Broadway Transit Improvements Project Virtual Open House
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December 20, 2024 - January 26, 2025 — Transportation and Mobility Department
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How to Navigate
To learn the most about the project, scroll this page from the beginning to the end. It should take about 10 minutes. There is a short questionnaire at the end to provide feedback on the proposed conceptual designs. To skip to specific sections, use the navigation bar at the top. Need assistance? We're here to help.
Project Overview
A diagram of the peak hour frequency of transit routes on the South Broadway corridor. Between Baseline Road and Regent Drive, there is a combined 2-minute peak hour frequency, and between 27th Way and Rayleigh Road, there is a combined 4-minute peak hour frequency. The diagram shows nine bus routes, with the thickness of the line indicating the peak hour frequency of the route. The most frequent routes during peak hours are the Bear Creek Express, the Flatiron Flyer (FF1), the SKIP, and the 204, which have frequencies between 12 to 15 minutes.
Peak hour frequency of transit routes on the South Broadway corridor
About The Corridor
The Broadway/CO 93 corridor is a key transit corridor that carries over 12,000 people per day on regional bus routes like the Flatiron Flyer, AB1 and DASH, as well as local bus routes, such as the SKIP and 225. There is a bus every 2-4 minutes during peak periods. Traffic congestion, especially during weekday mornings and evenings, can impact bus travel times and reliability.
The corridor is part of the Core Arterial Network (CAN) initiative, a City Council priority to create a connected system of transit facility upgrades, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities and protected bicycle lanes that will help reduce the potential for severe crashes and make it more comfortable and convenient for people to get where they need to go.
The Broadway Transit Improvements project will speed up transit travel time and improve reliability for all transit routes using Broadway:
Allow buses to bypass traffic queues at key intersections by constructing short segments of dedicated bus lanes northbound at the intersection with Regent Drive and southbound at the intersection with Table Mesa Drive in summer 2026. This project will not change the current vehicle lane configuration. The improvements also include upgraded crosswalks and multi-use paths.
Study, but not implement, repurposing the outside/right-most vehicle lanes as bus lanes between Regent Drive and Table Mesa Drive.
Transit improvements benefit people who ride and drive. Buses reduce traffic and air pollution because they are more space and fuel-efficient than driving. Bus lanes keep buses from getting stuck in traffic, and when more people choose transit because it’s fast and reliable, there are fewer cars on the street. That means less congestion for people who do drive. Navigation data shows that visitors and non-resident workers driving on the Broadway corridor have average trip lengths of 15 and 10 miles, respectively, on an average weekday morning. These distances are typical of longer commutes and demonstrate the local and regional importance of providing fast and reliable transit as an attractive travel option.
Improving transit also directly supports the city's Vision Zero goal by enhancing safety. Because transit is generally considered to be the safest mode of transportation, encouraging its use reduces the overall potential for crashes to occur. Furthermore, bus lanes reduce conflicts with vehicles travelling along a corridor by separating buses and right-turning vehicles from through traffic.
By providing convenient, affordable and reliable transit choices, we can reduce the social, environmental and economic costs associated with increased congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, in alignment with city goals and regional policies.
Overview Map
A map showing the project area, which extends from the intersection of Broadway and Regent Drive to the intersection of Broadway and Table Mesa Drive. Intersection Improvements are planned for the intersections at Broadway and Regent Drive and at Broadway and Table Mesa Drive, with construction planned for summer 2026. The stretch of Broadway in between these two intersections will be the subject of a bus lanes study. The project will only study bus lanes outside of the Intersection Improvement areas.
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What planning documents are being used to inform this project?
Planning documents provide policies, objectives and actions that guide the planning, delivery and funding of city services, infrastructure and programs.
Click the arrow on the right to browse planning documents.
A grid layout of the covers from nine planning documents: the 2019 Boulder Transportation Master Plan, the Denver Regional Council of Governments 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan, the Regional Transportation District’s Northwest Area Mobility Study, the University of Colorado Boulder Transportation Master Plan, 2020 Mid-Term Update to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, the Boulder Vision Zero Action Plan, the 2019 Boulder Low-Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan, the City of Boulder’s Core Arterial Network, and the Colorado Department of Transportation’s 10-Year Strategic Vision Plan.
Boulder Transportation Master Plan (2019)
The City of Boulder’s 2019 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) has a renewed emphasis on moving people rather than vehicles with high quality, high frequency, reliable transit being the backbone of an efficient transportation system. The TMP calls for improvements to support Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other regional service, thereby increasing transit travel speed and reliability along regional corridors.
The front cover of the City of Boulder’s 2019 Transportation Master Plan.
