Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council secures $3M in RTC funding for Nevada Way rebuild but sends design back for more analysis
Summary
Council approved a $3 million interlocal funding agreement for Nevada Way reconstruction but voted to return the project (item 11) for further design measurements and business consultation after an extended debate about ADA access, parking loss and encroachment enforcement.
The Boulder City Council moved June 3 to secure Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) funding for the Nevada Way reconstruction project while pausing full approval of the currently proposed design to gather additional information requested by council.
Nut graf: Public Works presented a revised design (Option 2A) and recommended awarding a construction contract, but councilors, businesses and disability advocates raised questions about sidewalk widths, shaded ADA paths and how many parking spaces would be lost under alternative parking configurations. Council approved the $3.0 million interlocal funding agreement (Resolution 7,968) and directed staff to return with detailed measurements and two alternative parking configurations for comparison.
Public Works Director Gary Poindexter summarized the project goals as improving safety, accessibility and utility replacement on Nevada Way from Arizona to Wyoming. He said the revised plan preserved trees, added improved crosswalks, and proposed extending sidewalks (4 feet on the west side, 2 feet on the east) to create a consistent passageway, while acknowledging tradeoffs including an estimated net loss of street parking in the project area depending on configuration.
Business owners and residents at the meeting urged enforcement of existing encroachment permits and suggested changes to permit terms before large capital changes. Beth Walker, who owns a business on Nevada Way, said updated enforcement of permits would mitigate many issues and supported a temporary tabling of design decisions while staff revisited permits and signage.
Council members pressed for exact counts of parking impacts under each option, the location and quantity of handicap stalls and motorcycle parking, and for re‑consultation with the affected businesses. One widely discussed estimate was that converting the current 45° parking to 30° angled parking would reduce total spots from 46 to 29 in the block stretch under review, with staff acknowledging the precise split between north and south sides needed verification.
After hours of public testimony and council discussion, the council voted to return item 11 for follow-up with specific measurement requests and business outreach; it also passed a separate motion approving the RTC interlocal agreement that secures $3,000,000 for the project. Staff said the June 10 deadline is tight to preserve a July 7 start date for construction procurement and beginning pre-construction activities.
What’s next: Staff will bring back a comparison of (a) the current Option 2A sidewalk-extension plan and (b) a narrower approach that keeps more curbline but tightens enforcement and encroachment permit rules, plus precise parking counts, ADA stall layouts, and a plan to consult business owners on table/seat configurations.
Representative quote: "We could leave it as is and meet the RTC complete-street requirements, but we wouldn't meet our parking code without changing the configuration," Public Works Director Gary Poindexter said, summarizing the engineering tradeoffs discussed in council.
