Cyclists 4 Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is safer and better cycling through partnerships with Boulder County communities and governments focusing on infrastructure, policy, and outreach.
C4C’s 2023 Program Service Goals are here. Following is a review of C4C’s work to achieve those goals.
Infrastructure
C4C promised $5000 each to the local match portion for three infrastructure goals shared with Boulder County. Grants like these typically have about a 17-20% local match that is virtually always paid by the local government. When C4C “puts money on the table,” it incentivizes the awarding of the grants which are competitive.
- A $300,000 grant for a City of Boulder to Jefferson County line feasibility study for a separated bikeway along Highway 93. The granting agency, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), declined this grant request from Boulder County Government.
- Note, for 2024-2025, C4C has a program service goal to coordinate funding for a $450,000 feasibility study for a Golden – Boulder bikeway along Highway 93. C4C has $30,000 budgeted to contribute to the total needed. C4C is working closely with Bike JeffCo on this project. More information is expected in early 2024.
- A $1,920,000 grant request from Boulder County to DRCOG for construction of the Jay Road segment of the LoBo Trail. DRCOG wait-listed this request. In verbal conversations with Boulder County in December, 2023; Boulder County stated that they intend to find means to fund this project some other way. The funds were not awarded but the project merits completion. C4C is in support of Boulder County’s work on this project on a great trail amenity that’s accessible for a wide range of users.
- A $425,000 grant for a study for a Boulder – Louisville/Lafayette bikeway. DRCOG awarded this grant request and work is to begin in 2025. C4C will pay $5000 of the local match on this grant as promised. This is another important piece in Boulder County’s network, multi-modal Transportation Master Plan. It will eventually separate cyclists from autos along the transportation shed resulting in effectively zero serious injuries and fatalities for its users.
After a failed attempt to aid funding in 2023, C4C budgeted a $30,000 contribution and is helping to coordinate funding to pay for a feasibility study for a Highway 93 Golden – Boulder bikeway.
Outreach
C4C’s modest but successful porta-potty program continues, thanks to C4C’s supporters. Here’s a list of C4C’s ongoing porta-potty sponsorship program.
- Jamestown, one or two units, April – October. Thanks to the Town of Jamestown for all their help with this.
- Gold Hill / The Gold Hill Store. C4C and The Gold Hill Store partnered on a historically appropriate installation of outdoor bathroom facilities behind the store. The Gold Hill Store put a nice, aesthetic touch on this project. C4C will continue to negotiate funding for servicing the porta-potties at this location.
- Hygiene / The Mountain Fountain. It’s hard to find a time when there is not at least one cyclist at this country store. These porta-potties are subsidized for a year at a time due to their year-round presence.
- Raymond / The Raymond Store Cabins, one unit April – October. Thanks to the new owners at this location for partnering on this unit. A classic road ride and longer one too, this is a good spot to pause.
- The Altona Grange, one unit November – April. On the flats where people ride all year including the winter, this unit gives cyclists an option near the popular Boulder – Roubaix route.
C4C contributed $500 to The Ned Shred Program. When C4C went around Boulder County, we found a cycling community in Nederland that has plenty of places to stop and go to the bathroom. Thus, this small donation was made in goodwill towards the Nederland cycling community which gets a lot of things done on its own.
Long time supporters, The Sunderland Group and Payroll Vault Boulder, Alpine Bank, GravelRado, and an anonymous sponsor make these programs possible. The result is improved relations between locals, drivers, and cyclists.
The Boulder County Cycling Community, organized by C4C committee member Don Hobbs, is intended to keep the broad Boulder County cycling community informed of C4C’s work while, at the same time, not interfering with those organizations. With a diverse and large group like this, the intention is to let everyone do their thing and have a light touch on communications so they know what’s happening.
Thanks to Don Hobbs for all his work on this project.
Policy
The most difficult category of work to summarize is policy work. Here’s a quick list.
- Ongoing monitoring of the North Foothills Bikeway feasibility study along with work to fund part of its construction.
- Ongoing work to scale SHIFT Driving so that, eventually, it or a similar program can reach millions of drivers in Colorado.
- Ongoing participation in design for the Highway 119/Diagonal Boulder – Longmont bikeway.
- Ongoing participation in Boulder County’s Vision Zero work.
- An update to the summary of traffic and cycling related laws on Boulder County websites. The Boulder County DA’s office decided to update their entire site and this information too. The whole thing has taken a long time but will result in meaningful, summary language on Boulder County websites regarding the laws for sharing the road.
- Ongoing support for Bicycle Colorado’s legislative agenda. Bicycle Colorado is good at this, all C4C has to do is support it.
- C4C continues to monitor signage. An update to the strict federal guidelines governing signage is due to come out and may help make change possible. Until then, C4C and Boulder County keep working to find common ground on a subject that is made difficult by intense federal regulation.
- An exploration of statewide path connectivity has transformed into C4C’s 2024-25 focus on funding a feasibility study for a Golden – Boulder along Highway 93. Getting this regional level project started would go a long way towards connecting cycling facilities on a regional and even statewide level.
- With the expansion of C4C’s board of directors and committees, C4C is deliberating a constructive way to work with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on ways to improve enforcement.
2024 Program Service Goals and The Plan
C4C’s 2024 Program Service Goals can be seen here. These goals represent C4C’s work to achieve the maximal expression of the network, multi-modal elements of the Boulder County Transportation Master Plan. It’s a good plan for everyone, not just cyclists.
Separate cyclists from autos along major highways (like the rendering above), give them appealing facilities like the LoBo Trail, make affordable improvements like widening shoulders, and manage connections to the west into the mountains while improving policy–it’s a good plan that just needs funding.
