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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.”
Avoid East Valmont like the plague
Sep 19th
Valmont Road reconstruction underway
Daytime closures start Sept. 28
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Transportation Department has begun the reconstruction of Valmont Road between 75th and 95th streets.
Construction and significant delays are expected to last through mid-November. Cyclists and motorists are encouraged to use detours to avoid delays.
Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 28, Valmont Road will be closed between 75th and 95th streets to all vehicles, including bicycles, on weekdays only (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The daytime closures will be in effect until Nov. 8.
Accommodations have been made to allow passage of emergency vehicles and school buses along with local traffic and delivery vehicles to homes within the work zone.
All vehicles should expect variable pavement conditions, significant construction activity and potential delays along Valmont Road for the duration of the project.
“Valmont Road is one of the gateway corridors within the county,” construction supervisor Joe Bath said. “This project will be a major improvement to the road and will enhance safety for all forms of traffic.”
The Valmont Shoulders and Roadway Reconstruction project includes the complete removal and replacement of the existing asphalt pavement along with the addition of paved shoulders to each edge of the road.
The City of Boulder’s trail connection to the Teller Lake trailhead will also be reconstructed and the trail crossing of Valmont Road improved. The Teller Lake trail and trailhead will be closed sometime in early October to accommodate that portion of the project work.
Schedules are subject to change. Message boards are located in the area to alert residents of any construction schedule changes and additional information is available at www.BoulderCounty.org/Transportation. Contact Tim Swope at tswope@bouldercounty.org to be added to the notification email list.
Boulder gets $$$ boost for green machines
Sep 15th
City of Boulder part of coalition receiving $500,000 grant from U.S. Department of Energy to advance electric vehicles and charging locations
The City of Boulder is part of the Colorado Clean Cities Coalition that was awarded $500,000 in grant funds under the Clean Cities Community Readiness and Planning for Plug-in Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure Funding Opportunity. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Sept. 8, 2011.
The grant funds will be shared by multiple public and private agencies to help fund Project FEVER (Funding Electric Vehicle Expansion in the Rockies), a year-long endeavor that will overcome barriers that are impeding penetration of electric vehicles in the marketplace. FEVER is a statewide plan that will target five core areas to prepare Colorado for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure: regulatory; permitting; planning; policy; and marketing, education and outreach.
In Boulder, the grant will provide funds to:
Help establish guidelines to determine the best locations for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations;
Standardize permitting operations; and,
Create a plan for linking Boulder to other communities in a statewide EV charging network.
“By developing the next generation of automotive engineers and preparing communities for plug-in electric vehicles, these projects will help reduce our nation’s dependence on oil imports, create jobs, and help America capture the growing global market for advance vehicles,” said U.S. DOE Secretary Steven Chu.
Sixty partners have come together to support this project, and include the City of Boulder, the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Xcel Energy, the Regional Air Quality Council, the City and County of Denver and several other private and public partners.
Sponsored by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program and administered by the American Lung Association in Colorado, the Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition is a government-industry partnership designed to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector.
For more information, contact Joe Castro, City of Boulder Facilities and Fleet manager, at castroj@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-3163.
