Nonprofit launches first ever interactive bicycle map for the U.S. 36 corridor

Louisville, Colo. -  A superior resource for bicycle enthusiasts throughout the Northwest Denver Metro region, nonprofit organization 36 Commuting Solutions has launched a new web-based, interactive bicycle map for the U.S. 36 corridor.

36 Commuting Solutions has brought together the communities of Boulder, Boulder County, Longmont, Superior, Louisville, Broomfield and Westminster since 2004 to create Bike Links 36, a planning and user printed map of bike facilities, and to plan for adding bicycling facilities to connect to existing bicycle infrastructure. 

"36 Commuting Solutions has worked over the years to educate commuters to the outstanding bicycling pathways, bike lanes, multi-use paths along the U.S. 36 corridor, and to plan for connections between communities.  Now we are taking this effort to the next level to allow residents and employees access to the bicycling facilities through a web-based solution," said Audrey DeBarros, Executive Director. 

Functionality of the online tool includes description of the type of bicycling facilities, ability to zoom in and out, change to a Google street view and change the map background to highlight bicycling facilities.

Broomfield-based 36 Commuting Solutions member, ESRI, provided the GIS mapping services to create the project using their GIS software solutions and Boulder County is hosting the regional bicycling map.

"We are pleased to partner with 36 Commuting Solutions to expand information access to the bike facilities in our community," said Tom Murray, ESRI Solution Engineer.  "Many ESRI employees are avid cyclists and want to help organizations like 36 Commuting Solutions use our products to serve a greater purpose."

The interactive BikeLinks 36 map can be found at http://maps.bouldercounty.org/us36bikemap/default.html.

Progress Forward:  U.S. 36 Transportation Improvements Moving Ahead

The U.S. 36 Preferred Alternative was defined December 2009 and includes a package of multi-modal transportation investments to improve mobility along the U.S. 36 corridor.  The U.S. 36 Preferred Alternative includes HOV/HOT lanes, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and a corridor-wide commuter bikeway, interchange and bridge replacement and pavement replacement for a total cost of $1.3 billion. 

U.S. 36 will be reconstructed in phases as funding is identified.  Phase One improvements include 6.8 miles of HOV/HOT lanes, commuter bikeway and BRT from approximately Westminster to Wadsworth.  The cost of Phase One is $160 million.  Once funding is confirmed, construction would begin early 2012 and run through 2014. 

The first funding opportunity is the TIGER Grant and TIFIA Loan project.  In February 2010, CDOT won a $10 million Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, which was leveraged to receive additional commitments from CDOT, DRCOG and RTD.  $85 million has been achieved so far, with the remaining $55 million contingent upon receiving a federal TIFIA loan. 

36 Commuting Solutions is partnering with CDOT, RTD, DRCOG and U.S. 36 local governments to pursue every available funding opportunity.  For more information, visit www.36commutingsolutions.org .

PELOSI, POLIS, U.S. 36 COALITION SHOWCASE U.S. 36 CORRIDOR AS NATIONAL MODEL FOR TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION

Highlight Success of $10M TIGER Grant and ARRA Funding

On March 1, 2010, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) joined members of the U.S. 36 Coalition and state transportation officials to highlight the successful impact of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including the recently announced $10 million TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant for the U.S. 36 Corridor project between Denver and Boulder.  U.S. 36 was one of 51 projects selected across the nation to receive funding, despite over 1,400 applications from all 50 states, and was one of only five projects extended a federal TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act) loan application.

U.S. 36 EIS COMPLETED & RECORD OF DECISION ACHIEVED

From 2003 to 2009, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), studied multi-modal transportation improvements for the U.S. 36 corridor between Denver and Boulder in the U.S. 36 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  

The U.S. 36 Final EIS was released for public review in October 2009, and corridor-wide public hearings were held in November 2009 to collect public input during a 45-day comment period. Public comments on the Final EIS were responded to in the US 36 Corridor Environmental Impact Statement/Section 4(f) Evaluation Record of Decision (ROD).

Please click the link below for complete information.

Please click here for theU.S. 36 Transit Guide

Please click here for the Complete Newsletter December 2006.