Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Preguntas Frecuentes
The six specific goals are:
- Improve safety in the whole corridor
- Maximize intersection efficiency
- Maximize corridor-wide efficiency
- Maximize the number of people able to move through the corridor
- Improve transit travel times
- Improve connectivity to the bike and pedestrian network
- Reduced numbers of pedestrian, bicyclist, and vehicular crashes
- Faster and more consistent travel flow through the corridor, with less delay and backups at intersections
- Faster and more reliable transit service
- Safer and more direct bike connection between Boulder and Longmont
- Expanded multimodal connections to and through the corridor that connect bike and pedestrian crossings with the CO 119 Bikeway, BRT stations, and Park-n-Rides
The project team reviewed questions and comments received during the June 2022 Community Meeting comment period (June 27 to July 18). This FAQ document has been developed to address questions, provide additional information, and share design plans that have changed based upon the community input received.
During this comment period, the project teams received comments about access changes at Airport/Ogallala Roads and BRT stop locations. In response to this input, the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway team visited the corridor in August 2022 to complete traffic observations. Based upon community input and the results of this observation, the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway team changed the right-in/right-out access plan at Ogallala Road and will now preserve the through lane from Ogallala Road to northbound. CDOT also plans to add new signage and extend the left turn lane on southbound CO 119 at 83rd Street to make this left turn movement safer. Additionally, as a result of community input gathered through the preliminary design process, RTD is in discussions with the City of Boulder and the City of Longmont regarding potential additional BRT stops.
The project websites have been updated with the latest information and will be updated regularly as new information becomes available. As the project teams progress toward final design, the project teams will continue to consider community input that advances the projects’ goals of safety, mobility, and connectivity. A virtual community meeting is anticipated for fall 2024 with final design plans and initial construction information. Visit the websites for the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Project to sign-up for the project’s mailing lists and to submit comments or questions.
The CO 119 Safety, Mobility, and Bikeway Project is progressing toward final design, expected to be completed in summer 2025. A benefit of the proposed improvements is that much of the work will occur within the existing median, reducing impacts on the traveling public. When final design is completed, additional information will be provided to the public about how the construction will be phased, traffic routed, and potential impacts or short durations closures for the users of the corridor.
There will be construction employment opportunities through CDOT’s selected contractor’s self-performed work and their subcontractor’s scopes. There will be a need for a qualified workforce over the course of the construction. Employment opportunities will be available on the selected contractor’s website. Construction isn’t scheduled to start on this project until September, people should be encouraged to inquire about CO 119 specifically in mid to late summer. Once subconsultants and suppliers are identified, the selected contractor will be able to refer anyone to those companies as well.
The CO 119 Safety, Mobility, and Bikeway Project is utilizing the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery method. This alternative contract method selects a contractor at the beginning of the design to serve in a construction manager role. The construction manager provides pricing, constructability reviews, and risk analysis throughout the design development. Once the design is complete, the contractor is given the opportunity to negotiate on the construction and complete the work as the general contractor. If a price cannot be agreed upon, then the project can be advertised to the public to identify a new contractor
We are working to protect as much of the Pollinator Program as possible. Current plans do keep most of it out of harm’s way. For more information about the Pollinator Program, visit https://www.codot.gov/programs/environmental/landscape-architecture/pollinator-program
Airport Road
Originally designed to connect less populated rural communities, regional development has produced safety and traffic flow issues. Long traffic backups are common as motorists wait multiple light cycles to get through intersections. Motorists traveling on CO 119 frequently crash into cars backed up well ahead of the intersections. The intersections of CO 119 and Airport/Ogallala Roads compound corridor-wide safety and mobility issues and have specific safety challenges. Eighty-five percent of the crashes on southbound Airport Road/CO 119 result in injury. Most of these are sideswipe crashes that occur when vehicles turn from Airport Road onto northbound CO 119. Project improvements will eliminate these crashes. To learn more about corridor and intersection-specific safety conditions, see the Safety Assessment Report in the Traffic Alternatives Analysis Study.
