Branding & Wayfinding Project for the Diagonal Highway

Boulder County is partnering with Commuting Solutions on the CO 119 Branding & Wayfinding Project. The project will create a distinct brand identity for the Diagonal Highway corridor along the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route connecting Boulder and Longmont based on recommendations found in The Highway 119 First and Final Mile Study, completed by consultants Fehr & Peers in August 2021.

Boulder County and Commuting Solutions are asking for community input to help create the branding of the CO 119 bus, car and bicycle corridor. Survey questions include preferences between “traditional” and “progressive,” “mature” and “youthful,” “bold” and “subtle,’ “colorful” and “muted,” and “simple” and “complex.” The survey also asks questions regarding social media and news source preferences, and what respondents like best about Boulder County.

The CO 119 Bus Rapid Transit Project is a collaboration between the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD) to improve the safety and mobility of the corridor between Boulder and Longmont. This route is the second-most traveled corridor in Boulder County and produces more severe crashes per mile than any other road in unincorporated Boulder County.

The project is designed to address potential inaccessibility of rapid transit. Accessibility barriers include the distance traveled from one’s car or home to the transit location, a challenging road system, a lack of available transportation options, or other impediments such as poor signage.

The Final Mile Study makes several recommendations to connect users comfortably and conveniently to the BRT and bikeway, one of which is wayfinding. Commuting Solutions says wayfinding connects people with places through simple, inclusive, and predictable signage. The company plans to create a unique corridor brand that will be applied to the first and final mile, BRT station architecture, and other elements along the corridor. The company plans to use the Flatiron Flyer brand as a template but will make it distinctive for CO 119 and will engage the public with inclusive multi-ethnic and community perspectives.

As a result, a community survey is available until March 31 on the CO 119 Branding and Wayfinding Project webpage. The survey is available in English and Spanish and takes less than five minutes. It features straightforward questions about your perception of the CO 119 brand style.

There are also two opportunities to take the survey in person and talk with project planners. The public sessions are scheduled in Wednesday, March 20 from 8 -11 a.m. at the RTD Downtown Boulder Station, 1800 14th St. Boulder, and Friday, March 22 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Marcos Hot Dogs & Tacos, 1647 Kimbark St., Longmont.