Commuting Downtown to Broomfield? (Denver, Boulder: to rent, home, living in)

[billiken]

My husband and I decided to rent for a year downtown. I just found out that I'll be commuting primarily to Broomfield (close to US 36 & Interlocken Loop) for work, and I've only driven Denver highways during the middle of the day, so I'm not very familiar with traffic patterns. Is this more of a "reverse commute" where I won't be fighting much traffic? Or do a lot of people commute to Boulder, therefore making this route stink? Google Maps says 26 minutes in normal traffic. For sake of discussion, I'd probably be leaving around the heart of morning rush hour (7:30ish). Not worried about evening rush hour; I typically work late.

I've been living in St Louis for 6 years, where rush hour means adding maybe 5 minutes to my normal commute, and before that I was in Chicago, where I took the train instead of driving because traffic was so awful...I'm guessing Denver will be a happy medium? I've heard from random people that Denver traffic is way worse than they expected for a city that's around the same size as STL.

[strawberrykiki]

I think the traffic here gets pretty nasty during rush hour. I guess it depends on your perspective and where you came from before. I'd guess it would take you a lot longer than normal driving time during rush hour. Maybe twice as long, but I've never done that exact route during rush hour, so I can't say for sure.

[Idlewile]

It's not really a reverse commute, just as many people are commuting to Broomfield/Boulder as commuting from Boulder to Denver. Often going to Broomfield/Boulder is worse though because there's only one way to go and no carpool lane in that direction. Also, the rush 'hour' lasts longer that direction, 36 is clogged longer in the morning westbound than eastbound.

[billiken]

I had no idea there were carpool lanes in Denver. Good info. Sounds like this won't be a very fun drive.

[Idlewile]

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad drive, by any means, it's just maybe not as quick as you might think since traffic is heavy in both directions. If you can leave home by 7am, great. If you can leave at 8:20am great. If you've got to leave somewhere in between don't expect it to be super quick.

You can use the carpool/toll lane on 25 getting out of Denver until it ends a 1/4 mile or so on to 36 and that will help you out.

[matkaemm]

I do this commute everyday. 25 North to 36 is clean and fast, 36 to Sheridan is crowded but moves, but then traffic usually stops or slows at Sheridan, then crawls to Wadsworth(where i exit). Average commute time, leaving DTD between 8 and 8:30am is about 35 minutes. Youre gonna hate it.

Broom to Denver, usually ok until youre on 25 south and hit the 70 exit/20th st exit.

[5280milehiguy]

I get through 36 rather quickly but hit it early! Leave Colorado Blvd and I-25 at 6.30 and cruise all the way down 36 to Boulder. If you get onto "The Turnpike" after 7am you have lost your window of opportunity. I used to go to Louisville and arrive by 8, but had a lot more traffic than I do now going to Boulder. LEAVE EARLY!! Also, someone above mentioned you could use carpool/toll lanes, that isn't correct. It is inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon.

Snow days are extremely difficult along 36. I suggest using RTD on snowy mornings, but leaving a lot earlier.

[kjm303]

This is my exact issue - is there an alternative route that might be quicker than trudging through the 36 slog to the Wadsworth exit?

I live on Colorado Blvd & 14th, appx. I take Colorado to 270, 270 to 36, 36 to Wadsworth, into Interlocken.

My hours are 8 to 5, and I obviously hit the worst of the traffic both in the morning and afternoon. It's getting pretty frustrating, and I'm looking for some other solutions so I don't go crazy and develop a nasty case of road rage!

[reed303]

Originally Posted by kjm303

This is my exact issue - is there an alternative route that might be quicker than trudging through the 36 slog to the Wadsworth exit?

I live on Colorado Blvd & 14th, appx. I take Colorado to 270, 270 to 36, 36 to Wadsworth, into Interlocken.

My hours are 8 to 5, and I obviously hit the worst of the traffic both in the morning and afternoon. It's getting pretty frustrating, and I'm looking for some other solutions so I don't go crazy and develop a nasty case of road rage!

Unfortunately there are no good alternatives to your route. You can go other ways if 36 is truly jammed due to accident or snow.

One change you might try, to avoid the truly horrendous exit at Broomfield/287, is to use the 100th/Rock Creek exit, then go west to Wadsworth Pkwy/Co 121 or Simms St, then north, depending on where you need to get to in Interlocken