Correcting Inequitable Access Problems
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These concluding remarks were prepared before Open Space's most recent
attempt to take over Mountain Parks. At this point the question is
whether we should be giving more (rather than less) responsibility to an
organization that allows problems like this to develop. Click here
for other web pages:
The bottom line is that these are easy problems to fix. Based
upon comments made at the December OSBT meeting I am hopeful that some
progress can be made. Still support from the City Council is important.
There needs to be a clear mandate to provide equitable access across the
system. This means that similar problems in other areas need to be
corrected. Citizens should not have to go through a lengthy exploration
and mapping process to find these neighborhood trails.
More specifically, my short term recommendations are that the City:
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Post modest directional signs at all trail heads.
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Post signs at Skip stops directing people to area trailheads.
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Publish an interim brochure outlining these access points.
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Include these access points on the next Open Space map.
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Retain the right to construct transit-oriented trailheads in the Devil's
Thumb area.
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Actively incorporate these concerns into the ongoing Visitor Planning effort.0
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Resist the temptation to restore equity by closing access to everyone
Over the somewhat longer term I would like to see the City:
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Negotiate public access to Eldorado Springs trail
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Consider alleviating parking problem at the Mesa Trail/Dowdy Draw trailhead
by allowing bicycles to use the South Boulder creek trail for an off street
connection to the Broadway bikeway.
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Restore safe roadside parking at the Mesa Trail/Dowdy Draw
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Set up an affordable weekend bus service to Open Space trailheads. Perhaps
the school district would like to earn some money with their unused busses.
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Provide quality access to the fern meadow
The bottom line is that these are critical long-term issue which can perhaps
best be understood by contemplating what Boulder would be like today if
Chautauqua Hill had been surrounded by a few homes with the power to prevent
Boulder citizens from enjoying public open space in their backyards.
Guy Burgess
303-499-0354, gheab@hotmail.com,
1290 Albion Rd., Boulder, CO 80303