What is the Core Arterial Network (CAN)?

The Core Arterial Network (CAN) is the connected system of protected bicycle lanes, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities, and transit facility upgrades that will help reduce the potential for severe crashes and make it more comfortable and convenient for people to get where they need to go along Boulder’s main corridors.

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A map of Boulder's Core Arterial Network

The CAN will help us organize our arterial streets to better serve people walking, bicycling, taking the bus and driving

The city will focus its efforts on 13 individual corridors over the next several years. Explore the projects in the map below.

Overview

The City of Boulder has been working for decades to create a safe, equitable, and reliable mobility system that offers travel choices and supports achieving our climate goals (2019 Transportation Master Plan, Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan). As a result, we see significant numbers of people walking, bicycling, scooting and taking transit as they move about or travel in and out of the city. Although we have made great progress, more work remains to be done along our high-traffic arterial streets, which often have higher traffic volumes and speeds compared to other streets in the city. Findings from the Vision Zero Boulder: 2022 Safe Streets Report (SSR) show that 67% of traffic crashes resulting in serious injury occur or fatality occur on arterials.

We believe no one should be killed or severely injured in traffic crashes on our streets. Moving about Boulder should be safe, no matter how you get around.

In response, the city is focusing its investments and resources to design and construct improvements on a “Core Arterial Network” (CAN). The CAN is the connected system of protected bicycle lanes, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities, and transit facility upgrades that will help reduce the potential for severe crashes and make it more comfortable and convenient for people to get where they need to go along Boulder’s main corridors.

In January 2022, the Boulder City Council, in partnership with the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB), elevated work on the CAN as one of its 10 priorities for city department efforts. Since then, staff have made significant progress on the CAN initiative through successful grant applications and through planning, design, and construction of improvements to CAN corridors.