HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.08.21 TAB Agenda 6 - DT Boulder Station CEAP C I T Y O F B O U L D E R
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD
AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: March 8, 2021
AGENDA TITLE: Downtown Boulder Station Improvements Project Briefing
PRESENTER/S:
Erika Vandenbrande, Director of Transportation and Mobility
Bill Cowern, Deputy Director of Transportation and Mobility, Principal Traffic Engineer
Natalie Stiffler, Deputy Director of Transportation and Mobility
Gerrit Slatter, Principal Transportation Projects Engineer
Jenny Godwin, Associate Transportation Planner
Jean Sanson, Senior Transportation Planner
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In 2019, the City of Boulder received federal funding through the Denver Regional Council of
Governments (DRCOG) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the Downtown Boulder
Station Improvements Project. The purpose of this project is to expand capacity at the bus station
to improve operational efficiency and the pedestrian and transit rider access experience.
Staff is launching the first phase of this project, which includes concept design and a Community
Environmental Assessment Plan (CEAP). The purpose of the CEAP is to assess potential impacts
of conceptual project alternatives in order to inform the selection and refinement of a preferred
alternative. The CEAP provides the opportunity to balance multiple community goals in the
design of a capital project by assessing a project against the policies outlined in the Boulder
Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP), including the Transportation Master Plan (TMP).
Staff anticipates the preferred concept design and CEAP will be completed by late 2021,
followed by approximately 12 months for preliminary and final design, lasting through 2022,
with the project being advertised for construction by early 2023.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The Downtown Boulder Station Improvements Project’s community engagement plan is founded
on a “consult” level of engagement per the city’s public engagement framework. This means that
project staff will work directly with the public throughout the project to ensure their concerns
and aspirations are consistently understood, considered and reflected in alternatives development
as well as to share feedback on how public input influences decisions.
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Members of the public will be invited to attend a virtual public meeting in Summer 2021 to
review and provide input on conceptual project alternatives and their respective characteristics.
Staff will also be available for one-on-one stakeholder and interest group meetings. Based on
feedback received from the community, staff will update the recommended concept design to
reflect alignment with both community-wide goals and the project goal of enhancing multimodal
safety, access and connectivity. The preferred alternative will be shared with community
members at a TAB public hearing in late 2021.
BACKGROUND
In recent years, the Downtown Boulder Station has accomodated more buses and passengers than
its current size was designed to serve and the need for station capacity is expected to continue to
increase as planned Bus Rapid Transit along SH 119 and SH 7 is implemented. While COVID
has impacted transit service and ridership, it is expected that both demand and service will return
over time, and the need for additional capacity remains. The city envisions increases to both
local and regional transit service to include more routes serving a larger area, as well as
increased frequency of service for those routes. The Downtown Boulder Station Improvements
Project will address these capacity needs at the bus station, improve transit operations and
enhance connections to the station for people accessing it by foot, bicycle, bus or personal
vehicle. Figure 1 illustrates the project area.
Figure 1: Downtown Boulder Station Improvements Project Area
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Several local plans laid the foundation for this project’s development:
•Canyon Boulevard Complete Streets Study (2017): examined improvements to urban design,
landscaping and placemaking features to enhance travel along this corridor between 9th and
17th Streets.
•Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study (2017): documented capacity limitations and
expansion needs.
•The City of Boulder’s Transportation Master Plan (2019): identified Downtown Boulder
Station improvements as a Near Term (2019-2024) Action Item.
The Downtown Boulder Station Improvements Project will include redesigning 14th Street
between SH 119/Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue to provide five additional bus gates
that would accommodate existing and future transit services stopping and laying over at the
Downtown Boulder Station. This would include on-street bus stop and layover space, wider
sidewalks, information kiosks, signage, wayfinding, urban design and landscaping treatments. In
addition, the two existing gates on SH 119/Canyon Blvd, Gates K and L, that are located on the
north and south side of Canyon at 14th and 16th Streets espectively, will be enhanced with
shelters, benches, and accessibility improvements to meet Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) design guidelines.
NEXT STEPS
Following the March TAB meeting, staff will finalize the consultant selection process and begin
to schedule and prepare project materials for the first phase of public engagement anticipated in
Summer 2021.
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