COVID-19  September 17, 2020

CDOT grants to support Boulder shared street initiatives 

BOULDER — The Colorado Department of Transportation recently gave Boulder three grants totalling $124,500 to bolster the city’s shared roadways initiatives, which were designed in part to help the community bounce back from the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Specifically, the funding will support:

  • Boulder Meadows shared streets: Limit traffic to local access only on 19th Street between Violet Avenue and Yarmouth Avenue to create socially distanced recreational opportunities for Boulder Meadows residents while maintaining neighborhood residents’ existing access to bus routes on 19th Street. The grant will also create opportunities for multilingual education on the pandemic by inviting community members to collaborate with a local artist on the creation and installation of a street mural at 19th Street and Avocado Road. Bilingual community surveyors will engage residents in both English and Spanish on their experiences during the pandemic and their hopes for the community through recovery. The surveyors will also document usage of the street closure to assess the project and consider short and long-term community improvements.
  • Neighborhood shared streets: Limit traffic to local access only on 11th Street between Arapahoe and University avenues; 12th Street from Baseline Road to the Chautauqua Auditorium; Columbine Avenue between 12th Street and Sunnyvale Lane; 34th Street between Valmont Road and Howard Heuston Park at 3200 34th St.; Juilliard Street between Gillaspie Drive and Lehigh Street; and Martin Drive between Ash Avenue and South 42nd Street. The project will connect residents to multiuse path system and existing bike lanes.  
  • Pearl Street and University Hill Event Street closures: Grant funding will support upgrades to existing closures in commercial areas downtown and on University Hill to make them more robust for the extended closure period (now through Oct. 31) and to collect data that will expand the city’s understanding of outdoor expansion impacts on business vitality and consumer perceptions. Downtown, the enhancements include switching out temporary barricades to concrete barriers that will remain in place through Oct. 31. On University Hill, the enhancements will provide additional temporary shelter for outdoor diners. Pedestrian counting software will document usage of the closures, while surveyors will interview visitors to understand their perceptions of the closures and public health considerations.

The CDOT “Revitalizing Main Street” grants are funded through the state’s Can Do Colorado Challenge, according to a city news release. 

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