Agenda Memo

City of Boulder City Council Agenda Item Meeting Date: August 6, 2026 Agenda Title Introduction, first reading, and consideration of a motion to order published by title only Ordinance 8772 authorizing and approving acquisition of property interests for the South 30th Street Multimodal Improvements Project by negotiation and purchase or through the power of eminent domain; and setting forth related details

Staff Contact • •

Blythe Bailey, Director of Transportation and Mobility Brian Wiltshire, Civil Engineering Manager, Transportation and Mobility

Draft Motion Language Staff requests council consideration of this matter and action in the form of the following motion: Motion to introduce and order published by title only Ordinance 8772 authorizing and approving acquisition of property interests for the South 30th Street Multimodal Improvements Project by negotiation and purchase or through the power of eminent domain; and setting forth related details

Executive Summary Staff are advancing the next phase of the 30th and Colorado Corridors Study, the South 30th Street Multimodal Improvements Project, from Colorado Avenue to Baseline Road.

Error! Reference source not found. shows the south 30th Street corridor in context with capital projects identified from the corridor study and other related projects. Figure 1: South 30th Street Multimodal Improvements Project Location

The project will build on the design and analysis from the corridor study and advance to final design and construct multimodal improvements on 30th Street between Colorado Avenue and Aurora Avenue. Improvements between Aurora Avenue and Baseline Road will be implemented when additional funding is available. As such, staff are requesting authorization to only acquire necessary property interests and easements through purchase or, if negotiations fail, eminent domain proceedings, for the properties on 30th Street between Colorado Avenue and Aurora Avenue (See Proposed Ordinance 8772 (Attachment A)). Final design is ongoing, and began with the study-recommended design (Figure 2): • • •

Two 10-foot wide vehicle lanes in each direction Widened sidewalks to a minimum 5-foot width Minimum 5-foot wide sidewalk-level bike lanes

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Four-foot wide buffer between the bike lanes and vehicle lanes

Figure 2: 30th & Colorado Corridors Study Recommended Design for the South 30th Street Project

Property and easements of varying sizes will need to be acquired to make the corridor study’s recommended improvements because the existing right-of-way is not wide enough to accommodate those improvements. Final design will consider ways to reduce the right-of-way impacts of the recommended design and may include changes to the corridor study’s recommended improvements. To ensure the project remains on schedule, staff are requesting authorization to acquire necessary property interests and easements through purchase or, if negotiations fail, eminent domain proceedings. While the city’s policy is to negotiate in good faith based on fair market appraisals, having eminent domain authority at the outset prevents project delays and ensures the city remains in compliance with federal grant requirements that federal funding must be expended by 2028. The project cost is $4.2 million, with the city providing a local match of $1.2 million already accounted for in the approved Capital Improvement Program. If Proposed Ordinance 8772 passed on first reading, the matter will proceed to a second reading and public hearing on August 20, 2026.

Council Action Options Option

Outcome

Approve motion language as drafted

If the motion is approved this item will go to second reading and public hearing on August 20, 2026.

Define and adopt a modified motion

Council would need to define any modifications or amendments to the draft motion language. Dependent upon council’s modification or amendment, staff may need to bring an amended version of the proposed ordinance back on second reading, thereby requiring a third reading.

Deny the motion or take no action

If this motion is denied or council takes no action, this matter will cease to move forward, and the city may not be able to acquire all necessary easements in time to expend federal grant funding by the required deadline.

Refer back to staff

If council refers this item back to staff, staff will need specific direction from council on how to proceed so that this item continues to move forward.

