HomeMy WebLinkAbout20201436.tiffOFFICE OF BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PHONE: 970-336-7204
FAX: 970-336-7233
1150 O STREET
P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, COLORADO 80632
May 11, 2020
The Honorable Elaine Chao
Secretary of Transportation
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
SUBJECT: 2020 BUILD Grant Application, City of Longmont State Highway 119 and Hover: Safely Connecting the
Plains and the Foothills, people with jobs, in Colorado
Dear Madam Secretary,
We are pleased to provide this letter in support of the 2020 BUILD grant application for the City of Longmont's SH 119
and Hover project: Safely Connecting the Plains and the Foothills in Colorado.
Working together, communities along the northwest corridor outside Denver, Colorado, including Boulder, Longmont,
Louisville, Lafayette, Erie, Broomfield, and Westminster, have identified SH-119 as a vital economic and passenger
corridor. This project will optimize regional connectivity and mobility between Downtown Boulder and Downtown
Longmont. The improvements will:
• Build a safer intersection for all travelers by reducing congestion and eliminating conflict points
• Create a time advantage for transit users with a bus queue jump lane and transit -only signal
• Develop a more connected transportation system by linking active modes to surrounding facilities and transit
with a new underpass for motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians
Importantly, this project is pivotal to advancing identified multi -modal corridor improvements such as Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT), express/managed lanes, and a commuter bikeway in the SH-119 regional corridor which will facilitate
interregional travel from rural areas in the region and improve safety for all travelers.
The total cost of the project is $26 million and the non-federal funds that have been raised thus far account for $9
million. Another key component to this project is its rural economic impact. All of the communities in this region of
Colorado already fall under the BUILD rural definition and this project will continue to foster significant economic
activity to surrounding rural counties in Larimer and Weld.
Thank you for your consideration of the City of Longmont's SH 119 and Hover Project: Safely Connecting the Plains
and the Foothills BUILD grant application. We look forward to a strong partnership between your agency and the
community to improve safety, capacity, mobility options, and economic prosperity for the general public.
Sincerely,
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Mike Freeman, Chair
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2020-1436
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