At a city council candidate forum at the Nomad Playhouse in North Boulder this week, few topics divided candidates more than the future of Iris Avenue and other transportation safety projects.
As part of Boulder’s strategy to reduce traffic crashes, city officials are focusing on the busiest streets where most injuries and fatalities occur, especially for cyclists and pedestrians. The initiative calls for adding protected bike lanes and reconfiguring intersections to improve visibility for drivers. Key projects include Iris Avenue, Folsom Street between Pine Street and Colorado Avenue and a section of 30th Street.
Such efforts were a central part of the Boulder City Council’s 2022 priority list. The focus on the Core Arterial Network, or CAN, was spearheaded in part by Councilmember Matt Benjamin, who is running for a second term…