Alignment with City Plans and City Council History Sustainability, Equity and Resilience (SER) Framework and Citywide Strategic Plan Alignment SER Framework Goal Area •

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Safe: o Builds and maintains resilient infrastructure, landscapes and neighborhoods to mitigate existing and future hazards and risks. Accessible and Connected o Offers and encourages a variety of safe, comfortable, affordable, reliable, convenient, and clean mobility options. o Supports a balanced Transportation System that reflects effective land use, manages congestion, and facilitates strong regional multimodal connections. Responsibly Governed o Models stewardship, resilience, and sustainability of the city’s financial, human, information, and physical assets. Economically Vital

o Invests in amenities, infrastructure, and services that contribute to an exceptional quality of life and attract employees and visitors. Citywide Strategic Plan •

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Strategy 1: Focus community safety efforts on reducing community harm at critical locations known for high incident rates or significant vulnerabilities. o Priority Action C: Prioritize transportation improvements that work to eliminate incidence of fatal and serious injury traffic crashes to achieve our community’s Vision Zero commitment. Strategy 7: Invest in and maintain a transportation system with an array of multimodal choices to reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. o Priority Action A: Implement programs and services that enhance equitable mobility. Strategy 15. Streamline processes for housing, parking, infrastructure, land use, and events that tie directly to priority community outcomes. o Priority Action A: Identify and implement ways to reduce bureaucracy, improve efficiency, and facilitate quicker approvals for initiatives that align with and enhance the City’s priorities related to sustainability, safety, economic vitality, and community well-being.

Staff Notes The project improvements align with the SER Framework and Citywide Strategic Plan by providing safer, more comfortable connections for all travelers, and encouraging more trips by walking, biking and using transit on the corridor by making it easier to get people to and from the transit stops. Property and easements of varying sizes will need to be acquired to make these improvements. These improvements are discussed further in the Project Improvements section of this Memorandum.

Alignment with Additional City Plans Project improvements for the South 30th Street project focus on implementing transportation plan and study recommendations from the following city planning documents: • • • • •

2014 and 2019 Transportation Master Plan, 2019 30th Street and Colorado Avenue Corridors Study, 2019 Pedestrian System Plan, 2019 Low-Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan, and 2023-2027 Vision Zero Action Plan.

Recommendations from each of these plans are discussed further in the Project Improvements section of this Memorandum.

City Council History The 30th and Colorado Corridors Study came before Transportation Advisory Board and City Council in 2018. Council accepted the study at its May 22, 2018, meeting. Details can be found in the meeting minutes. The South 30th Street project improvements cannot be constructed without acquiring easements and rights-of-way because existing rights-of-way and easements are not wide enough to accommodate the proposed improvements. It is common and typical for capital improvement projects to require the acquisition of permanent easements and/or public right-of-way in order to build safe transportation infrastructure. Generally, the experience staff have with acquiring easements, and rightof-way is that staff approach and negotiate with property owners in good faith with the intent of securing agreements in a timely manner before construction. When property owners consent to a project, agreements can usually be reached in a straightforward manner. However, when some property owners do not consent to a project that requires easements and rights-of-way or seek compensation above the fair market value determined by city appraisers, there can be significant challenges for all involved, including project delays, increased costs to the city and potentially inequitable impacts to some property owners. On all Transportation & Mobility capital projects, staff follow the federal property acquisition guidelines (the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act of 1970). The “Uniform Act” defines the requirements and responsibilities of the government entity acquiring the property and establishes firm negotiation timelines so that the process moves forward to a reasonable conclusion for both parties. The Uniform Act protects private owner’s interests to prevent the government from abusing its power or influence. The Uniform Act requires a determination of “fair market value” by a professional appraiser at the government’s expense. If the value of a property is $5,000 or more, property owners also are given the option to hire their own appraisers, which are also paid for by the government. The appraisals become the basis for arriving at a final negotiated settlement or acquisition price. If the negotiating parties cannot reach an agreement, the matter moves to the judicial system, where an appointed commission, judge, or jury determines the fair market value of the property to be acquired. The reason for this request to council is to support completing final design for the South 30th Street project, from Colorado Avenue to Aurora Avenue, within the required federal funding timeline ending in 2028, to diligently move the project to construction, and to ensure that each property owner is equitably compensated based on the same methods required in the Uniform Act.

