Boulder’s Transportation Advisory Board has unanimously endorsed a proposed separated bike path along U.S. 36 from North Boulder to Lyons. The North Foothills Bikeway, as envisioned by Boulder County officials, aims to improve safety for cyclists on one of the county’s most popular yet perilous highways.
The county wanted feedback from the Transportation Advisory Board in part because the project would connect to city cycling infrastructure. Several members of the volunteer board, which typically advises the Boulder City Council on city transportation issues, not the county, said the project would encourage more city residents to opt for cycling over driving.
“If people feel safe, they will ride,” board member and cyclist Triny Willerton said said during the June 10 meeting. Willerton was almost killed in May 2018 when she was struck by a driver while training on Nelson Road.
The county is proposing an 11-mile concrete path primarily along the eastern side of the highway. Plans call for the path to be set at least 20 feet from the roadway, similar to the existing path on U.S. 36 south of Boulder to Denver. The project would cost about $91 million, according to a recent estimate shared by county officials.
To assess the project’s financial viability, Boulder County has commissioned an engineering firm to conduct a feasibility study. The final report is anticipated to be publicly released later this month, marking a pivotal milestone for a project that cycling advocates have been pushing for years.
The multi-use path would primarily be located within unincorporated Boulder County. But support from community members and organizations is expected to bolster the county’s chances of securing state and federal funding, according to county officials.
The project already has support from Coalition 4 Cyclists, formerly known as Cyclists 4 Community, a Boulder-based nonprofit cycling advocacy organization that has raised $30,000 to help pay for the feasibility study. The city’s Open Space Board of Trustees is also expected to weigh in on the project on Wednesday, June 12, as the bike path may pass through city open space.
Historically, U.S. 36 has been the county’s deadliest highway for cyclists. County data shows that since 2005, seven cyclists have died on U.S. 36, mostly along the North Foothills Highway. Most crashes involved a collision between a cyclist and a driver.
In a separate but related initiative, Boulder County plans to break ground this fall on a $122 million, 12-foot-wide concrete bike path from Boulder to Longmont, spanning about nine miles along CO 119. This project gained urgency after a driver struck and killed 17-year-old Magnus White in August 2023 while he was training for the UCI World Cycling Championships.
Meanwhile, trail crews are finalizing the new North Sky Trail from North Boulder to Joder Ranch on the west side of U.S. 36. City officials expect this project to open by late July. The proposed North Foothills Bikeway could enable cyclists to connect to Lefthand Canyon and the new North Sky Trail without having to ride on U.S. 36.
Update: This story was updated on June 12 to clarify that Cyclists 4 Community has changed its name to Coalition 4 Cyclists.
As a cyclist I welcome there bike paths. As a taxpayer, I am appalled at the cost. And don’t say it’s not costing us anything if paid for by grants or federal money. It’s ALL our money.
This is what we’ve been asking for as cyclists: dedicated routes that allow us to safely and quickly move between locations without risk to our very existence. Drivers also benefit from reduced worry about potentially lethal interactions.
North Sky will be a rocky, technical trail. Probably worth mentioning that while it’s fine for mountain bikes, it won’t be usable by most other types of bikes (road, gravel, commuter, etc.)
Most cycling is recreational not for transportation. I know this is an unpopular thought, but why is it necessary too use 36 instead of a path less used with cars?
But it can’t stay that way. Electric cars won’t Save us, just create the same traffic congestion and the same level of danger.
The level of commuting is growing steadily, ebikes make a big difference. I’m appalled at the cost of this, but if nothing changes, nothing will change.
I am all for more dedicated bicycling facilities, and I encourage the engineers to not make this a slow speed, narrow, meandering path with diversions, etc. (too much of that is being built into the Diagonal Highway bike path. If they do, the riders looking to get somewhere as quickly as possible (rec or commuters) will continue to use the roadway.