Boulder’s Core Arterial Network (2022)
It’s a City Council priority to create a connected system of transit facility upgrades, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities and protected bicycle lanes that will help reduce the potential for severe crashes and make it more comfortable and convenient for people to get where they need to go along Boulder’s main corridors.
A map of the City of Boulder’s Core Arterial Network (CAN). Broadway is designated as a CAN corridor.
DRCOG 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan (2024)
The Denver Regional Council of Governments' 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan (2024) prioritizes investments that provide mobility choices, specifically investments in the region’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System. It identifies Broadway/CO 93 as a transit corridor in need of safety and multimodal (taking the bus, walking, bicycling and driving) improvements.
RTD Northwest Area Mobility Study (2014)
The Regional Transportation District's 2014 Northwest Area Mobility Study identified the Broadway/CO 93 corridor as an opportunity for transit system improvements that would facilitate existing and future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, along with other regional and local transit.
CU Boulder Transportation Master Plan (2020)
The 2020 University of Colorado Boulder Transportation Master Plan found that over 20% of students, faculty, and staff travel to campus via the bus.
The plan’s goals include reducing the total number of cars being driven to campus, encouraging the use of alternative transportation modes and achieving greenhouse gas reductions from campus transportation.
Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (2020)
The 2020 Update to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan recommends a safe, accessible and sustainable multimodal transportation system that provides travel choices, is equitable and reliable and supports climate commitments.
Boulder Vision Zero Action Plan (2022)
Vision Zero is Boulder’s goal to reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries to zero.
The 2022 Vision Zero Action Plan identifies the Broadway/CO 93 corridor as part of the High Risk Network, where nearly half of all fatal and serious injury crashes occur, or are likely to occur in the future, despite comprising only a small part – just 7% – of city streets. The plan calls for improving safety for all travel modes through intersection and traffic signal improvements.
Boulder Low Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan (2019)
The 2019 Low Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan calls for a network of low-stress facilities to help people of all ages and abilities walk and bike safely and comfortably throughout the community.
CDOT 10-Year Plan (2020)
The Colorado Department of Transportation's 10-Year Plan, adopted in May of 2020, identified intersection improvements on along Broadway/CO 93 to relieve traffic congestion.
DRCOG South Boulder Road Corridor Study (2024)
The Denver Regional Council of Governments' (DRCOG) South Boulder Road Corridor Study (2024) calls for enhancing transit speed, reliability, and frequency along South Boulder Road and Table Mesa Drive from Broadway to 120th Street in Lafayette.
This project will improve:
A photograph of northbound cars and buses on Broadway waiting at a red light at Regent Drive. Both northbound lanes have lines of vehicles in them, from the light to the right side of the photo. There are two buses waiting in the queue as well.
Multiple buses in traffic approaching Regent Drive
Transit travel time and reliability for RTD’s Flatiron Flyer BRT service, along with other regional transit routes, future arterial BRT service and local transit.
For example, in the southbound direction, scheduled transit travel times on the corridor increase from 11 minutes during off-peak travel times to 19 minutes during peak periods, and on-time performance falls from 85% to 70% in the evening peak travel period. Buses turning onto Table Mesa Drive from Broadway are on average delayed 107 seconds at the intersection compared to 63 seconds for vehicles. At Regent, buses and vehicles are delayed approximately 30 seconds.
The short segments of proposed bus lanes at both intersections would allow buses to bypass queued traffic, significantly reducing delays for the thousands of people riding the bus every day.
Increasing transit capacity on this critical regional corridor will help the city achieve its overall mode shift objective to increase walking, biking and transit to 80% of all trips for residents and to 40% of work trips for non-residents by 2030, with transit accounting for 10% for resident trips and 12% for non-resident trips.
On the South Broadway corridor, transit is the most efficient way to move a high number of people. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), where a single travel lane of private vehicle traffic on an urban street might move 600 to 1,600 people per hour (assuming one to two passengers per vehicle and 600 to 800 vehicles per hour), a dedicated bus lane can carry up to 8,000 passengers per hour.
A map diagramming the total northbound bus passengers per day on South Broadway. Most northbound passengers come from Table Mesa Drive, and most continue north on the corridor past Broadway and Regent Drive. The northbound passenger load is up to 6,000 people per day on some segments of the corridor.
A map diagramming the total southbound bus passengers per day on South Broadway. Most southbound passengers come from further north on Broadway and continue onto Table Mesa Drive. The southbound passenger load is up to 7,000 people per day between Regent Drive and Dartmouth Avenue.
Total passengers per day on South Broadway
A photograph looking across Broadway towards Regent Drive. Ten or so pedestrians are walking away from the camera in the crosswalk across Broadway towards the CU campus.
