BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder County is taking the first major step toward reimagining how residents get around, unveiling plans for its first-ever strategic transit plan and asking the community to weigh in on the future of transportation.
The effort, called “Linking Boulder County,” is a push toward a more coordinated, equitable, and sustainable transit network. That could include the Northwest Rail Line, which would link Denver to Boulder and Longmont.]
For longtime residents like Claudia Hanson Thiem, a board member of the nonprofit Boulder Progressives, current transit options leave much to be desired. Denver7's Colin Riley spoke with Hanson Thiem at Boulder Junction's Depot Square Station.
“I live about four miles away from this station, up in north Boulder, and it is actually easier, faster for me, to access this location in Boulder by bike than it is by transit,” Thiem said. “There are places that you can get to in the city of Boulder with transit, but if you need to change buses, for example, you're looking at long wait times. You're looking at unreliable service, and that's the situation that I deal with.”
Thiem, who often advocates for communities that cannot drive or choose not to, fears these populations are too often overlooked.
“I think there's a real tendency to leave them out. So if you look at our population here in Boulder, and really anywhere in the US, there's 30% or more people who do not drive at all, right?” she said. “There are a lot of reasons why people are not traveling by private car. And yes, it's hard to be heard.”
She points out that improving transit is not just about mobility, but also touches on affordability, climate change, and universal access.
“It's part of climate action, because private car emissions are one of the largest local contributors to greenhouse gases,” Thiem said. “This is an area where we can make a big difference if we can change some transportation behaviors. One of the most important goals that we could have coming out of it is to have a focus on frequent and reliable transit service.”
Boulder County officials say the plan is intended to ensure that “these efforts are happening in a coordinated fashion,” and to work “towards common goals and a shared vision.”
Jenny Robbins, a candidate for Boulder City Council and parent of two teenage daughters who regularly ride the bus, is encouraged by the new direction.
“I think it will help the whole community. From a climate perspective, it will help us reach our climate goals with our carbon emission reduction, as well as just be more equitable,” Robbins said. “It allows people to get from place to place where they need to go more efficiently.”
Robbins says the plan must address not only gaps in bus routes, but also work holistically to improve connections for pedestrians, cyclists, bus riders, train passengers, and drivers alike.
“We have to do that on bikes. We have to do that on buses. We have to do that on trains, and we have to do that by being able to walk from place to place,” Robbins said. “If all of these things can connect through our existing trails and our existing infrastructure, I think that would be fantastic. It would help our workers get to work on time. It would help our seniors with their independence. It would help our kids be safer and our students get to and from school.”
Both Thiem and Robbins emphasized the importance of incorporating a diverse range of voices in the planning process.
“Bringing the voices from the community together to talk about it is so important, because if you don't have that, then you really don't know what real-life experience is from people,” Robbins said.
Boulder County is currently recruiting members for a community advisory committee to help guide the project. Residents are encouraged to apply and contribute their perspectives to help ensure the new transit network reflects the needs and experiences of everyone who lives and works in the area.
If you are interested in joining the project's community advisory committee, you have until September 19 to submit an application, which can be found here.