Staff will negotiate in good faith with property owners from whom easements and/or rights-of-way need to be secured and do not intend to initiate any eminent domain action unless negotiations fail with any property owner. For example, eminent domain authority was granted by City Council to the Transportation & Mobility Department for construction of the 30th & Colorado Protected Intersection and Underpass Project, the 28th Street Multimodal Transportation Improvements Project between Canyon Boulevard and Iris Avenue, and the Arapahoe Avenue Safety Improvements Project. The authority was not needed for the 28th Street Project but was required for a petition filed in Boulder County District Court to acquire and value a segment of property required for the 30th & Colorado Project; the Arapahoe Avenue Project has not begun negotiations yet. This authority supports overall project delivery and expedient and equitable negotiations with all property owners who are compensated at fair market value.

Analysis The purpose of the South 30th Street Project is to make south 30th Street, from Colorado Avenue to Aurora, safer, more comfortable, and connected. This project will advance final design and construction of actions of the Vision Zero Action Plan by implementing proven safety countermeasures on this Core Arterial Network (CAN).

Background 30th Street is one of the city's main north-south travel corridors for both local and regional travel. The street provides connections to the 29th Street Mall, a considerable share of the city’s retailers, and the three University of Colorado Boulder campuses: Williams Village, Main Campus, and East Campus. Although it is a main transportation corridor in Boulder, the south segment of 30th Street between Colorado Avenue and Aurora Avenue lacks the complete street infrastructure to provide safe, convenient and comfortable travel for those walking, biking and taking the bus, but still sees heavy use by these users, necessitating multimodal improvements. On a typical day, this segment of 30th Street sees about 17,886 vehicle trips, the 30th Street and Euclid Avenue intersection sees 849 bike movements and 589 pedestrian crossings, and the 30th Street and Aurora Avenue intersection sees 994 bike

movements and 651 pedestrian crossings.1 There are also 85 transit boardings and alightings on a typical weekday between Colorado Avenue and Aurora Avenue.2 Between 2017 and 2019, the 30th and Colorado Corridors Study engaged the community to identify a preliminary design for 30th Street between Baseline Road and Pearl Street. This project will build on the design and analysis from that study and advance the study design to final design and construct multimodal improvements on 30th Street between Colorado Avenue and Aurora Avenue. Final design and improvements to south 30th Street between Aurora Avenue and Baseline Road will be constructed at some point in the future when funding is identified. In the city’s 2019 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and the city’s 2019 Low Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan, south 30th Street is called out as needing greater separation and protection between the vehicle and on-street bicycle lanes due to the posted speed limit of 35mph, existing vehicle volumes being greater than 6,000 per day, and the role 30th St plays as a central and direct route in the city’s bike network for north-south trips. The Low-Stress Plan also identified Pedestrian Improvement Areas on 30th Street between Colorado Avenue and Aurora Avenue, and from Canyon Creek Road to Baseline Road where wider sidewalks, improved pedestrian crossings and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramp upgrades are needed. The TMP also designated south 30th Street as a high-frequency transit service corridor with bus frequences of 15 minutes or better. The 2022 Safe Streets Report (SSR) found that between 2018 and 2020, 14,500 people were involved in a crash in Boulder, resulting in 150 serious injuries. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of severe traffic crashes, those that result in serious injury or fatality, occur on arterial streets, like south 30th Street.