Existing crosswalk at Broadway and Regent Drive
Multimodal safety at key intersections
The project will also improve crossings and upgrade facilities for people walking, biking and rolling at both intersections, including realigning and straightening adjacent multi-use paths, closing an underutilized commercial driveway, upgrading curb ramps on all corners of the intersection to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and realigning right-turn bypass lanes to increase the visibility and safety of pedestrians and other users crossing.
Intersection Improvements
Broadway & Regent Drive
Existing Conditions
1) During peak periods, the northbound travel lanes on Broadway approaching the Regent Drive intersection become significantly congested, and buses are stuck in traffic.
2) The northbound right-turn lane from Broadway to Regent Drive permits greater vehicle turning speeds, which reduces the likelihood of people driving yielding to people in the crosswalk and increases the severity of crashes if they occur. Crashes at right-turn slip lanes are one of the common crash types identified by the Vision Zero Action Plan.
3) The Broadway multi-use path splits south of Regent Drive, with a narrow, pedestrian-only path and a separate two-way bicycle path, before these paths rejoin. This leads to confusion and potential conflicts because people biking and rolling often use the more-direct pedestrian path.
4) Ramps on the northeast and southeast corners are not currently Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
A photograph looking north along Broadway towards the intersection with Regent Drive. There is a line of vehicles, including a bus, heading north on Broadway, waiting at a red light at Regent.
A bus in traffic approaching Regent Drive
A diagram of the existing intersection layout at Broadway and Regent Drive.
Broadway & Regent Drive
Proposed Design
1) Add a northbound bus lane through the intersection to allow buses to bypass traffic queues and reduce impacts on other vehicles by removing buses from the primary vehicle travel lanes through the intersection. This will reduce travel delay for transit riders, particularly during peak periods. People who drive can cross the bus lane for right-turn access to Regent Drive.
2) Realign the northbound right-turn lane from Broadway to Regent Drive to increase the visibility and safety of people walking, rolling and biking in the raised crosswalk and on the multi-use path.
3) Align pedestrian path with existing two-way bicycle path south of Regent Drive by creating a wider multi-use path, reducing confusion and potential conflicts between people walking, rolling and biking.
4) Installing upgraded ramps to improve accessibility and ensure compliance with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
Where has this been successful?
Boulder already has a bus lane at Broadway and Table Mesa Drive, heading southbound. This lane permits southbound buses like the SKIP to have just a 2.1 second average vehicle delay compared to a 24.7 second average vehicle delay for southbound vehicles.
A photograph looking southbound along Broadway at the intersection with Table Mesa. There is a bus lane in the outer-most through lane through the intersection, with a SKIP bus heading south in the bus lane.
A southbound SKIP bus using an existing bus lane to travel through the Table Mesa Drive intersection
A diagram of the proposed intersection layout at Broadway and Regent Drive.
Swipe back and forth to compare the existing intersection with the proposed intersection.
Broadway & Table Mesa Drive
Existing Conditions
1) Congestion in the southbound left turn lane during peak periods causes significant delays for transit. The long queues overflow into the left-most southbound through lane, resulting in impacts on through travel.
2) The westbound right turn lane from Table Mesa Drive to Broadway permits greater vehicle turning speeds, which reduces the likelihood of people driving yielding to people in the crosswalk and increases the severity of crashes if they occur. Crashes at right-turn slip lanes are one of the common crash types identified by the Vision Zero Action Plan.
3) Existing driveway is very close to the intersection and increases risk of conflict between people driving and people on the Broadway multi-use path.
A photograph of vehicles heading south on Broadway waiting at the red light at Table Mesa Drive. A Flatiron Flyer (FF1) bus is waiting several vehicles back in the queue to make a southbound left turn from Broadway to Table Mesa Drive.
The Flatiron Flyer (FF1) waiting in the southbound left queue at Broadway and Table Mesa Drive
A diagram of the existing intersection layout at Broadway and Table Mesa Drive.
Broadway & Table Mesa Drive
Proposed Design
1) Add a southbound bus left turn lane to allow buses to bypass queued traffic in the adjacent southbound left turn lane, reducing travel delay for transit riders, particularly during peak periods.
2) Extend the southbound left-turn lane to allow for longer queues and move left-turning vehicles out of the southbound through travel lanes.
3) Close the existing driveway near the intersection to reduce potential conflicts between vehicles and people on the multi-use path. Access to the shopping center is maintained via driveways further south on Broadway.
4) Realign the westbound right turn lane from Table Mesa Drive to Broadway to improve safety by reducing vehicle turning speeds. This will increase the visibility of people walking, rolling and biking in the raised crosswalk and on the multi-use path. Slower turning speeds also give people driving more time to stop for people in the raised crosswalk and reduces the severity of crashes if they occur.
