Find Transportation Proposal details at:

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e2e83f86258a459ba475ad1ce6f5be97

Friends of Iris is a group of community members – many of whom are bicyclists – who do not support a road diet on Iris Avenue. We agree that safety for all is important.

Why a Road Diet Is Not a Good Solution

City Transportation data shows that traffic volume exceeds 20,000 vehicles per day travel on Iris between 19th and 28th and about 16,000 vehicles on Iris west of 19th. The federal government suggests good candidates for road diets are roadways with average daily volume of 20,000 vehicles or less. Roads (like Iris) with average daily traffic of 20,000 vehicles may present a greater likelihood that traffic congestion will increase to the point of diverting traffic to alternate routes like neighboring streets. CDOT predicts over the next several years, about 25,000 vehicles per day will travel east of 19th on Iris Avenue exceeding “road-diet” volume. Also, traffic congestion and stop-and-go traffic are shown to cause increased emissions. Therefore, a road diet is not the right choice for Iris Avenue.

As noted, with the increase in housing units and commuters alone, Iris will surpass 20,000 in the near future. Over 300 additional new units are planned at the Diagonal Plaza Development between 28th and 30th on Iris with more development to come. Cut-through traffic creates more problems for neighborhood streets. It is more dangerous for children and adults riding bikes, walking, and playing. More aggressive drivers increase speed to make up lost time. More crashes may occur on side streets with increased traffic cutting through neighborhoods. It changes a quiet, calm street into a busy one. It creates another situation to be mitigated.

Iris Avenue is heavily used by commercial vehicles like buses, trash trucks, mail and package delivery, emergency vehicles, as well as commuters, residents, and is an evacuation route. This makes it more difficult for commercial vehicles to navigate Iris. Buses would require more space to pickup and drop off passengers.

Iris is a major east/west arterial street. In case of a major evacuation of north Boulder and mountain communities it would need to serve as an evacuation route out of Boulder. Reducing lanes with protective barriers would make evacuation more difficult. The city of Boulder’s Wildfire Protection Plan calls for more enhanced evacuation routes. Therefore, a road diet is contrary to that goal.

YES, let’s make it safer, reduce speeding, improve intersections, crosswalks, and sidewalks. All of this can be accomplished without a Road Diet.

Need Safer Intersections and Crossings

The Boulder Transportation Department data shows that the majority, 45%, of pedestrian and bicycle crashes from 2016-2023 occurred “near the 26 th and Folsom Street intersection.” Yes, intersections need to be safer!

Sign our petition and give feedback to city council & transportation – Make your voice heard:

Petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-a-road-diet-on-iris-avenue-reducing-lanes-from-4-to-2

Contact the Decision-Makers:

▪ Transportation Advisory Board,

TAB@BoulderColorado.gov

▪Boulder City Council (distributed to all current council members),

https://bouldercolorado.gov/contact-city-council-and-staff

▪ The Iris Project City Contact, Ericka Amador,

amadore@bouldercolorado.gov

CONTACT FRIENDS OF IRIS at FriendsofIrisAvenue@gmail.com or visit https://friendsofirisavenue.org