06.10.24 TAB Agenda 7 36-N Foothills Bikeway Feasibility StudyCITY OF BOULDER
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: June 10, 2024
AGENDA ITEM:
Public Hearing and Board consideration of a motion to support continued collaboration with
Boulder County on design alternatives for the North Foothills (US 36) Bikeway
STAFF:
Natalie Stiffler, Director of Transportation and Mobility
Valerie Watson, Deputy Director of Transportation and Mobility
Stephen Rijo, Transportation Planning Manager
Daniel Sheeter, Principal Transportation Planner
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This memo provides an update on the feasibility study to assess the practicality, considerations
and impacts of a bikeway adjacent to North Foothills Highway (US 36) connecting Boulder to
Lyons. Transportation and Mobility is requesting consideration of a motion to formalize the
Transportation Advisory Board’s support for the bikeway and proceeding to the next phases of
evaluation and design.
The feasibility study is being led by Boulder County’s Transportation Planning Division in the
Community Planning & Permitting Department (CP&P) with input from Transportation and
Mobility staff as part of an interagency Steering Committee that includes representatives from
Boulder County POS, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), Town of Lyons
and CDOT. A final report summarizing the overall findings of the study will be available later
this summer. It identifies a conceptual bikeway alignment along the east side of US 36 that
remains within CDOT ROW wherever possible. Four small areas totaling about 2 miles need
additional analysis and evaluation in a future project phase before a preferred design alignment
can be identified. (See attachment A). These areas include advancing the design of the south end
of the bikeway to ensure high-quality connections to the City of Boulder’s bike network in the
Dakota Ridge neighborhood, at the intersection of North Broadway & US 36, and to the existing
US 36 path that continues southeast along the west side US 36 adjacent to the Holiday
neighborhood.
The bikeway is slated to be 12 feet wide, hard surface and plowed in the winter. Of the l1-mile
corridor, 64% of bikeway design is straightforward due to wide CDOT ROW and lack of
challenging topography (e.g. steep slopes). The remaining 36% of project will require retaining
walls, barriers, or other structures due to challenging topography and/or limited ROW. (See
attachment B).
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City of Boulder/OSMP owns or has conservation easements on lands adjacent to the conceptual
bikeway alignment. While an objective is to avoid use of OSMP lands as much as possible, the
study findings suggest that it will be necessary to locate the bikeway on OSMP land at the
specific locations of Old Broadway and Neva Road. Additionally, for the section where the
bikeway is located within CDOT right of way adjacent to OSMP land, grading impacts that
encroach onto city open space are anticipated intermittently. A future project phase is planned to
look more in-depth at the conceptual alignment and evaluate more detailed design alternatives at
locations impacting OSMP land and to inform the selection of a preferred design alternative (i.e.
specific trail alignment). The Open Space Board of Trustees will consider a motion to support
continued collaboration with Boulder County on the North Foothills Bikeway project at their
June 12, 2024 meeting.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff requests the Transportation Advisory Board make a motion to support:
1)the North Foothills US 36 bikeway connecting Boulder to Lyons, and
2) and for the department to continue collaborating with Boulder County on the next
phase of the project which will include further analysis and design and the
selection of a preferred design alternative (i.e. specific trail alignment) with
consideration for linkages to the City of Boulder’s existing bike network.
PUBLIC COMMENT AND PROCESS
Letters to Property Owners
The County project manager reached out to the landowners directly adjacent to study area before
reaching out to the general public through two mailings. The first mailing was sent July 2023 to
107 property owners on the east side of US 36. Soon after this mailing went out the project web
page was launched. The second mailing was sent February 2024 to 328 property owners on both
sides of US 36. A few emails of support were received in response and a few questions on how
the bikeway would affect private property access to mailboxes and intersecting roads were
received.
Public Meetings
In April, Boulder County hosted two meetings to share information and gather input on the
Bikeway project. On April 16, a virtual public meeting was attended by 65 community members.
An in-person public meeting was held in Lyons on April 30, with 33 attendees including two
Town of Lyons elected officials. Many of the meeting attendees expressed support. A few had
concerns about whether the bikeway would impact motor vehicle drivers along US 36 and at
intersections. Community attendees asked questions about how the bikeway would connect to
city and county open space trails such as the Joder, North Sky and Heil trails west of US 36,
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funding, why the Boulder Feeder Canal project was stopped, and where the ROW was in relation
to a landowner’s property.
Email comments received in response to the public meeting
•A letter of support with 45 signatures from residents of Lake of the Pines, a subdivision
located along US 36
•A few comments expressing concern for how the bikeway will impact intersections and
cross driveways were received.
•Email of support from Second Wind Cycling Club
•16 support emails in addition to support letters called out above
•One email was received in opposition to the bikeway, and in support of just adding wider
shoulders.
