{"id":365,"date":"2026-06-05T05:02:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T05:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=365"},"modified":"2026-06-05T05:02:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T05:02:24","slug":"boulder-county-survey-finds-strong-opposition-to-trail-use-pilot-that-could-limit-bike-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=365","title":{"rendered":"Boulder County survey finds strong opposition to trail-use pilot that could limit bike access"},"content":{"rendered":"
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More than 7,500 people responded to a Boulder County survey about a proposed trail-use pilot, and a large majority opposed the idea of closing some trails to specific user groups on certain days.<\/p>\n

Read more \ud83d\udea8 Boulder County farmers are sounding the alarm about this summer<\/a><\/p>\n

The idea originated with a proposal from Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy to test no-bike days at Heil Valley Ranch. County commissioners later voted unanimously to direct staff to explore the idea and gather public feedback before deciding whether to move forward with a pilot. Staff have said details remain undecided and that community input will help shape any eventual proposal.<\/p>\n

Survey results obtained by Boulder Reporting Lab show that 70% of respondents opposed or strongly opposed the pilot, while 17% supported or strongly supported it. The remainder were neutral or skipped the question.<\/p>\n

Just over half of respondents identified mountain biking as their primary activity, compared with roughly one-quarter who identified as hikers and 10% who identified as runners. <\/p>\n

County staff said they are considering running the pilot at Heil Valley Ranch, Hall Ranch, Walker Ranch, or by expanding the existing alternating-use system at Betasso Preserve. When asked where the pilot should run, most respondents said they did not want it implemented at any park. The next most popular option, with 8% support, was expanding alternating-use days at Betasso. Six percent of respondents wanted alternating trail use at Heil Valley Ranch, as Levy originally proposed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pilot project was announced about a month ago and immediately sparked strong resistance from the mountain biking community, which worried it could reduce access to trails. The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance also encouraged members to participate in the survey after the proposal was announced.<\/p>\n

Of the three most common user groups \u2014 hikers, bikers and runners \u2014 hikers were most likely to support the pilot; about a third of those surveyed supported the plan. But across all key user groups, a majority of respondents opposed it.<\/p>\n

Mountain bikers\u2019 concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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