The Colorado Department of Transportation is doing a Safety Study for its Region 4, the region that governs the Boulder area. Here’s the link,
https://live.metroquestsurvey.com/?u=sy3c3i#!/?p=web&pm=dynamic&s=1&popup=WTD
Below is a cheat sheet from C4C in the form of a screen shot from the survey.
Here’s why C4C recommends these responses.
- Boulder County has an existing Transportation Master Plan that is informed on an ongoing basis by robust crash data.
- That crash data feeds Boulder County’s prioritized response to safety, thus, addressing safety indications and avoiding safety contraindications.
- Boulder County’s TMP is also a network level plan that provides for bicycling in a comprehensive manner. Not just for safety, but for quality of life for all users.
- Specifically, there are four levels in the stated multi-modal goal in the TMP. These levels all together would form network connectivity.
- Separated paths like the US36 bikeway
- Regional Trails like the LoBo trail
- Bike-able shoulders like on many County roads where auto traffic volume and speeds are lower
- Regional Mountain Trails. This last item is dormant but the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance is working to bring it back and C4C supports it. The idea is to go from your door to dirt in safe, enjoyable engineering and policy environments.
- The US36 North Foothills Highway comment above refers to C4C and Boulder County’s evidence based collaboration on seeking a Boulder – Lyons multi-use path or bikeway. This corridor has an empirically demonstrated problem with killed and seriously injured users.
The challenge is for CDOT to coordinate with Boulder County on the outcomes indicated in the Boulder County TMP which is designed to work as a whole. The five major goals, eight major measures, and the outcomes indicated in the Boulder County TMP represent great bicycling and great living for Boulder County, thus shifting the topic from safety as liability to safety as asset.
