Singletrack Sidewalks (STS)

We have lived here almost 15 years, and what attracted us to this area in Golden was its beauty, the open space, the wildlife and less development. I very much agree with the points expressed by dianapackard and am impressed with the arguments on both sides. Thoughtful discussion is how neighbors and communities make good decisions. However, telling neighbors to "get over themselves" because they have a different opinion is rude and certainly not helpful!
Sandy

Segment 5 will not be a single track sidewalk because it will be so far away from the existing path. It is planned to pop out onto the current path multiple times which will create user conflict on the existing path. Kids won't be able to slow down and will end up running into other bikers, dogs, and kids. This area should not be turned into a "playground" as some are calling it because of the wildlife that currently occupies the space. Single track sidewalks are very different than what is proposed for this area. If it was close to the sidewalk it wouldn't disrupt the wildlife. There just isn't room to put it in next to the current paved path. I see the benefits of STS where it does not disrupt the wildlife and natural landscape. This is not the case on Section 5.

Unfortunately we can't attend the Aug 28th meeting....not sure why it was scheduled the same evening as the Golden Cruiser ride. However, here is where we stand on the proposed trail:

We support segments 1-4. These will be a great addition to the existing path for young riders to learn to ride trails. Segments 5 and 6, we are unsure of. I don't have enough information about how these segments will be designed and built. However, I would like to see some more detailed plans regarding these segments.

I believe the current proposal really needs to dial in some of the details. Currently, the proposal appears that some standard single track will be installed from Apex to Golden. However, we learned that is not the case. What is proposed is an absolute beginner-friendly trail be built along side the Kinney Run trail.

Golden really needs to examine what sort of community it sees itself in the future. This is a great opportunity to teach our young riders how to be respectful stewards of the trails and open space. Just think of it this way, if the young riders are taught proper trail etiquette and usage early on, the more likely they will maintain this attitude when they get older. And, they will encourage others to do the same. I believe this is part of the idea behind the project. Having this opportunity in our backyard is a huge win.

I'd urge the city to look over the comments here and exclude those that are either widely speculative or have no relationship to what the proposal actually is. I'd urge everybody to become more educated about the project before making any assertions to the pros and cons of the trail. This forum has proved inadequate for addressing some of the concerns of the proposal that are not based on what and why the trail is for. However, I do belive that there are some valid concerns regarding the trail.

Bottom line, nobody will be able to bomb down the new trail if designed appropriately. This will probably disappoint some of the folks that see this trail as an extension of Apex.

I find it unfortunate that an inordinate amount of Golden residents come together as a community when there is an issue of conflict. I'd rather see us come together as a community when trying to build something positive for our kids. I'd encourage our neighbors, whether you ride or not, to be involved in the construction or maintenance of any of the STS trails....even if just an observer of the project. I'd also encourage you to watch our little ones ride these trails and I would be happy to share this experience with my neighbors. Seeing is believing. Anecdotal opinions don't produce anything of value. I know that when the trails are built and children are out riding, our neighbors will actually understand what the STS is and what it will do for our community. And, that some of the preconceived negatives of the trail's implementation are a knee-jerk reaction and do not actually exist in realty. However, again, there are some concerns that do need to be addressed if the project were to move forward.

I have been following the discussion on nextdoor concerning the sts. I want to Express my full support for this project. This will be a great asset for our community.
Thank you for this forum.
Basil

As proposed, the segments appear to be an additional, off-pavement option to supplement existing bike paths and bike routes. I see this as a perfect place to start, and a wonderful, fun, exciting option to encourage expanded use of existing facilities. Young folks need all the help and encouragement they can get to go outside, get away from the screens, and develop an appreciation for physical activity and the outdoors early on in life. I love this idea, and support it 100%! Riding on dirt is a unique experience, and far more enticing than riding on pavement for many riders. I believe it's a low-cost, low-impact proposal that stands to serve a greater part of the community than paved trails alone.

[Thought I posted a few days ago but it didn't come up, so take 2]...

I support this proposal to expand outdoor recreation opportunities in Golden. I’m a Golden homeowner for 9 years, father of two, and avid trail user – runner, biker, and hiker. Access to the outdoors is one of the top reasons we love Golden.

My kids are now in that gap age group where they’ve outgrown the playground, enjoy biking, and want to independently explore outside – traditional park facilities don’t offer much of anything for their age group. Accessible, beginner trails close to home would provide an outlet for older kids to get outside, get exercise, and have unstructured fun. Yes, there are other places to do this, but given our beautiful landscape and outdoor-oriented culture, it’s a shame to load up the car and drive to take kids biking.

I’ve seen first-hand the Singletrack Sidewalks in Eagle. They integrate seamlessly into the paved trails, parks, schools, and neighborhoods and are just part of the town’s recreation infrastructure. The only consequence seems to be the groups of kids riding around independently with smiles on their faces. Many other communities are doing this too, and it’s becoming standard practice for park and trail development. It sells houses too – this is the type of thing that young families are looking for.

In terms of wildlife habitat impacts – the new impact of a narrow trail adjacent to a paved bike path would be minimal, since the corridor is already disturbed and used by humans. All of the proposed segments are above the paved path and away from the Kinney Run riparian corridor, which is where most of the habitat value lies. We all love to see the elk, but the herd that wanders through our neighborhood is highly habituated to our presence.

A properly designed and built trail would minimize erosion and maintenance requirements, and would be primarily appealing to the intended users – beginner bikers, kids, runners, walkers, etc. Sure, advanced bikers passing through would check it out as a matter of curiosity, but it would not be their destination.

