CO 119 Safety, Mobility, and Bikeway Project update

Part two of a three-part series covering RTD regarding TABOR's impact, RTD Northwest Rail and Front Range Passenger Rail, and an update on key state legislation.

Commuting Solutions, a Louisville based organization dedicated to finding innovative transportation options connecting commuters to their workplaces, has strongly advocated for the CO 119 Safety, Mobility, and Bikeway Project.

It held a membership meeting on April 24, providing a comprehensive update on the project, including its team, history, background, elements, recent public outreach, and construction schedule. The project aims to enhance safety, mobility, and bikeways along the CO 119 corridor from Longmont to Boulder.

Two important aspects of the project relating to the underpasses at 63rd Street and Niwot Park-n-Ride, impacting both Niwot and Gunbarrel, were discussed. The designer is Muller Engineering, and the Construction Manager and General Contractor is Kraemer North America.

CO 119 is the highest crash corridor for motorists and the second highest for bicyclists in Boulder County. From 2015 through 2019, there were 929 total vehicle crashes, 446 resulting in injuries along with three fatalities, 17 bicycle crashes resulting in five severe injuries and one fatality, and two pedestrian crashes. Since the end of 2019, there have been multiple additional fatalities. Project improvements will likely eliminate at least 370 vehicle crashes in the 20 years following the completion of the project and should eliminate all bikeway crashes.

Mobility challenges include no direct bikeway connection access across the corridor, a BOLT bus service that can be slow and unreliable, and an anticipated 25% increase in vehicular traffic by 2040. The corridor mobility improvements will provide a new separated commuter bikeway, as well as new bus rapid transit, which is expected to cut transit time by half and increase ridership by 33%.

Major improvements include intersection improvements at CO 52, Airport Road, and Hover Street, queue bypass lanes at two Park-n-Rides and four Bus Rapid Transit stations. In addition, there are plans for safety improvements at unsignalized intersections, and a commuter bikeway consisting of nine miles of a 12-foot wide concrete pathway, which will be ADA accessible and directly linked to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bikeway. It will also be regularly plowed during winter months.

An additional feature will include an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) with transit signal priority. ITS uses advanced communication and computer technology to make transportation more efficient, such as synchronizing signals based on approaching buses.

The intersection improvements that will impact Niwot and Gunbarrel will be the Niwot Park-n-Ride and the 63rd Street Park-n-Ride, both designed with underpasses underneath CO 119. Due to a conflict with a 24-inch diameter water line, the design team is looking at an overpass for the 63rd Street Park-n-Ride.

Stacey Proctor, Boulder County project manager, presented three alternatives for the Niwot underpass and the sidewalk spur connecting the underpass linking the Park-n-Ride to downtown Niwot. Proctor displayed layouts for options one, two, and three on a slide noting that options one and three were preferred by the general public. When asked about option 2A, the recommendation from the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID), Proctor said, "All options were to be evaluated with safety as a major criterion."

Brian Thye, P.E., Regional Transportation District Engineer IV, explained, "The design of the detention basin will utilize the existing footprint of the current water quality capture pond and include the water quality capture volume. The design will also integrate the sidewalk spur connecting the underpass to the Park-n-Ride." Boulder County originally raised the issue of conflict between the sidewalk spur and detention pond in discussions with the Niwot LID regarding option 2A.

Proctor clarified, "The current funding does not include the Niwot Underpass connection. However, if additional funding is identified, the underpass connection will be added to the scope of work." The total current committed funding is $165 million, with contributions from various entities: the Colorado Department of Transportation providing 45%, the Regional Transportation District 12%, the City of Longmont 1%, Boulder County 3%, and grants at 39%.

Three construction packages (CP) will be issued, each with its own timeline. CP1, slated to commence in September 2024, will initiate work for as many elements as possible. CP2 is anticipated to be issued before the summer of 2025, including improvements to 63rd Street and the southern bikeway crossing out of the median and Four Mile Canyon Creek underpass. The start date of CP3 is yet to be determined and will encompass the buildout of the Hover Street and CO 119 intersection.