[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: U S 36 Update

[kohls at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Osborne, Susan

Dear colleagues and friends,

On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Transportation(CDOT) closed on the $54,000,000 TIFIA loan for the reconstruction of US36 - two new managed lanes for bus, high occupancy vehicles and tolled vehicles; facilities for bus rapid transit(BRT); and, of course, a beautiful, long distance bikeway. As you may remember, this loan was the challenge piece of our original $10,000,000 TIGER loan. Much of the work done in the past year for the TIFIA loan was financial modeling, as the project's projected tolls will repay the loan.

On the construction side of things, CDOT continues to move forward. We learned at the US36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition(MCC) meeting on Thursday morning that the project is being conceived and will eventually be bid in two phases, with the second phase making improvements all the way to the Table Mesa park and ride. There are a number of contingencies that will have to fall our way, but a complete project may be possible in the near term.

RTD staff and the jurisdictions' staff are working to hone the components of the BRT to be included. In the excitement about the construction of the managed lanes, we know we have to stay constant in our commitment to greatly improved transit as well.

It has been an honor and a delight to be a part of the MCC  seeing the project through to this point. The project began 10 years ago, initiated by Will Toor, Boulder's then mayor. While most of the elected officials have changed over the years (I think Will has been the constant), many of the staff, including Tracy, have guided the project from a dream to today's near reality.

Tracy, Audrey deBarros with the US36 Commuting Solutions business group and I will schedule a council update on the project as soon as we can.  We've been planning a short presentation on the BRT lines we rode in Los Angeles in June and will combine the reports.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Susan
  
Susan M. Osborne, Mayor
Boulder, Colorado
303-513-3533

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