By 2040, the CO 119 corridor is projected to see a 25% increase in vehicular traffic. Without intervention, this growth is expected to compound current safety issues. As part of the commitment to providing a transportation system that effectively and safely moves people, CDOT is working with local agency stakeholders to make improvements that best promote safety and traffic flow.
A new signal would not sufficiently address all issues at this intersection. Installing a signal at northbound CO 119 and Airport Road would reduce sideswipe crashes for motorists turning from Airport and Ogallala Roads onto CO 119 and traveling from Ogallala Road onto northbound CO 119. However, a new signal would contribute to congestion on northbound CO 119 well ahead of the intersection, which often results in rear-end crashes. Eliminating left turns prevents both sideswipe and rear-end crashes, advancing the project goal of improving safety. Moreover, adding a signal would slow transit service for Longmont-bound buses. To enable fast and reliable BRT service, construction of a $3.3 million bus queue bypass lane would be necessary at this signalized intersection. Using left turn restrictions rather than adding a signal saves cost, facilitates efficient BRT service, and improves traffic flow for the numerous vehicles that travel on northbound and southbound CO 119 during peak hours each day. Lastly, Airport Road is a designated bike route serving numerous residential neighborhoods in Longmont. Eliminating the southbound travel lane on Airport Road frees up space for a new southbound Airport Road bike lane and pedestrian crossing enhancements. The Airport Road Intersections Alternative Memo further explains the decision-making process to eliminate left turns.
Design update: During the June 2022 Community Meeting comment period, comments were received about the proposed access changes at Airport/Ogallala Roads. In response, the CO 119 Safety and Mobility Improvements Project team visited the corridor in August 2022 to observe current traffic conditions. Based upon community input and the results of this observation, the right-in/right-out access plan at Ogallala Road presented at the June 2022 Community Meeting has been changed. The through lane from Ogallala Road to northbound Airport Road will now be preserved. CDOT also plans to add new signage and extend the left turn lane on southbound CO 119 at 83rd Street to make this left turn movement safer.
CDOT recognizes that speeding is a concern on this corridor, as well as on many other roadways throughout the state. Although speed enforcement is not within the preview of CDOT, CDOT is reaching out to state patrol and local law enforcement to share concerns about speeding violations in the corridor.
The CO 119 Safety and Mobility Improvements Project will implement additional signage throughout the corridor as part of its goal to improve safety. Specifically, variable message signs will be added above the roadway to communicate information to roadway users, and new safety signage will be installed at pedestrian and bicyclist crossings.
Transit
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high-quality bus service designed to be more reliable, convenient, faster, and more frequent than traditional bus service. BRT service avoids delays that can typically slow regular bus service, like making numerous stops and being stuck in traffic at intersections.
Queue bypass lanes are dedicated bus-only lanes that will be implemented at key signalized intersections on the corridor. When a bus approaches one of these intersections, it pulls into a dedicated bus-only lane, bypassing traffic waiting at the signal. A special traffic signal allows the bus to proceed across the intersection while the general traffic is still stopped at the red light. With the bus-only traffic signal, buses can get a head start, jump ahead of the traffic, and then merge back into the general traffic lanes. Queue bypass lanes help buses avoid delays and congestion at intersections, which enables faster and more reliable transit service. Please visit our website to learn more about how queue bypass lanes work.
The CO 119 Commuter Bikeway will connect to 14 existing or proposed bike routes, including regional trails, multiuse paths, and on-street bike lanes. Local bus routes will also connect with the BRT stops within Boulder and Longmont and RTD’s FlexRide is available within Longmont. In addition, the BRT stations on the corridor connect to Denver through the Flatiron Flyer and Longmont via TransFort’s FLEX route.
The entrance to the 63rd Street Park-n-Ride will have a new left-turn lane, separate from the left-turn lanes onto Boulder-bound CO 119. Vehicles turning left onto CO 119 should not be affected.
The new CO 119 BRT service will replace the existing BOLT and J routes (note that the J is not currently running). Local bus service schedules in Boulder and Longmont will be optimized to work with the new BRT service schedules.
