Major milestone reached for U.S. 36 transportation planning process
On December 24, 2009, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) signed a Record of Decision (ROD) for the U.S. 36 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a significant milestone which completes the corridor planning process and readies U.S. 36 for state and federal funding.  

Project background 
Since 2003, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD), in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), studied transportation improvements between Denver and Boulder in the U.S. 36 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

In 2007, the U.S. 36 EIS project team solicited public input on the Draft EIS.  Public comments received expressed interest in a transportation solution that minimized community and environmental impacts and project cost, while providing increased mobility improvements throughout the U.S. 36 corridor.

The U.S. 36 Preferred Alternative Committee, a 21-member group comprised of agency representatives, elected officials and technical staff from local jurisdictions, was convened to respond to the public comments and help identify a package of multi-modal transportation improvements, known as the Preferred Alternative, for inclusion in the U.S. 36 EIS.  The Preferred Alternative was identified July 2008 and included the following elements:

• Managed lane in each direction of U.S. 36 giving priority to buses, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOVs) and single occupancy toll-users
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) including ramp-loading stations, parking facilities and local transit connections
• Commuter bikeway adjacent to the highway
• Pavement and bridge repair 

The Preferred Alternative was then included in the U.S. 36 Final EIS, which was released October 30, 2009 for a 45-day public comment period.  Following the public comment period, the ROD was then signed, officially completing the corridor planning process.    

Construction of the Preferred Alternative will take place in phases as funding becomes available.  Phase 1 will focus on building managed lanes, Bus Rapid Transit enhancements, two interchange and two bridge improvements and a portion of the bikeway.

Resources

• Click here to read an Executive Summary of the U.S. 36 Final EIS.  
• Click here to visit the project website.  
• Read the U.S. 36 Final EIS and Record of Decision Timeline
• Click here to learn more about the Preferred Alternative, including total cost and construction phases
• Click here to see the U.S. 36 transportation plan