Project Improvements Final design is ongoing and so project improvements are still being defined. However, the project will implement protected bicycle lanes, wider sidewalks where possible, protected intersection elements, improved pedestrian crossings, and improved transit stops. The location of the project is generally adjacent to and approaching south 30th Street from Colorado Avenue and Aurora Avenue. The city will have legal descriptions for the property interests for which council authority is being sought once the design has

1 Vehicle, bike, and pedestrian counts are based on weekday data collection in fall 2025. Bike movements

include people biking on 30th Street as well as biking across 30th Street at these intersections. Bike movements and pedestrian crossings were counted at each leg of the intersection, so people biking and walking may have been counted more than once at these intersections. 2 Transit data represents average boardings and alightings in Spring 2026 for the RTD BOUND bus.

advanced further. Staff are therefore seeking authority in Proposed Ordinance 8772 to amend the legal descriptions of the property interests as necessary for the project.

Equity Analysis Staff completed a Racial Equity Instrument, a tool to help view projects through a racial equity lens and minimize harm through unintended consequences, to guide the project’s community engagement. The instrument highlights there are higher proportions of lowincome households, renter occupied households, no vehicle access households and people of color living within one half (½) mile of the south 30th Street project area than citywide. The instrument will inform engagement for the south 30th Street project by ensuring inclusive engagement to reflect the lived experiences and voices of those impacted by the project. The project final design will increase the comfort and safety for the most vulnerable road users (defined here as people walking, bicycling, and taking transit), provide more transportation choices by providing safer, more comfortable connections, and providing safer crossings of south 30th Street for people walking, rolling, biking or taking transit.

Fiscal Note Estimated Fiscal Impact Narrative The project is anticipated to have no fiscal impact in 2026 or over the next three years because the estimated total project cost of $4.2 million is funded through federal grant funds and city funds approved in the Capital Improvements Program. Current Year Estimated Fiscal Impact The current year’s fiscal impact is included in the estimated total project cost and allocated federal grant and city funds. Fund(s): Transportation Fund, Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) grant Department(s): Transportation & Mobility Program(s): Capital Improvement Program

FY 2026 Budget

FY 2026 Estimated Impact

FY 2026 Net Change

Beginning Fund Balance

$1.03M

$0

$1.03M

Total Forecasted Revenue

$53.59M

$0

$53.59M

Total Estimated Expenses

$50.08M

$0

$50.08M

Ending Fund Balance(s) After Reserves

$0.10M

$0

$0.10M

FTE

88.35 FTE

Item

88.35 FTE

Three-Year Estimated Fiscal Impact

Item

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

Total Forecasted Revenue

$0

$0

$0

Total Estimated Expenses

$0

$0

$0

Net Estimated Impact

$0

$0

$0

Climate, Resilience, and Sustainability Considerations The south 30th Street project helps the city achieve its climate goals by providing safe and comfortable multimodal transportation options which can reduce vehicle use and vehicle miles travelled and thus reduce the use of non-renewable energy resources and greenhouse gas emissions. These changes can also protect water and air quality through utilization of existing infrastructure and through the reduction of mobile source emissions. The south 30th Street project helps the city achieve its economically vital and accessible and connected goals by providing and investing in infrastructure that attracts, sustains and retains businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers, and by ensuring

connections to destinations along the corridor and on the broader city transportation network are safe and comfortable. The south 30th Street project helps the city achieve its healthy and socially thriving and livable goals by providing an all ages and abilities corridor with safer and more comfortable transportation options no matter how someone chooses to travel.

Community Engagement Between 2017 and 2019, the 30th and Colorado Corridors Study engaged the community to identify a preliminary design for 30th Street between Baseline Road and Pearl Street. Upcoming engagement will build on the design, analysis, and community engagement from that study to advance final design and construction of the project. During final design, engagement will use a racial equity lens to ensure that the corridor’s community of users (including residents, workers, community organizations, and businesses, and especially those traditionally underrepresented in the decision-making process due to race, ethnicity, and/or socio-economic status) have an opportunity to learn more about the project and share their experiences and opinions with the city, which will inform the final design.

Workplan Considerations The project is within staff’s work plan.

Next Steps for City Council If Proposed Ordinance 8772 passed on first reading, second reading and public hearing will take place on August 20, 2026.

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Attachments A – Proposed Ordinance 8772