In addition to the Park-n-Rides and stations at 63rd Street and Niwot Road on CO 119, there will be BRT stations at 47th Street and at CO 52 adjacent to the Boulder Tech Center. There will also be enhanced bus stops within Boulder and Longmont. See our website for a map of the bus stops that will be serviced by the BRT system.
The Northwest Rail Peak Service Study is identifying costs and needs for limited, peak period service with three morning and three evening trips between Denver and Longmont. Due to financial constraints, RTD cannot complete the full build-out to provide full-day service for the Northwest Rail Line at this time. CO 119 BRT improvements are being completed in cooperation with CDOT and is proceeding with joint funding. The joint project allows for opportunities to improve safety and mobility for both parties with current available funding.
The CO 119 Safety and Mobility Improvements Project would complement future rail service by providing stations/stops at key residential and employment centers along the BRT corridor that are not planned to be directly served by the future Northwest Rail line, including CO 52 and Niwot Road.
The BRT route is moving north to Boston Avenue and across the city from Hover to Main on that route for two reasons:
- To make sure the bus travel times are reliable by avoiding the traffic near Ken Pratt Boulevard, and
- The Boston Avenue route is a safer route through the city.
The plan for getting citywide access to the BRT is through a new micro transit system starting this fall and the Ride Free Longmont service.
Roadway
Increasing or decreasing speed limits on a roadway is a multistep evaluation process that would take place separately from the CO 119 Safety, Mobility, and Bikeway Project. Conducting a speed study before the project is completed is not considered a best practice because the project’s improvements will impact corridor operations. After these improvements are constructed, a speed study could be initiated to determine if corridor conditions warrant a change in speed limits.
Many of the improvements planned for CO 119 are specifically designed to improve safety within the corridor and encourage drivers to use caution when approaching the signalized intersections. Pedestrian and bicycle improvements have also been incorporated to increase safety and visibility. The project will implement additional signage throughout the corridor as part of its goal to improve safety. Specifically, variable message signs will be added above the roadway to communicate information to roadway users, and new safety signage will be installed at pedestrian and bicyclist crossings.
Bikeway - Design Speed & User Types
The width and design speed of the bikeway should allow for safe passing and slower modes of travel. Boulder County will be considering installation of slow zone signs in higher use areas, such as the BRT station areas and the Longmont and Boulder connections to the bikeway.
The bikeway is being designed primarily as a commuter bike facility; however, one of the design goals of the project is to create a facility that is accessible and safe for all bike users, as well as pedestrians. To that end, the 12-foot bikeway width provides two feet of extra buffer space over a standard 10-foot-wide bi-directional bike path, and the width is increased to 16 feet in areas where increased pedestrian activity is expected. Boulder County's objective is to design the bikeway to minimize conflicts so that all user types can safely and enjoyably use the facility. Warning signs advising slow travel will be posted in BRT station areas where higher pedestrian activity is expected.
Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes will be permitted on the bikeway. The bikeway will be built within the CDOT right-of-way, and per State law Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes are permitted on bike paths within a street or highway.
The segments of the bikeway that are being built during the first phases of construction will not provide a continuous path between intersections or underpasses. Additionally, the bikeway will be an active construction zone until the full bikeway is completed so it would be unsafe to open only partial segments. For example, the bikeway segment just south of Jay Road that will be built soon will end in the middle of the median in between the highway and about ½ mile before the intersection with the Four Mile Canyon Creek Path.
The reason why the bikeway is being built in discontinuous segments is that some segments are still under final design and others are on hold until permitting and/or easement approvals are complete. The segments of the bikeway that will be built first are in areas that are already fully designed and permitting, and easement approvals have already been completed. The project team is diligently working towards opening the full bikeway as soon as it is completed.
Priority & Funding Allocation
Safety
CO 119 from Boulder to Longmont has the second highest number of bike crashes of all corridors in unincorporated Boulder County, second only to US 36 between Boulder and Lyons. The crash statistics represent crashes between motor vehicles and bikes. CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Project will directly improve bike safety along the CO 119 corridor by providing a safe and direct path that is separated from motor vehicle traffic.
