Skip to main content

CDOT has issued its draft Statewide Active Transportation Plan, one can learn more here.  CDOT staff state that the plan’s intention is to increase “mode choice” in easy to achieve locations, primarily urban locations.  Mode choice means that people would elect to do more trips using transportation modes other than cars.

For C4C, what’s more important is that CDOT continue its partnership with Boulder County on the execution of Boulder County’s Transportation Master Plan and its leading standard for the planning, design, and use of right-of-way.

Right-of-way is the system of public lands that connects communities.  For about 100 years, it’s been used mostly for roadways.  For decades, the United States has been worst by a margin among peer nations for traffic related serious injuries and fatalities.  Adverse safety outcomes are disproportionately higher among cyclists.  All of this is a product of the design and use of right-of-way and related policy.

Boulder County’s Transportation Master Plan calls for the network multi-modal design and use of right-of-way instead of the predominantly roadway-use of right-of-way.  That means that roadways are improved for safety.  That transit is fast, frequent, and affordable.  That there are places for cyclists and pedestrians that are safe and appealing.  Eventually, there will be connections to rail.  And all of this is connected in a network across the county and its municipalities which results in mobility, safety, and comfort for all.

In some cases like the plans for North Foothills Highway, there will also be wildlife crossings to connect wildlife habitat and reduce auto-wildlife collisions where studies show the need.

In engineering parlance, this is the planning and design of right-of-way to AASHTO, NACTO, and ITE guidelines.  When this is achieved, outcomes are shown to be improved.  When these standards are at or below a minimum, there should be a complement in the design.  For an urban example, Broadway in the City of Boulder is not an ideal place to ride a bike and, thus, the City correctly designs numerous parallel routes and offers safe crossings in multiple places.

For an unincorporated Boulder County example, the US 36 Boulder – Westminster roadway predicts serious injury and fatality for bike users, consequently, there is a separated path along the right-of-way which has reduced auto-on-bike killed and seriously injured to zero.

The current Highway 119(B) Boulder – Longmont Project is a demonstration of the leading partnership between CDOT and Boulder County.  It has roadway safety improvements; transit in the form of bus-rapid-transit; a separated hard-surface multi-use path or bikeway built to above standard criteria; eventual connections to rail; and all of this is linked to its own parts and to Longmont, Niwot, and the City of Boulder’s municipal systems as well as other Boulder County paths, trails, lower volume and lower speed roadways with bike-able shoulders, and amenities.

The cover of CDOT’s draft Statewide Transportation Plan.  Note, there is an Appendix A which has not been released yet.

C4C’s only comment would be that the Statewide Active Transportation Plan would maybe be better if it were used as an opportunity to adapt and scale the partnership between CDOT and Boulder County on executing improved planning standards and design guidelines for the use of right-of-way across the state.