Background

The curbside is, in physical terms, the side of a road or sidewalk that is nearest to the curb. This space serves multiple users, uses, and functions. The curbside is not only where you park your car, but where a person may board a bus, hail a ride, lock a bicycle, end an e-scooter ride, and/or pick up a delivery package, among a variety of other activities. With all the competing demands for limited curbside access, the city is undergoing a Curbside Management Project to determine how to best manage our curbsides with a focus on Downtown Boulder, Boulder Junction, and University Hill.

Your input is important in shaping the future of how the curbside is managed in Boulder.

Pilot Project

The City of Boulder recently launched a pilot project to implement short-term changes to curbside uses in two of Boulder’s commercial districts (Downtown Boulder and University Hill) with the intention of learning how to make the curbside more efficient, safe, and to meet new and existing demands for curbside access. The city implemented “Flexible Loading Zones” (FLZ) which open existing loading zones to a broader range of uses.

The goal is to better communicate that these spaces may be used for people and goods delivery. The FLZ has a 10-minute time limit and allows uses including goods delivery, passenger pick-up/drop-off, curbside pick-up, and use by Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft. The FLZ is a loading zone 24/7 during the length of the pilot. Lyft and Uber have committed to geofencing the pilot areas to direct their drivers and riders to the FLZs. The locations of the FLZs in Downtown Boulder and University Hill call be found in the maps below or at https://www.access4boulder.com/flexzones.

We would appreciate your feedback on the Flexible Loading Zone pilot, whether or not you have seen or used these spaces.