Boulder County officials are exploring a pilot program to assign specific days for hikers, bikers, and horse riders on high-traffic trails to improve safety and reduce conflicts. The Alternate Trail Use Pilot would limit access for some groups on certain days, stirring concerns among residents and local businesses. Critics argue it disproportionately affects bikers and could harm the local economy, while supporters say it aims to manage overcrowding. The program is still under review with no final decisions made.
LYONS, Colo. — Boulder County officials are exploring a new pilot program that could assign specific days for hikers, bikers, and horse riders to use certain high-traffic trails — an effort they say is intended to improve safety and reduce user conflicts.
The proposal, called the Alternate Trail Use Pilot, would not add new trails but could limit access for some groups on certain days. While county leaders emphasize that no final decisions have been made, the idea is already stirring concern among some residents.
Denver7 Boulder County reporter Colin Riley spoke to residents about the program and why they feel it could bring trouble in the video player below: Boulder County considers alternate-use pilot for popular trails, prompting debate Dave Chase, owner of Redstone Cyclery in Lyons, fears the program could unfairly restrict bikes.
“It’s my passion, it’s my livelihood,” Chase said. “Bikes are the low thing on the totem pole. We always get the hose. ” Chase argues that the proposed plan is not truly “alternating use” because hikers would still have access every day, while bikers could be banned on select days.
“It’s closure disguised as management,” Chase said. “If you close trails to bikes on certain days, that does nothing more than concentrate more use on other days. It creates problems, it doesn’t solve any problems. ” Chase believes the better solution is to build more trails to disperse traffic, rather than limiting access.
He warned that trail restrictions could have broader economic consequences for Lyons.
“It’s not just the bike shop losing business,” he said. “It’s the beer and pizza place next door, the coffee shop across the street, the liquor store, the weed store — everybody loses. ” According to Boulder County Parks & Open Space Director Jason Seuc, the pilot is still in the fact-finding phase. The county has logged a 4% conflict rate between trail users, but Seuc said officials want a clearer picture before deciding on any changes.
“We haven’t made any decisions yet,” Seuc said. “The best thing we can do as local government is listen to the public… Take the survey. We want to hear your voice. ” The county says it is collecting feedback from community members and analyzing safety data before determining whether to move forward with the pilot.
County officials say they've collected about 6,000 surveys so far and hundreds of residents have shown at open house meetings. Residents can review details and submit input on Boulder County’s website. This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Colin Riley Denver7’s Colin Riley is a multimedia journalist who tells stories impacting all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in reporting on transportation and our state’s population of older adults. If you’d like to get in touch with Colin, fill out the form below to send him an email.
Boulder County Trail Use Alternate Days Safety Concerns Local Economy
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