Boulder bicyclists asked for more safety and comfort on Baseline Road, and the city is delivering! Beginning this week, the City of Boulder Transportation and Mobility Department is installing concrete tall curbs in strategic locations alongside the Baseline bike lanes. Tall curbs serve as a form of physical bike lane protection. Boulder will be the first city in the United States to install tall curbs, which are currently also being used in Canada.
On Baseline Road, the tall curbs will replace existing striped buffers or flexible delineator posts at prioritized locations on the corridor to best meet the travel needs of the community. The city’s tall curbs will showcase art from a local artist, Talia Swartz Parsell, commissioned through the Community Vitality Office of Arts and Culture muralist roster.
Installation of tall curbs comprises one part of the ongoing Baseline Road Transportation Safety Project, the first-priority Core Arterial Network (CAN) corridor. Work is anticipated to last into early November, subject to weather and contractor availability.
This work builds on Phase 1 improvements completed this summer to improve safety for all travelers on this high-risk corridor. The changes aim to increase safety and comfort for all travelers, a common request shared by the community during project engagement in spring 2022. Upcoming work also includes interim protected intersection elements at the Baseline Road and Mohawk Avenue intersection, one of the top 10 crash locations for people walking and biking in the city.
Traffic impacts will be posted on Cone Zones and may include periodic lane closures. While Phase 2 community engagement is scheduled for 2024, the Transportation and Mobility Department will ask for community feedback on Phase 1 improvements to inform Phase 2 through a Be Heard Boulder questionnaire open from Oct. 16-31.