Colorado Highway 7

What is CO 7?

The CO 7 corridor between Brighton and Boulder is well positioned to develop as a corridor of local livability and multimodal regional access. This is due in large part to the attraction of the well-established downtown areas of Brighton, Lafayette and Boulder coupled with large areas of undeveloped parcels in unincorporated areas of Adams and Boulder Counties, Lafayette, Erie, Broomfield, Thornton and the east side of Brighton.

By 2040, there are projected to be more than 56,000 new residents and 38,000 new jobs along the corridor. This will lead to a 37% increase in traffic along an already congested corridor. In order to prepare for the growth and development, the CO 7 Coalition, CDOT and RTD are planning multimodal transportation improvements, including Bus Rapid Transit, a regional bikeway, pedestrian improvements and first and final mile connections.

Boulder’s East Arapahoe Transportation Plan

As a part of these planning efforts, the City of Boulder has developed the East Arapahoe Transportation Plan to address improvements to be made along the length of the corridor located in Boulder. The City of Boulder has laid out a Complete Street vision for the corridor which would include:

  • Two general purpose lanes travelling in both directions
  • Curbside business access and transit (BAT) lanes
  • Raised protected bike lanes
  • Amenity zones to enhance the streetscape
Drawing of corridor with multi-use paths, amenity zones, BAT lanes, transit stations, general purpose lanes, and raised protected bike lanes.
Click image to view full size.

CO 7 Plan Timeline

Infographic showing that by 2040, there will be 56,000 new residents and 38,000 new jobs; 37% increase in traffic with 50-60% increase on the eastern end of the corridor; 8,500 to 9,800 projected public transport boardings per day; BRT will cut travel time and increase reliability between Boulder and Brighton.

This plan is the first step on the journey to accomplishing the vision for the corridor. It includes near-, mid-, and long-term implementation actions, with additional community engagement at each step. The next phases of the project include finalizing a corridor design as we continue to pursue funding with regional partners and make progress toward shorter-term localized improvements in the corridor.

Starting in 2019, the CO 7 Coalition will begin the Preliminary & Environmental Engineering along the corridor as well as continue to seek out funding for the project.

Phased implementation of the plan began in 2021.

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