, speed data collected on the corridor suggested most drivers are traveling up to 10 mph over the posted speed limit (the 85th percentile speed collected is 35 mph).

Based on data collection, citywide design and construction standards, and what we heard from the community about a desire for traffic calming and more comfortable bike facilities on Moorhead Avenue and concerns of limited visibility at pedestrian crossings and transit stops due to on-street parking, the enhancements included several features to make the street safer for everyone:

• A combination of speed cushions and splitter islands was installed to bring vehicle speeds closer to the posted 25 mph speed limit.

• To further help lower speeds, the vehicle travel lanes and the parking lane were narrowed by 1 foot each. After repaving, the centerline was not striped.
• The southbound bike lane was upgraded to a buffered bike lane.
• The northbound bike lane was widened to 6 feet.
• “No Parking Anytime” signage was added to locations where parking is currently prohibited per citywide code to reduce conflicts with driveway access and increase safety for and visibility of people walking and rolling, crossing the street, and accessing transit. Per Boulder Revised Code 7-6-13, parking is prohibited within intersections, within 20 feet of all crosswalks or intersections, and within 5 feet of all driveways and in bus stops.

Baseline Road between Foothills Parkway and just west of Gapter Road

We repaved Baseline Road between Foothills Parkway and just west of Gapter Road in late July to early August 2024. Work followed a data-driven approach informed by analysis of speeds, crash history, operational impacts, industry best practices, our Transportation Master Plan, Low-Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan, and what we heard during Safe Routes to School community engagement at Manhattan Middle School.

The mobility enhancements are located within the two-block stretch of Baseline Road between Foothills Parkway and 55th Street. Improvements create space for dedicated right-turn lanes at all side streets and bike lane buffers with vertical separation provided by flexible delineator posts.

• This work connects to recently installed tall curb-separated bike lane improvements on Baseline Road west of Foothills Parkway. It also improves the intersections at Manhattan Drive/Crescent Drive and 55th Street by shortening the distance people crossing Baseline Road are exposed to vehicle traffic.
• Areas where people driving and bicycling interact near intersections, called mixing zones, were updated to meet current city standards.
  • Manhattan Drive intersection: A new dedicated right-turn lane to Manhattan Drive to improve intersection operations and access to Manhattan Middle School and neighborhoods to the south.
  • The median between Manhattan Drive and 55th Street: A short median segment was narrowed to extend the eastbound left-turn lane and provide space for bike lane buffers.

Whitter Neighborhood

This work implemented the city’s Low Stress Walk and Bike Network plan recommendations for Balsam Avenue and Edgewood Drive. The plan identifies buffered bike lanes to build a network of low-stress facilities to help people of all ages and abilities walk and bike safely and comfortably throughout the area.

• The project impacted Balsam Avenue from 9th to 19th streets and Edgewood Avenue from 19th Street to Folsom Avenue
• This area was repaved and restriped. The on-street bike lanes were also be enhanced.
  • The westbound bike lane, from east of Broadway to 24th Street has a two-foot buffer, to provide greater separation between people biking and vehicles, while retaining the on-street parking lane on the south side of the road
  • The eastbound and westbound bike lanes, between 9th Street and Folsom Avenue, has bike markings added to provide greater visibility
  • Vehicle travel lanes are 10 ft wide to help slow vehicle speeds

Lehigh Street

• Pedestrian crossing and intersection safety improvements near Mesa Elementary
• Installation of a paved multi-use path through Bear Creek Park connecting Lehigh and Bear Creek Elementary
• Resurfacing of Lehigh/Greenbriar between Table Mesa and east of Galena/Redstone
• Removal of the center turn lane between Table Mesa Drive and Cragmoor Road to add a buffer and provide more separation between bike lanes and vehicle travel lanes

17th Street

• Resurfacing of 17th Street from Pearl Street to Macky Drive
• Two-stage left-turn queue boxes for making left turns onto Walnut Street from 17th Street, including “no right turn on red” signs for drivers
• Green pavement markings to increase the visibility of bike paths on Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue
• A new bike lane segment southbound from Pearl Street to Walnut Street
• Newly restriped bike lanes and crosswalks between Pearl Street and Macky Drive

Folsom Street (Valmont Avenue to Pine Street)

• A cast-in-place curb-separated bike lane treatment with plastic delineators for enhanced visibility of the curb separation for bicyclists and motorists.
• Additional green conflict markings
• Enhanced signing
• Resurfacing and striping upgrades (completed over the summer)

This location was identified for a vertically separated bike facility due to its 30 mph speed limit and higher average daily traffic.

Baseline Road (Gregory Canyon to Broadway)

• Installed a buffered bike lane at the eastbound approach of the intersection at Baseline and Broadway
• Resurfacing on Baseline was completed in early October.

The buffered bike lane provides a dedicated area at the front of the intersection, increasing visibility and safety for travelers.

All three streets were identified for multimodal safety improvements in Boulder’s Low-Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan, which charts a course for enhancing existing facilities and filling in missing links in Boulder’s bicycle and pedestrian transportation network.

Pine Street (Folsom Street to 28th Street)

A new buffered bike lane was installed between Folsom and 28th streets. Along with the new bike lane, the speed limit on this stretch of Pine Street was lowered from 30 mph to 25 mph.

Table Mesa Drive (Vassar Drive to Broadway)

A number of bicycle safety improvements were made across the Table Mesa corridor, in addition to the pavement resurfacing work. These included adding and widening bike lanes and installing a painted "bike box" at Broadway to assist with safe turning movements.

Folsom Street (Iris Avenue to Valmont Road)​

The city installed green bike lane striping at intersections to improve visibility added a buffer between the existing drive lanes and bike lanes and reduced the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph.