The city of Boulder recently completed the 30th Street Multi-modal Corridor Improvements project, transforming one of the city’s most dangerous streets. This comprehensive project includes protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, improved transit stops, and new landscaping designed to make travel along the corridor safer and more convenient for all users.
The transformation couldn’t come soon enough. 30th Street previously recorded some of the highest numbers of severe crashes in Boulder, making it a priority for safety improvements. The results are remarkable—we encourage you to check out the photos below and experience the transformation in person.
A Long Road to Success
For years, 30th Street remained notoriously unfriendly to pedestrians and cyclists. Despite this reputation, the street’s role as one of the few north-south routes on the east side of town meant it attracted significant bike and pedestrian traffic, creating a dangerous mismatch between infrastructure and usage.
Community Cycles recognized this problem early, beginning their advocacy for 30th Street improvements in 2013. At that time, the Transportation Department hadn’t identified the corridor as needing immediate bike and pedestrian improvements. Thanks to the persistent efforts of the Community Cycles Advocacy Committee, the city eventually conducted a comprehensive study of the street.
The study’s findings were sobering: 30th Street had the highest rate of crashes leading to serious injury or death in the entire city. This revelation prompted the city to seek funding for a dedicated 30th Street improvement plan.
However, timing complicated the process. When planning funding was finally secured, Boulder was embroiled in controversy over the Folsom Street protected bike lanes project, creating political reluctance for additional protected bike lane installations. This led to a more complex solution and large-scale planning process that began in 2017, incorporating extensive citizen input.
The final plan retained all four travel lanes while adding multi-use paths on both sides of the road. While this approach was considerably more expensive and technically challenging—requiring right-of-way acquisitions and extensive construction—it represented a compromise that addressed safety concerns while maintaining vehicle capacity.
Given the project’s ambitious scope, Community Cycles initially expected implementation would take many years. Fortunately, the city successfully secured significant federal and state funding, allowing much of the project to move forward more quickly than anticipated.
A Remarkable Transformation
Today, 30th Street stands as a testament to what’s possible when Community Cycles, with the support of its members, advocates for safer infrastructure. The completed project has transformed what was once one of Boulder’s most intimidating places to ride a bike into one of its most pleasant corridors.
We applaud the city for seeing this project through to completion and thank the Community Cycles staff and volunteers who advocated for these critical safety improvements. The transformation of 30th Street proves that with persistence, community engagement, and strategic funding, even the most challenging infrastructure problems can be solved.