Signals that allow pedestrians to cross the highway and access the median will undergo timing improvements to allow for much safer access to the bus. We expect ridership to increase in general, but this does not change the number of lanes that are crossed for a typical roundtrip user.
One of our key design parameters is to make the bikeway as safe as possible. We designed it to have ample sight distance, gentle curvature, and shoulders on the side so there can be differential speeds between riders. We do recognize that there will be higher speeds, and we want to encourage people to use it to commute longer distances. The speed that we designed for is 25 miles per hour. We anticipate a higher ratio of cyclists compared to pedestrians.
Comfort
Crossings (Underpasses and At-Grade)
Connections to cross streets, trails & other destinations
The CO 119 Bikeway can be accessed from 14 existing or proposed bike routes on regional trails, multiuse paths, and on-street bike lanes. Please refer to the bikeway connections map.
The CO 119 Bikeway Design Project limits begin and end at the City of Boulder and City of Longmont, and the project scope is limited to within the CDOT-owned right of way in unincorporated Boulder County. While the bikeway cannot extend into these municipalities themselves, it is intended to connect to existing paths in the cities. The southern endpoint of the bikeway is at the Pleasant View Sports Complex near 47th Street north of Kalmia Avenue. The northern endpoint is located approximately 1/4 mile west of Hover Street on the north side of CO 119. These locations were determined during the concept planning phase of the project. Please refer to the Bikeway Design Validation Study for more information.
The project will be constructing at-grade intersection improvements at southbound CO 119 and Airport Road to connect to the bikeway. These improvements, in concert with the adjustments to Airport Road between northbound and southbound CO 119, will create a safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists today. In the future, a grade separated crossing of southbound CO 119 has been contemplated and preliminary designs have been developed for an underpass. However, this future connection is not currently funded or planned to be a part of the project. Plans for the grade separated crossing will be revisited some time in the future when funding becomes available.
The prominent safety concern is all modes (vehicles, bikes and pedestrians) crossing both intersections at northbound and southbound of 55th Street. Since this movement is not considered safe, It is recommended that pedestrians and cyclists go to a signalized crossing or use other multi-use path connections. This will be consistent with all the other unsignalized intersections throughout the corridor.
There will be an underpass going under the railroad tracks that will connect the Cottonwood Trail to the Four Mile Canyon Creek Trail. The connection will be just east of where the CO 119 Bikeway will connect to Longmont. Please check out this site for more info: bouldercounty.gov/transportation/plans-and-projects/four-mile-creek-bikeway.
The team is currently evaluating the options and working on a more detailed estimate of cost for each option. A decision on which option to advance will be made soon. Please note that there are currently no funds available for construction.
| Topic | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Option 3A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of underpass: | 140 feet | 80 feet | 80 feet | 80 feet |
| Height of underpass: | 10 feet (standard) | 8.5 feet | 8.5 feet | 8.5 feet |
| Length of path from 2nd Avenue to CO 119 bikeway: | 1,215 feet | 815 feet | 565 feet | 565 feet |
| Walking time from 2nd Avenue to Longmont bound bus station: | 4.4 minutes | 4.9 minutes | 6.2 minutes | 4.9 minutes |
| Walking time from 2nd Avenue to Boulder bound bus station: | 7 minutes | 7.3 minutes | 7.4 minutes | 7.4 minutes |
Sight lines and visibility through underpass
- Option 1: Good sight line at east side. West side walls limit visibility
- Option 2: Good sight line at west side
- Tight turning radius at east entrance. Path intersection west of underpass may create conflicts
- Option 3: Good sight line at the west side but tight turn radius at east side
- Option 3A: Good sight line at the west side but tight turn radius at east side
Complexity of construction/fencing
- Option 1: Skew of underpass complicates construction. Possible longer road closures. Wall length (3,000 feet) will increase the overall cost. Fence needed along railroad tracks
- Option 2: Impact to water quality outlet complicates design and construction. Wall length (3,515 feet) will increase construction cost. Fence needed along railroad tracks
- Option 3: Simpler due to being outside water quality pond. No fence needed
- Option 3A: Simpler due to being outside water quality pond. No fence needed
