Posts tagged Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle
Nightmare in the mountains scheduled
Jun 5th
County road chip seal projects begin Monday
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Transportation Department will apply chip seal to 25 miles of county roads beginning this Monday, June 11.
Starting Monday, crews will begin working on Overland Road above Jamestown and work their way down James Canyon, and then Lefthand Canyon all the way to U.S. 36 (Foothills Highway).
The chip application will be followed closely by rollers and sweepers to set the material into the road surface along with the application of a “fog-coat” to further reduce the amount of loose material. The process is expected to take less than a week for each section of road.
2012 chip seal schedule:
Week of June 11
- Overland Road
- James Canyon Drive
Week of June 18
- Lefthand Canyon Drive from James Canyon to U.S. 36
- North 75th Street from south of St. Vrain Road to Highway 66
- St. Vrain Road from 75th Street to Longmont city limits west of Airport Road
Week of June 25
- North 73rd Street from Niwot Road to Clover Basin Drive
- Niwot Road from 63rd Street to the Diagonal Highway (119)
- Jay Road from U.S. 36 to 47th Street
Week of July 2
- Jay Road from 47th Street to 75th Street
- Baseline Road from 55th Street to Cherryvale Road
Schedules are subject to change due to weather and other factors and the projects will cause minor traffic delays. Visitwww.BoulderCounty.org/Transportation for updates.
Applying chip seal to county roads is a cost-effective means of extending their life and reducing potholes. Adding stone chips to pavement after it has sat for more than five years extends the pavement life considerably, allowing for more use of the original overlay. Additionally, the cost of chipping a road is a small fraction of the cost of new paving and chip sealing uses less oil and less material than paving.
“We understand the chip seal can be disruptive to cycling and can make for a rough ride for a period of time,” Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle said. “We’ll continue using the smaller chips, which we’ve used for the last two years with good results, and we will continue sweeping and fog-sealing the roads immediately after the chips are applied to create as smooth a surface as possible. However, there will still be impacts and cyclists should expect poorer riding conditions and use caution on these roads for a couple of weeks after the work is completed.”
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Boulder County: Popular Hessie Trailhead is a parking nightmare
Apr 12th
Hessie Trailhead safety, access issues to be addressed
First of three public meetings scheduled for April 24
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Transportation and Parks and Open Space departments are proposing changes to the Fourth of July Road (County Road 111) to address concerns about safety and access to the Hessie Trailhead area.
The improvements are proposed to be made between the junction of Hessie Road and the end-of-pavement at the west end of the Eldora townsite (see map).
Congestion near the trailhead and along the road has resulted in gridlock and created unsafe conditions for residents and visitors. As a result of the number of vehicles and people attempting to navigate through the area, it can be impossible for emergency responders to get from Nederland to the trailhead and points beyond in a timely manner. Watch video of traffic congestion.
The Hessie Trailhead is operated by the U.S. Forest Services and is a popular access point to the Indian Peaks Wilderness and several lakes and trails.
“The popularity of this area has created a major safety issue, so we’ve developed ideas for keeping the road clear so that people can recreate safely, access is maintained for both the public and emergency responders, and impacts to the community of Eldora are minimized.” Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle said.
The Boulder County staff proposal includes:
- Widening the road and adding designated road shoulder parking
- Free shuttle service from Nederland High School on summer weekends and holidays
- New regulatory parking signage
- Increased parking enforcement
Meetings and feedback
Three public events will be held to answer questions and collect comments from interested residents and visitors. Comments may besubmitted online until May 11.
- Public Meeting
Tuesday, April 24, 6 p.m.
Nederland High School library, 597 County Road 130
- Open House
Tuesday, May 8, 4:30-7 p.m.
Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder
- Commissioners’ Public Hearing
Tuesday, May 22, 2 p.m.
Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder
For more information, including the project overview and history, meeting schedules, online comment form and contact information, visit www.HessieTrailhead.com.
Boulder bus and bike friendly
Sep 26th
‘Bus then Bike’ shelters open for regional commuters
Boulder County, Colo. – To make it easier for people to use the bus and their bikes, Boulder County is initiating the “Bus then Bike” program for commuters along the Diagonal Highway (119).
The county has installed a covered, secure bike shelter in both Longmont and Boulder for commuters along the Diagonal corridor who wish to use a bike to get to their final destination. The shelters, funded through a federal grant and county transportation funds, provide long-term, secure bicycle storage for commuters making connections to and from regional transit.
Bicycles and accessories can be safely stored overnight close to the bus stop, allowing commuters to avoid lugging their bike on the bus each day.
“Many people already take their bike on the bus along this corridor, which can be an inconvenience, and we want to make it easier for people to take the bus more often,” Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle said. “We know not everyone can take the bus all the time, but this is another example of how we are working to give more people a real choice in how they travel.”
Scott McCarey, Alternative Transportation Coordinator for Boulder County said that the program eliminates significant barriers to taking the bus. “For many people, the distance between the bus stop and their final destination is too far to walk, so this provides a convenient way to travel that final mile,” McCarey said. “And, users of the shelters never have to worry about being turned away by a bus because its bike racks or storage bins are full.”
Nataly Erving, Service Planner for RTD, said the program should reduce delays on the BOLT route. “The ability for people to park their bikes should reduce the delays caused by the loading and unloading of bikes,” she said. “Each bike that has to be loaded in the undercarriage bins takes between one and two minutes because the driver has to park the vehicle, climb out and open the bins.”
