TAB recommends City of Boulder 2026–31 Transportation CIP; key projects include Colorado Ave resurfacing and bridge repairs

The Transportation Advisory Board on June 9 voted 4–0 to recommend the City of Boulder’s proposed 2026–2031 Transportation Fund and Transportation Development Fund Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to Planning Board and City Council.

"The capital improvement program that we are recommending as staff for you to recommend to planning board and city council this evening represents a total of $102,000,000 in total investment, including $27,000,000 in grants," Garrett Slater, senior engineering manager for capital projects, told the board. Staff asked TAB to consider whether the proposed CIP aligns with the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and the city's Sustainability, Equity and Resiliency Framework.

Why this matters: the CIP sets spending priorities for pavement and bridges, multimodal and safety projects, and matching funds for competitive grants. Staff said the package prioritizes the core arterial network while maintaining programs for pavement preservation, sidewalks, multiuse paths, bridges, streetlights and grant matching.

Funding and forecast changes Karen Steiner, the department’s senior budget analyst, summarized revenues and a recent downward revision to the city’s sales and use tax forecast. She said the transportation CIP is funded mainly from three funds, with the transportation fund the largest; sales and use taxes make up about 70% of the revenue mix and grants roughly 10%.

"The decrease in projection for 2025 represents $1,100,000 reduction in sales and use tax revenue for 2025," Steiner said, citing spring revisions from CU Boulder economists and a mixed (35% optimistic/65% pessimistic) forecast used for the revised projection. Steiner told the board the department plans an updated forecast in late June or early July.

Programs and major projects Staff described core CIP programs and representative projects: - Pavement management program (PMP): Boulder maintains roughly 300 miles of streets inspected on a three‑year cycle. The program uses a pavement condition index (PCI) from 0–100 to guide treatments; staff said preservation treatments (crack seal, chip seal) extend life while resurfacing or reconstruction are used for lower PCI streets. The city’s stated PCI goal is 75. - Sidewalks and pedestrian programs: funds for missing‑link construction, ADA ramp upgrades and pedestrian safety features. - Multiuse paths: funds for the 80+ mile path network, ongoing maintenance and enhancement projects (Valmont multiuse path cited in the presentation). - Bridges and structures: a bridge asset program to repair or replace culverts and pedestrian/road bridges; the Folsom Street bridge deck replacement is scheduled for 2028 with an approximate cost of $5,000,000. Garrett Slater explained that early deck replacement can prevent more costly full replacements later. - Streetlights: following the city’s 2024 acquisition of the streetlight system from Xcel Energy, the CIP contains funding for conversion, inspection and repairs.

Representative capital projects highlighted in staff materials and the CIP: - Violet Avenue Bridge (design in 2025; construction 2026–27) — joint funding with Parks, Flood and Utilities; intended to connect Greenway reaches. - Safe Streets for All: 30th Street to the Diagonal — implementation funding following design and a forthcoming recommendation to City Council; estimated total $9,300,000. - East Arapahoe (CO‑7) final design and phased implementation (20th/8th to Foothills Parkway) — $12,000,000 implementation estimated for 2027–28. - Sumac Avenue complete‑street improvements (design underway; construction targeted for 2026) to improve access to Crestview Elementary. - South 30th Street design and construction (TIP‑supported project, ~$7,300,000; 2027–28 construction).

Pavement and mobility enhancements Staff described a program that combines repaving work with low‑cost safety and comfort improvements ("mobility enhancements") such as restriping, new crosswalks, curb radii changes and localized concrete work. James Smith, the pavement manager, explained the PCI process and said preserved sections can avoid more costly reconstruction later. On a technical question, Smith said, "The PCI covers the entire pavement surface, so it doesn't delineate between bike lane or travel lane..." and noted inspections do not include curb and gutter or sidewalks.

Daniel Sheeter and Lucy O’Sullivan summarized mobility enhancements for 2025: Martin Drive, Ash Avenue, Sixth Street and Eleventh Street (neighborhood green‑street treatments after repaving), and Colorado Avenue between Folsom and Thirtieth, where crews completed milling and were restriping to add protected bike facilities and extend bus/right‑turn lanes to support Buff Bus reliability. Sheeter said the Colorado Avenue work aims to close the final low‑stress bike connection between CU Main and East campuses and to improve transit speed and reliability; crews were repaving and expected the overall project, including a coordinated speed‑limit change, to finish within weeks.

Public comment and deliberation One public commenter urged prioritizing pothole repair, clearer bus‑stop signage and streetlighting in specific areas; she also raised unrelated concerns about international affairs (public comment can include any topic). TAB members asked clarifying questions about PCI scoring, how CIP targets maintenance versus safety enhancements, and whether grant match funding levels could fluctuate in lean years. Staff said the TIP/TMP match line item is intentionally maintained so the city can continue to pursue competitive grants; that local match amount has varied historically depending on grant opportunities.

Formal action TAB moved and seconded a motion recommending approval of the proposed 2026–2031 Transportation Fund and Transportation Development Fund CIP to Planning Board and City Council. The board voted unanimously 4–0 to approve the recommendation.

What’s next Staff said Planning Board will review the citywide CIP in August and forward a recommendation to City Council; council study sessions are scheduled in September and public hearings in October when council will adopt the CIP and the 2026 operating budget.