Surveys say Option 4 is the preferred underpass from bikeway to Niwot

The Niwot Community Association (NCA), in collaboration with the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID), conducted parallel surveys Dec. 2 - 16 to gather community input on the proposed underpass from the new Niwot Transit Center & Park-n-Ride in the median of CO 119 to downtown Niwot. The proposed underpass to Niwot is part of the CO 119 Safety, Mobility, and Bikeway Project.

Initial design of the bikeway showed access to Niwot at the Niwot Road intersection with CO 119, at grade. The Niwot Business Association and the LID convinced Boulder County officials to change the primary access to include an underpass from the bikeway under the Longmont-bound lanes of CO 119. The Boulder County Commissioners instructed the Boulder County Public Works Department to work on the design of the underpass, even though funding for that aspect of the project has not been secured. Several options were considered and the county staff selected Option 3a as the preferred design based on a slim majority of public preferences expressed at a meeting held last fall.

But community leaders in Niwot as well as Fletemeyer & Lee Associates (FLA), the consultants for Niwot's Master Plan, felt that Option 3a, which included an at grade crossing of the railroad tracks at 2nd Avenue, was not the optimal design for safety and convenient access to Niwot.

Option 4 was developed by FLA, which included an underpass that extends under both the Longmont-bound lanes of CO 119 and the Burlington-Northern railroad tracks.

Both the LID and NCA preferred Option 4 which terminates at Whistle Stop Park and does not require traveling over railroad tracks to get to Niwot. The Option 3a underpass terminates at 2nd Avenue before reaching the railroad tracks, requiring cyclists and pedestrians to cross over the railroad tracks at grade to get into Niwot.

The underpass was discussed at the Dec. 2 LID meeting regarding the proposed Niwot Master Plan, and those in attendance completed a survey indicating which option was preferred. Following the meeting, the survey was then circulated among community members by both the NCA and LID.

The NCA survey results saw participation from 127 "validated NCA members," 96% of whom are residents and 6% are Niwot business owners. 65% of those surveyed preferred Option 4 with 30% preferring Option 3a.

The majority supported the underpass proposal generally with 56% likely to use it as cyclists and 53% as pedestrians. Community feedback on the survey emphasized the importance of safety and accessibility Comments included:

"Building the underpass under both the highway and the train tracks is crucial for safety and maximizing its utilization."

"I prefer Option 4 for its shorter distance, encouraging pedestrian and transit users."

"Second Ave is a bit busy for cyclists. I prefer landing at the park and then adjusting to cars as I head toward Second Ave."

The LID survey included 99 respondents, 87 of whom live in Niwot. Similar to the NCA survey, the majority indicated they would use the underpass as cyclists or pedestrians. An overwhelming number of respondents (96%) preferred Option 4, with only 4% favoring Option 3a.

Both surveys indicated that those surveyed overwhelmingly said that "feeling safe on the route" was of primary importance.

Boulder County's response to the surveys can be found at "Boulder County moves ahead on double underpass option" in this edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier.