US 36 Denver-Boulder Express Lanes

[andy3175]

https://www.codot.gov/projects/US36ExpressLanes

US 36 between Denver and Boulder opened as a toll road in 1951. The toll road bonds were paid off early and the tolling infrastructure was removed in 1968. When it was built, this four lane road had only one interchange between Denver and Boulder. In response to rapid population growth, there are now 10 interchanges along US 36 between I-25 and Boulder. However, the number of main through-lanes has remained at four.

In December of 2009, the Colorado Department of Transportation completed an Environmental Impact Statement which described Preferred Alternative improvements to the corridor which would be implemented in the future as funding became available. The main elements in the Preferred Alternative include one buffer-separated managed lane in each direction, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ramp stations, auxiliary lanes between most interchanges, and a bikeway. ...

CDOT released the concession agreement for the US 36 corridor on February 14, 2014, upon further discussion with its partner Plenary Roads Denver.  The document contains the contract provisions, standards of service and other agreements to which each agency will be held.  It also includes 27 schedules which describe agreements ranging from maintenance, to construction requirements.  Four of the schedules are summarized at the request of Plenary Roads Denver due to the proprietary information. The documents can be found on the CDOT website at: http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/high-performance-transportation-enterprise-hpte/projects/us-36/us-36-phase-ii/p-3/us-36-public-private-partnership-executed-concession-agreement

Phase 1 - https://www.codot.gov/projects/US36ExpressLanes/federal-blvd-to-88th

The US 36 Express Lanes Project is a multi-modal project led by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD) to reconstruct US 36 from Federal Boulevard to 88th Street in Louisville/Superior.

CDOT selected the Ames Granite Joint Venture team as the design-build contractor for the $317 million project, and they began construction in July 2012. The project opened to the public summer 2015.

Phase 2 - https://www.codot.gov/projects/US36ExpressLanes/88th-to-table-mesa

Phase 2 Overview: The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the High Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE) announced the selection of Plenary Roads Denver as the Concessionaire for Phase 2 of the US 36 Express Lanes Project between 88th Street and Table Mesa, which will complete improvements to the entire US 36 corridor between Denver and Boulder. The project is CDOT's first public-private partnership (P3), an innovative partnership where the public and private sectors team together to provide transportation improvements and services to the traveling public.

Phase 2 is scheduled for completion in early 2016.

http://kdvr.com/2015/07/01/tolls-on-u-s-36-express-lanes-begin-july-22/

The Colorado Department of Transportation said that starting July 22, 2015, drivers will have to start paying tolls (for US 36 Phase 1) using an ExpressToll pass unless drivers are carpooling. The toll lanes are open from Federal Boulevard to 88th Street in Louisville/Superior. CDOT said drivers should get an ExpressToll account and pass before July 22. Carpoolers need the new switchable pass to use the lanes.

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/what-you-need-know-about-denver-boulder-us-36-express-lanes-tolls (from May 20, 2015, so it is a bit dated now)

The new U.S. 36 is getting closer: Bus Rapid Transit, express lanes, and a dedicated bike lane will be officially open in July. And on Wednesday, final tolls for the express lanes between Denver and Boulder were approved by the state's High Performance Transportation Enterprise.  The cost to use the new express lanes will depend on the type of vehicle you're driving, the number of passengers you're carrying, and if you have a tolling transponder. CDOT's Executive Director Shailen Bhatt says it also depends on the time of day. ...

For those not wanting to use the express lanes, general purpose lanes will still be available to use. However, Bhatt says they're not really free when you think about it.

"You can stay in the general purpose lanes and pay with your time, or you can jump into the toll — into the express lanes. But you are going to pay to use roads,"  he said. ...

There is no physical separation between the express lanes and the general purpose lanes. Bhatt says to prevent people weaving in and out of the lanes; local law enforcement and the Colorado State Patrol will be on the lookout.

"In many other states I've seen people who sort of ride the lane and want to jump out because they're afraid they're going to get caught. You will get caught,"  Bhatt said.

Besides the express lanes, Bus Rapid Transit and a dedicated commuter bike path are also opening up to the public. Bhatt said the state needs to focus on combining many different modes of transportation as Colorado's population continues to boom.

"We'd love for people to pay a toll, we'd love for people to take the bus and reduce the number of single occupancy vehicle trips out there, and the HOV is in there. So it's multi-modal. It's being smarter with the way we utilize a scarce resource. And in this case, highways are a scarce resource,"  Bhatt said.

"Multi-modal is the way to go, pricing is the way to go, and that's the way that we are going to be smarter about the way we allocate this resource going forward."