US Highway 287 Corridor Planning

Phase II: US 287 Vision Zero Safety & Mobility Study

The US 287 Vision Zero Safety & Mobility Study was a collaborative effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on US 287, while addressing multimodal mobility needs and opportunities for this section of the corridor. The effort was led by Boulder County in partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), the municipalities along this corridor, the consultant team, Commuting Solutions, and members of the traveling public.

The US 287 Vision Zero & Mobility Study looked at safety for people of all ages and abilities, using all modes of transportation along the corridor with respect to the roadway, intersections, station areas, and connections for walking and bicycling. The study identifies traffic crash “hot spots” and safety concerns along the corridor as well as provides recommendations to improve safety. Below you can read the Study final report.

• Executive Summary and Study
• Study Appendices
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thank you to the many community members who shared their time and perspectives to confirm this study captured a wide range of concerns and ideas. Please stay tuned for future projects along this corridor and sign up for the County’s US 287 Corridor email list to stay up to date.

What Does Vision Zero Mean?

This project aligns with Boulder County’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate serious injuries and fatal traffic crashes in unincorporated Boulder County by 2035. Learn more about Boulder County’s Vision Zero efforts. To achieve Vision Zero, this project is implementing crash data analysis technology as well as thorough community engagement to understand and reduce safety and mobility challenges within the US 287 corridor.

Past Meetings:

US 287 Community Survey – November 2023
The public was invited to participate in a survey in November 2023 to give draft feedback on the draft report. Meeting boards and a summary of responses can be viewed below.

• Community Outreach Summary, November 2023

Virtual Open House – September 2023
The public was invited to join a virtual open house in September 2023, to give feedback on Draft Recommendations to improve safety and mobility along the high-crash sections of US 287. Meeting boards and a summary of responses can be viewed below.

• About the Study
• Safety Improvements
• Mobility – Walking & Biking
• Proposed Median Barrier
• Community Outreach Summary, September 2023

Virtual Open House – March 2023
The public was invited to join a virtual open house in March 2023 to discuss concerns and vision for the US 287 corridor. A summary of responses can be viewed below.

• About the Study
• Mobility – Walking and Biking
• Roadway Safety
• Community Outreach Summary, March 2023

Phase I: US 287 Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study available for public review

In collaboration with our many agency partners and local communities, in April 2022 Boulder County completed the US 287 Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study (full study)(executive summary).

Recommendations include three bus service patterns with modifications to operations, stations, and intersections such as queue jumps that permit buses to utilize sections of right turn lanes to avoid congestion. The Phase I full study and executive summary detail these recommendations.

Project Overview

Over 18 months, the project team worked with technical staff, elected officials, and members of the public to create a vision for US 287 with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a central component.

This corridor is important to serve people living, working, and traveling to/from the growing communities and key destinations along the corridor and beyond, offering connections with other local and regional transit routes. The US 287 corridor serves as the north/south spine of the Northwest Area Mobility Study’s (NAMS) network of regional BRT routes. Enhancing transit service along the corridor connects routes countywide and creates the opportunity to increase transit ridership throughout the region.

Community engagement played an important role in shaping this study, including the proposed recommendations and next steps to phase in regional and inter-regional transit improvements along the US 287 corridor. Through this planning process, we heard from the public that in addition to improved transit services, safety is important for all users alongside and crossing US 287.

The study recommends the type and location of capital investments that will enhance transit travel times on US 287. The study assesses and analyses traffic patterns, current transit operations and facilities, vehicle queue lengths, intersections treatments, and created a Station Areas Toolkit. The study identifies potential funding sources and provides the framework for the next steps for the implementation of BRT along US 287.

Project Background

In 2014, the Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS) identified US 287 as a strong candidate for implementing BRT and found that US 287 had the highest projected ridership among the other corridors the study analyzed. As a result, the NAMS recommended that US 287 should be prioritized for implementation. Since the NAMS, the area around US 287 has experienced continued population and employment growth, further increasing travel demand. This BRT feasibility study will build off of the NAMS study and develop a multi-modal vision for the BRT implementation on US 287.

Project Partners

Boulder County convened a Stakeholder Working Group to closely collaborate with the planning team throughout the feasibility study process. The Stakeholder Working Group consists of agency representatives from the City and County of Broomfield, the City of Longmont, the Town of Erie, Commuting Solutions, Transfort, the City of Lafayette, the Regional Transportation District, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, Commuting Solutions, and economic development entities. The Stakeholder Working Group met regularly throughout the planning process.

Project Contact

Alex Hyde-Wright, Regional Multimodal Planning Division Manager, 303-441-4910, ahyde-wright@bouldercounty.gov