October 2024 “GoBo” Golden – Boulder Highway 93 Project Update

~ Updated November 5, 2024 ~

Projects like these take time.  Here are just a few examples of how long things can take,

• Boulder – Westminster bikeway, US 36, 20 years
• Boulder – Longmont bikeway, Colorado 119, 11 years and counting, 15 by the end of construction
• Boulder – Lyons, US 36 North Foothills Highway, 5 years and now seeking design and construction funding
• The BERT, 10+ years depending on whom you ask
• The Fourmile Creek underpass connecting to the Cottonwood Trail, 18 years, completion this autumn

Here’s a summary of the Highway 93 GoBo project currently

Objective

C4C’s objective is the full expression of the Boulder County Transportation Master Plan, especially its network multi-modal elements.

The network extends equitably to users.  The multiple modes provide safe and appealing access to work, services, and play resulting in full human lives.

This can also be thought of as transit, or better, network multi-modal oriented development.  This is referred to as “backcasting” in the current FHWA materials (page 28).

The SH 93 GoBo project is an incremental realization of these objective.  It scales the associated and empirically beneficial outcomes to Jefferson County and millions of Front Range residents.

These outcomes are indicated in safety, opportunity, land-use, water conservation, emissions for climate, emissions for health, environment, equity, and other categories.

Notes

1. Supporting Documents for the GoBo project
   1. CDOT High Demand Bicycle Corridors  https://www.codot.gov/programs/bikeped/high-demand-bicycle-corridors
   2. CDOT West Connect Coalition PEL
      1. Plan names and indicates a “trail”
   3. Front Range Trail
      1. Final Report
         1. Note, this report satisfies hard surface path study criteria in the vicinity of Republic Services Waste Facility where the FRT would sensibly overlap with the SH 93 ROW and a bikeway.
         2. That could, potentially, lower the cost of the feasibility study.
   4. Rocky Mountain Greenway (where is good information on this?)
      1. Note the potential litigation and ongoing objections related to the former Rocky Flats Weapons Plant and radioactive contamination.
   5. Boulder County Transportation Master Plan – A SH 93 separated bikeway is named and indicated in the plan.
   6. Boulder County Vision Zero – As a rule, separation of vulnerable road users is called for in the case of lethal highway volumes and speeds of autos.
   7. DRCOG Vision Zero – Same as above
   8. Precedent.  The US 36 Bikeway Boulder – Westminster and zero (0) auto-on-bike serious injuries or fatalities in its history, https://trails.colorado.gov/trails/us-36-bikeway-21230
   9. DRCOG Active Transportation Plan (see page 38)
      1. This is being replanned starting ~August 2024
      2. C4C’s position is that in many cases including this one, instead of replanning, we need to shift to executing on design and construction.
         1. “Everyone talks about economizing, my suggestion is to get started.”  Eleanor Roosevelt
   10. https://www.jeffco.us/2865/Transportation-Plans – Plan calls for county-wide and regional multi-modal connections including ones to other counties and/or jurisdictions.
   11. City of Boulder Core Arterial Network Project
       1. South Boulder low-stress connectivity problems to Marshall Mesa, Greenbelt Plateau, Flatirons Vista, SH 170, SH 128, and multi-modal connections to Arvada and Golden.
   12. Precedent, North Foothills Bikeway feasibility study, https://bouldercounty.gov/transportation/plans-and-projects/trails/north-foothills-bikeway-study/
       1. A $95M ($50M-$80M) stand-alone bike-ped project with no hidden costs and not an accessory to a roadway project.
   13. Precedent, SH 119 Boulder – Longmont bikeway construction phase now, https://bouldercounty.gov/transportation/plans-and-projects/highway-119-bikeway-project/
       1. A $50M above standard separated bikeway proposed as a new standard.  Not a stand-alone project, this project is linked to a multi-modal improvement project.
   14. Jefferson County Sustainability Program Goals, see goal T-2, multimodal transportation.  (Link?)
   15. SB24-184 – Support Surface Transportation Infrastructure Development (multi-modalism)
2. Support or interest from
   1. Boulder County staff and commissioners (Commissioner Levy)
   2. Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett (verbal interest)
   3. City of Boulder – supportive of a CO93 bikeway feasibility study, and would encourage the pursuit of a DRCOG Corridor Planning Program project, as well as inclusion of the study/project in regional and statewide plan updates
   4. Interest from JeffCo Commissioner Andy Kerr (verbal interest)
   5. City of Golden.  Staff favors moving the “trail” in the PEL out of planning and into design and construction, primarily from Golden to SH 72.  Golden has no funding.
   6. JeffCo Transportation and Engineering does not oppose the project.  They also indicate favor for the City of Golden to SH 72 segment for such a study or facility.
   7. JeffCo Climate and Sustainability, supports the proposal
   8. JeffCo Open Space.  Supports the proposal.  Notes its overlap with their FRT planning and studies.
   9. City of Arvada – Letter of support below
   10. Bicycle Colorado, supports the proposal.
   11. Bike Walk Golden, supports the proposal.

C4C and Bike JeffCo’s Specific Proposal to DRCOG

DRCOG has a pilot project management program or sub-regional project planning effort that is ongoing.  Bike JeffCo and C4C proposed to DRCOG that “If C4C and its partners give $450,000 to DRCOG, will DRCOG use it to fund a feasibility study for a separated bikeway between Golden and Boulder along the SH 93 right-of-way?”

DRCOG responded in late October that they do not have the capacity to lead or commission such a feasibility study.

Revised or alternate proposal

“If C4C and its partners give $450,000 to DRCOG, will DRCOG use it to fund a feasibility study for a bikeway between Golden and Boulder along the SH 93 ROW as part of a multi-modal plan including BRT, transit, rail, and wildlife crossings instead of added general purpose traffic lanes.”

Additional general purpose traffic lanes are categorically either not indicated or contraindicated.

Take the leading standard of the SH 119 Boulder – Longmont and the North Foothills Bikeway Projects, and scale those multi-modal projects to SH 93 and the Front Range.

As of early November, 2024 Bike JeffCo and C4C are deliberating next steps in terms of partnering with an agency with jurisdiction over the right-of-way to commission the study or another way of moving the project forward.

Current and Potential Funding

The $450,000 figure is a courtesy quote from OTAK who did the North Foothills Bikeway feasibility study.

• Boulder County – $50,000 placeholder in 2025 budget.
  • Equivalent to what would have been spent on community match if their application for an earlier grant had been successful.
  • Note, a study for the entire 14 miles from Golden to Boulder is both more economical and more utilitarian than Boulder County’s earlier grant application for just the City of Boulder to the Jefferson County line.
• JeffCo Climate and Sustainability – $50,000
• C4C – $30,000 budgeted.  Could maybe stretch to $50,000
• Others?
  • DRCOG
  • CDOT
  • City of Golden
  • City of Boulder
  • GoCo
  • Evergreen Cycling Club
  • Others?

Connectivity

1. JeffCo connectivity list