5) Expand the island at the northeast corner of Broadway and Table Mesa Drive to decrease crossing distances, reducing the time someone crossing the intersection is exposed to traffic. The westbound bike lane on Table Mesa would also be realigned and raised to sidewalk-level to reduce conflicts with right-turning vehicles and buses.
Where has this been successful?
In other cities, like Los Angeles and Seattle, bus left turn lanes have supported faster and more reliable bus trips.
A photograph of an intersection in Seattle, Washington. A bus is approaching the intersection in a bus left turn lane.
A bus entering a bus left turn lane in Seattle, Washington. Photo: Seattle Department of Transportation
A diagram of the proposed intersection layout at Broadway and Table Mesa Drive.
Swipe back and forth to compare the existing intersection with the proposed intersection.
Bus Lane Study
The project will also study the feasibility of repurposing the outside/right-most vehicle lanes to bus lanes on Broadway between Table Mesa Drive and Regent Drive. Curbside bus lanes may be used by buses and right-turning vehicles. They help buses move more efficiently, facilitating on-time performance. They also improve safety by separating right-turning vehicles from through traffic at intersections and driveways. Buses also do not stop in a through vehicle lane when accessing bus stops, reducing the potential for rear-end crashes.
The study will analyze traffic operations to assess feasibility but will not implement any changes. The grant received for this project only funded the study, and further funding will need to be pursued in order to implement any changes recommended by the study.
Where have bus lanes been successful?
Bus lanes were installed on Colorado Avenue between Folsom Street and 30th Street in summer 2024 to support the 12,000 daily bus riders who use CU Buff Bus service along the corridor.
A photograph of Colorado Avenue, looking east at Regent Drive. The outermost lane is a bus lane, indicated by the words “Bus Only” marked on pavement with white paint and a red background.
Colorado Avenue bus lanes, with red markings, looking east at Regent Drive
A map diagramming the configuration of lanes along the project corridor, including the proposed northbound bus through lane at Regent Drive and the southbound bus left turn lane at Table Mesa Drive. The outermost vehicle travel lanes are marked to indicate that they will be analyzed as part of the bus lane study.
Related Traffic Signal Projects
Separate grant-funded traffic signal projects to improve intersection safety will be constructed at Broadway & Regent Drive in spring/summer 2025 and Broadway & Baseline Road in late 2025. Existing traffic signals will be modified to allow for different types of left-turn signal phasing. The near-term Broadway & Regent Drive project will implement left-turn phasing that does not allow vehicles turning from 20th St or Regent Dr to turn left when pedestrians are crossing Broadway at all times. The Broadway & Baseline Rd project will modify the eastbound and westbound Baseline Rd approaches to allow for different types of left-turn signal phasing to operate throughout the day based on conditions. Feedback on these separate projects is not requested through Broadway Transit Improvements questionnaire due to timing and funding.
Next Steps
Where are we in the process?
Regent Drive and Table Mesa Drive Intersection Improvements
Winter 2024 - 2025
Data analysis, conceptual design development and community engagement.
Spring/ Summer 2025
Finalize design and share with community.
Summer 2026
Planned construction during the summer while CU Boulder is not in session.
Bus Lane Study
Winter 2024 - 2025
Data analysis.
Spring 2025
Study bus lane feasibility.
Spring/ Summer 2025
Share study results with community.
Future
What is implemented and when will depend on study results and available funding.
The City of Boulder is in the process of making all of its websites and applications more accessible. While much progress has been made, some features and actions in this virtual open house may be inaccessible for certain people. If you would like assistance using and navigating this map, click the following link to contact the City's ADA Coordinator for assistance: Accessibility Complaint or Request Form. You may also call the City's ADA Coordinator at 720-576-2506. Please know that the City is happy to assist you and do not hesitate to reach out.
Questionnaire
Thank you for reviewing the virtual open house for the Broadway Transit Improvements Project. Please complete the questionnaire below to provide feedback on the proposed conceptual designs. This questionnaire will be open from December 20, 2024 to January 26, 2025. If the questions don't load or you have trouble submitting, view the questionnaire on a separate page.
Peak hour frequency of transit routes on the South Broadway corridor
Multiple buses in traffic approaching Regent Drive
Existing crosswalk at Broadway and Regent Drive
A bus in traffic approaching Regent Drive
A southbound SKIP bus using an existing bus lane to travel through the Table Mesa Drive intersection
The Flatiron Flyer (FF1) waiting in the southbound left queue at Broadway and Table Mesa Drive
A bus entering a bus left turn lane in Seattle, Washington. Photo: Seattle Department of Transportation
Colorado Avenue bus lanes, with red markings, looking east at Regent Drive