Online Survey
The project web page requested community input through an online questionnaire. Key findings
gathered from responses to the questionnaire are highlighted below:
•282 respondents (as of May 23, 2024)
•17% were strong and fearless riders (self-categorized)
•48% were enthusiastic and confident riders (self-categorized)
•34% were interested but concerned (self-categorized)
•2% not able or not interested in cycling (self-categorized)
•Of those that ride on US 36 now 75% would ride the bikeway if it were built
•Of those that do not ride US 36 now 95% would ride the bikeway if it were built
•18% of respondents live within one mile of US 36/N. Foothills Hwy
•23% live in the Town of Lyons
•32% live in the City of Boulder
Board Updates
The City of Boulder Transportation Advisory Board received a project update in February 2024.
The City of Boulder Open Space Board of Trustees received a written information item in the
February 14, 2024 OSBT meeting packet (page 93) and will consider a motion to support
continued collaboration with Boulder County on the North Foothills Bikeway project at their
June 2024 meeting. In April 2024, members of the project team and steering committee made an
informational presentation to the Boulder County Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee
(POSAC) about the bikeway and the planning for the North Foothills Wildlife Crossing initiative
being coordinated with the bikeway project.
ANALYSIS
Purpose and Need
US 36 between Boulder and Lyons is one of the most popular road segments in the county for
cycling. Some reasons for its popularity are the undeveloped scenery and dramatic vistas, most
of which are protected by the City of Boulder and Boulder County open space programs;
connections to other good roads for cycling such as Lefthand Canyon and Neva Road; and access
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to several city and county trails through trailheads along or near the road. US 36 also is the
location of the most cycling relating crashes in unincorporated Boulder County with 30% of all
severe bicycle and pedestrian crashes (20 of 67) from 2009 to 2018 occurring along this section
of the US 36 corridor. Most of these crashes were caused by motorists leaving the travel lane,
driving into the shoulder and crashing into cyclists. Separation of motorists and cyclists can
greatly reduce bike/vehicle crashes. The bikeway would provide that separation. US 36 between
Boulder and Lyons also has the highest rate of significant vehicle crashes involving wildlife. The
project is coordinating with a Wildlife Crossing initiative being led by the Boulder County Parks
& Open Space (BCPOS). The safety and protection of all— motorists, cyclists, and wildlife—is
a shared aspiration of both the bikeway study and the wildlife crossing initiative.
Conceptual Alignment and Feasibility Findings
Major constraints of designing the bikeway are the steeply undulating topography, limitations of
the existing CDOT right-of-way (ROW), and environmental resources. Due to these reasons, the
alignment focused on the east side of the highway, as shown in Attachment A. The goal is to
design a bikeway that:
•Is within CDOT right-of-way to the greatest extent possible
•Consists of a hard surface that is plowed in winter and maintained year-round
•Maximizes separation from US 36 vehicle lanes
•Uses guardrails, barriers and retaining walls when needed for separation when right-of-
way is lacking.
Of the l1-mile corridor, 64% of bikeway design is straightforward due to wide CDOT ROW and
lack of challenging topography (e.g. steep slopes). The remaining 36% of project will require
retaining walls, barriers, or other structures due to challenging topography and/or limited ROW.
(See attachment B).
Overall, Transportation and Mobility staff support the conceptual alignment identified in the
feasibility study. While the bikeway follows the east side of the highway, the feasibility study
reviewed the safety and comfort of the alignment at private driveways and side streets as well as
access to nearby trailheads. A future project phase will conduct further analysis and evaluation of
four small areas with potential impacts to OSMP lands totaling about 2 miles before a preferred
design alignment can be identified. (See attachment A). Evaluation of these areas will also
include advancing the design of the south end of the bikeway to ensure high-quality connections
to the City of Boulder’s bike network in the Dakota Ridge neighborhood, at the intersection of
North Broadway & US 36, and to the existing US 36 path that continues southeast along the west
side US 36 adjacent to the Holiday neighborhood.
NEXT STEPS
The feasibility study and accompanying final report are anticipated to be complete and available
for public comment in July 2024 and presented to the Boulder County Commissioners on August
13, 2024. The final report will include a Right of Way map, identification and evaluation of
conceptual alignments, summary of public engagement, conceptual level cost estimates and next
steps for further analysis and design. Completion of the Feasibility Study positions Boulder
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County to identify funding for future design phases and construction, which has not yet been
secured. Updates on the bikeway project will be provided as a future update to the Board as
information is available.
Attachments:
•A: Bikeway overview map showing conceptual alignment and areas requiring future
analysis
•B: Percent of bikeway needing walls or barriers
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Boulder County
Parks and
Open Space
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City of Boulder
Open Space and
Mountain Parks
Open Space and Mountain
Parks - Habitat Conservation
Area managed land
Future Analysis Required:
conceptual alignments require
future analysis and more in-depth
study which was beyond the
scope of this feasibility study.
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Attachment A
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BIKEWAY SECTIONS - SUMMARY
64% of the
Project Length
(7 Miles)
36% of the
Project Length
(4 Miles)
FURTHER FROM ROAD + NO SLOPE = NO STRUCTURES REQUIRED
CLOSE TO ROAD + SLOPE + LIMITED
ROW = RETAINING WALLS FURTHER FROM ROAD + SLOPE= RETAINING
WALLS
Attachment B
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