Polis and Hickenlooper come to Niwot to celebrate Hwy 119 grant

It took 10 years for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and other governmental agencies to secure a $25M federal RAISE grant to improve safety on the Diagonal Highway (CO 119) and add a multi-modal bike lane in the center median from Longmont to Boulder.

And though the grant was ultimately obtained, with increased funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill which was passed as part of President Joe Biden's Investing in America agenda, it came too late for the family of Magnus White, a world-class cyclist from Boulder who died in July when he was struck by a vehicle while riding on the shoulder of the Diagonal near Gunbarrel.

Large photos of White adorned the sides of the gazebo at Niwot's Whistle Stop Park as Governor Jared Polis, Senator John Hickenlooper, and White's father, Michael White, spoke to the assembled crowd. Gov. Polis noted that "the third time is the charm" as the state had applied for the federal grant twice before and been turned down. Senator Hickenlooper congratulated Gov. Polis and his team for their efforts in "demonstrating why this project rises above hundreds of other projects across the country." The project was one of 162 across the country to receive a grant.

The ceremony was an invitation-only event, with members of the press, as well as many people who had worked tirelessly on the project for many years, in attendance. Among them were Debra Johnson, CEO of RTD, George Gerstle, former Boulder County Director of Transportation, representatives from Congressman Joe Neguse's office, and Kathleen Bracke, Deputy Director of Boulder County's Community Planning & Permitting Department.

Work on the main portion of the project will begin in the spring of 2024, but CDOT announced that rumble strips, which might have prevented White's death, will be installed on the highway beginning "by the end of the month," according to Heather Paddock of CDOT.

White's father lamented the fact that White had ridden competitively all over the country, and all over the world, recounting the many countries he had traveled to for competitions. "Yet he was killed by a driver in his hometown of Boulder 15 minutes from home," White said.

CDOT reported that nine people had died in crashes on the Diagonal since 2020. Among them were Niwot's Craig "Lefty" Harris, who died in a collision with a bus at the intersection of the Diagonal and Niwot Road. Claire Levy, Chair of the Boulder County Commissioners, spoke of the efforts to "get things done" in Boulder County, noting, "This has been a long time coming."

The funding for the project does not yet include enough to build an underpass from the bikeway median under the Longmont-bound lane of the Diagonal, but the county commissioners said later in the day that funding continues to be sought, and any cost savings from other parts of the project will be directed to that aspect. "We heard you loud and clear," Levy said.