West Pearl Street Streetscape Boulder, Colorado

With the goal of enhancing the economic viability of West Pearl in Boulder, Colorado, the street is redesigned to make it more inviting for visitors of the Pearl Street Mall to continue their adventures past 11th Street. The collaborative effort with local landscape architects focuses on pedestrian mobility while making improvement to facilities throughout the corridor.

Updating a Streetscape to Encourage Economic Growth and Pedestrian Mobility

To create a cohesive identity along the corridor, the West Pearl Streetscape was updated using sandstone benches, pavers, and planting beds. Trees were removed and replanted as required and allowed through the city’s strict tree removal policy. Pedestrian mobility was improved by constructing bulb-outs at all intersections and adding a raised crossing at 10th. Custom eight-feet-tall illuminated sandstone kiosks were installed at intersections to provide wayfinding. Bike racks were installed at various locations and bus stops were also improved. Civil engineering challenges included reducing sidewalk cross-slopes and improving drainage facilities throughout the corridor. The area’s sidewalk cross-slopes greatly exceeded ADA maximums, so they were reconstructed with strict grading details while accounting for existing building access points. Rather than increasing the curb height to accommodate this change, the slope of the parking zone was reversed (to be upward instead of downward), and drainage conveyed in a pan rather than along the curb. Elimination of a free-right turn lane at 9th and Pearl adds to the pedestrian safety improvements. The project required careful construction phasing in order to minimize any disruption to businesses. Portions of the sidewalk were infilled in order to maintain access to doorways, and city blocks were constructed sequentially to minimize the amount of parking lost due to construction at any one time.