Transportation News US 36 proposed bikeway and wildlife crossings

Boulder County's Transportation Planning Division is working on a Feasibility Study for the US 36/North Foothills Bikeway, an eleven-mile corridor spanning from the intersection of Broadway and US 36 in Boulder to the intersection of US 36 and CO 66 in Lyons. The study is motivated by injury-fatality pedestrian and bicycle crashes along this corridor. For more information, sign up for e-news at County E-News.

The purpose of the bikeway is to improve safety and comfort for cyclists. All severe bicycle and pedestrian crashes (20 of 67) in unincorporated Boulder County from 2009 to 2018 have occurred along the US 36 corridor (North Foothills Highway) from the intersection with Jay Road to Apple Valley Road north of Lyons.

In response, Boulder County's Transportation Planning Division recommended a separate bikeway. With the support of federal grant money, the study was initiated to determine the feasibility of a bikeway along the North Foothills Highway that would be separated from motorized vehicle traffic. The study will consider various factors, including the existing Colorado Department of Transportation's right-of-way width, environmental concerns, and topographic challenges.

The proposed bikeway is to be a 12-foot-wide hardscape path with five-foot shoulders, ideally separated from US 36 by a 20-foot barrier. This bikeway will be plowed in the winter and maintained year-round, adhering to federal and state bikeway design guidelines. Guardrails and concrete barriers will be installed in areas where a 20-foot separation from the highway is not feasible. The majority of the alignment will be on the east side of US 36.

Wildlife crossing

In addition, the study will assess the upcoming US 36 wildlife crossing project, as Boulder County is in the process of planning wildlife crossing structures along US 36 between Boulder and Lyons. The section of US 36 between Boulder and Lyons, with an emphasis between Nelson and St. Vrain Roads, was rated in the top 5% with the highest prioritization score in Colorado Department of Transportation's Region 4.

According to Boulder County's website, wildlife strikes average 3.2 animals per mile per year, ten times higher than the rest of Boulder County, which averages .26 strikes per mile per year. Each accident typically costs drivers an average of $11,000 in property damages. The structures will help reduce collisions between vehicles and animals.