Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Broomfield transit study proposes community connector, FlexRide changes and EasyRide enhancements
Summary
A federally funded transit study proposes a new fixed‑route community connector (variants that serve Orchard Town Center or a Civic Center loop), FlexRide service consolidation and weekend/extended hours, and operational upgrades for EasyRide; staff seeks public input and noted $400,000 in pilot funding available for mobility pilots.
City staff presented initial recommendations from the Broomfield Transit Study (formerly the transit needs assessment), calling for a phased program of local transit improvements that includes a new fixed‑route community connector, targeted FlexRide zone changes and operational upgrades to EasyRide, the city’s paratransit service.
Sarah Grant, Broomfield’s transportation manager, said the study (a DRCOG‑funded effort) completed outreach with more than 3,000 residents via pop‑ups, focus groups and four surveys. Lisonbee Baxter, the senior transportation planner and project manager, and James Gerken of consulting firm Transportation Management & Design (TMD) summarized the analysis: the study divided Broomfield into five study zones and identified South Central and Central Broomfield as areas of relatively high transit propensity and unmet needs. Staff reported 80% of city land area is currently outside a half‑mile of fixed‑route transit.
Draft recommendations presented to council include:
- A fixed‑route community connector (a reimagined Route 128) linking Broomfield Station/US‑36, schools, civic destinations and either Orchard Town Center (Option 1) or a Civic Center loop with an alternate terminal at a Westminster Walmart on U.S. 36 (Option 2). Staff asked council which alignment better served community goals.
- FlexRide adjustments: extend hours, add Sunday service, add vehicles at peak times and consider consolidating FlexRide zones to improve connectivity (staff noted RTD has limited capacity to expand FlexRide and that changes will be phased with RTD collaboration).
- EasyRide (senior and ADA paratransit) operational investments: improved scheduling technology, shifting some drivers to benefited positions and piloting fixed‑schedule trips for high‑demand medical and nutrition routes.
Staff noted a $400,000 pilot fund is available and that the RTD Partnership Program (a new grant opportunity) could fund pilots but carries a risk: RTD may not adopt pilots into its permanent network, leaving the city to sustain or discontinue service. Staff said the community connector would require additional funding beyond the pilot and that any changes to RTD fixed routes will be coordinated through RTD’s system planning process.
Council members debated priorities. Some members urged focusing resources on EasyRide and FlexRide improvements to meet vulnerable residents’ needs and to avoid over‑investing in fixed routes that may underperform in a low‑density suburban context. Other council members urged a more ambitious fixed‑route network and said a bold plan could build ridership over time. Council asked staff to include the study’s concepts in public outreach this summer and return with a final plan in the fall; staff said a mobility pilot is expected in 2026 and recommended no additional local budget request at this time.
