Commuting Solutions wants local residents and officials to participate in a June 8 virtual meeting to discuss the future of the Diagonal Highway, which is headed for a proposed $253 million makeover that includes introducing Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, on the corridor.
Commuting Solutions’s “SH 119 Membership Meeting” is scheduled for 9-10:30 a.m. and is open to anyone, including the nonprofits members, partners, transportation experts and transportation enthusiasts with an interest in the highway, according to a news release.
Participants can register now for the meeting.
The virtual meeting will allow attendees to hear from people who are spearheading the planning for the Diagonal Highway — also known as Colo. 119 —- and those who are searching for funds for the highway’s expansion. Virtual attendees will have opportunities to ask questions, according to the news release.
Commuting Solutions is a nonprofit group formed to produce more transit options in Boulder and Broomfield counties. As much as $93 million in funding has been set aside for the first phase of construction along the Diagonal, which is expected to begin in 2023, Audrey DeBarros, executive director of Commuting Solutions, said.
BRT service is needed on the Diagonal to handle anticipated traffic growth. There are 45,000 vehicles a day that travel along the highway and a projected 25% increase in traffic by 2040, according to Commuting Solutions.
The group has also prepared a draft report outlining ways for commuters to reach transit stops along the improved highway between Longmont and Boulder.
The “First and Final Mile Study”for the Diagonal describes the type of stations to be used for the Bus Rapid Transit system along the highway. “First and Final Mile” refers to any barrier that discourages potential riders from using transit because a station cannot be easily accessed from home, work or other destination, according to the study.