I do believe strongly that the proposed trails should be carefully designed and sited to minimize erosion, blend in to the terrain, and appeal to the intended users. This is entirely possible. Luckily, it’s been successfully done before in other communities and we have models follow.

I have been considering my response for quite some time. First off I am opposed to this project, not to cycling, but this project. I question the reasons for building a trail next to a trail. I question the motives for this project. I question if this is really for the children. I question how this will affect our open space. I question how this will affect the Lime Kiln. I question many more issues that surround this. All that being said, my greatest question is why is our City Council and our Parks and Recreation supporting the promotion of this project by a group of three men that are not even a legal entity in this state, nonprofit or otherwise! A group that is not a legal entity can promise the world like "we will build and maintain the STS" then suddenly disappear leaving the City of Golden with a huge debt and maintenance responsibility. Does Council know where the moneies collected by this group of three men go annually after the Giddy Up? Do we know how tax is being paid on it? This does not seem like good business Golden! Also, why did it take so long to bring this project forward to the neighborhoods affected? This is not good business Golden! What studies have been done to project increased traffic flow? How increased traffic will be managed in the neighborhoods? What studies have been done to determine how the environment will be affected? How will Wildlife be impacted? How will the environment of areas now designated as Open Space be impacted. What guarantees have been obtained from the from the Golden Giddy Up, and how, since they are not a legal entity, are they going to support their guarantees? Lots of questions need to be answered regarding this project. I hope City Council and Parks and Recreation will step back and get answers to all of this before moving forward on such an impactful project.

I fully support this initiative and happy to see it is finally moving forward despite the loud voices of a small group who is opposed to the project. This will be great for families, kids and adults to get around town. The same project was executed in Eagle and has been a huge success there no reason we can't do the same thing in Golden.

Getting more people on bikes is great for our community and the environment. Want to talk about a ruse how about the people commenting on the impact to wildlife and open space as they sit in their cookie cutter house in a huge subdivision that was once all open space not even that long ago that has a concrete path through it. Pretty amusing to read these comments.

I use the bike path through the Kinney Run area both bike mountain bike and road bike and will enjoy having a trail option to get me back home after a Chimney Apex ride. I love that Golden has evolved into a cycling center over the past decade it is great for our community and for our local businesses. The cycling community brings far more positives to Golden then negatives. This will continue to add value to our town for years to come at very low investment most of which will be through volunteer time.

I have lived in this neighborhood in Golden since 2000. I currently live in the Stonebridge development. Growing up in Colorado I understand that growth and change occurs as does development on open space with the growth of our population in recent years. I have seen many neighborhoods built on previously unpopulated areas all along the front range. Colorado is an outdoor recreation/activity state. We get ourselves outside. More trails have been built over the years and expanded for that purpose in many an open space environment. I believe the idea to add the dirt trails offset the concrete paths in the area is a fun idea and great opportunity to enjoy our space more. There have been many times I have encountered a biker on the concrete path in question, going well beyond the speed downhill they should be doing on a pedestrian path, because they are on the paved trail.
I see this path from my home. On a recent Sunday morning I sat outside on my deck and heard and counted a minimum of 10 bikers using the paved path for every single person on foot in an hour timeframe. Adding the dirt path will not increase traffic and noise in the area, it is already there, it will just be used as a path to other destinations, as it is used now. It seems many of the people opposed to this idea live in the Stonebridge neighborhood and are concerned about noise, wildlife habitat, erosion, dust, traffic, noise, etc… All of this already exists here due to our neighborhood. I did not hear any of these people speak up and try to prohibit the building of their neighborhood over all this pristine open space (as it was before they lived there) at that time. Now that they live here, any additional development isn’t allowed due to reasons they created by living here?
Reasons for not putting in the trail due to noise astound me. I hear people talking on cell phones or to each other down on the path all the time. The road noise from Highway 6 drowns out bird noises sometimes. The road noise is heard in the neighborhood on a regular basis as well as substantive gravel pit activity/noise from the LaFarge mine adjacent to Heritage Square. The gravel pit noise can be heard well in the evenings. Bikers going down the paved trail, I hear the noise of tire on pavement there all the time. Putting their tires on a dirt trail, I doubt I will hear that.
Addressing the animal habitats…Prior to the building of the Stonebridge neighborhood, great herds of elk used to come down in that entire area to mate and calve. As we watched the neighborhood being built and when it was finished, the elk continued to try and come down. In the fall you would hear the bugling right outside my back door. Now, the elk very rarely come down and when they do, their numbers have dwindled greatly within the neighborhood, most likely due to the human habitation of the area. When they do come down, they are hanging out on our fence lines, in our yards against our homes, in our playgrounds and on the dirt/gravel trails built within our community by the playground. They now only come down at night or evenings and leave first thing in the mornings…except during heavy snow times. The animal population that existed in the area prior to the building of several homes has managed to work around us. We moved into their lovely habitat already. I see a great horned owl perched on my neighbor’s home in the evenings regularly.
Regarding erosion…The concrete path that exists in the controversial segment, was put in prior to the neighborhood being built and extensive drainage work had to be done when that was built. I believe it was built already on a dirt path that existed in previous years. Adding a single trail dirt path adjacent to the concrete one, will not do anything that other kids haven’t already done. I have seen several times kids riding their dirt bikes up on the ridge above the concrete trail. They also hike up there and hang out on the rocks. At least this new trail gives them a designated spot to do so. Kids play in our open space within our neighborhood all the time. Adding a small dirt path adjacent to the paved isn’t going to effect anything further than it already has.

Removed by moderator.

This is a great idea. It gets bikers coming down from Apex off the sidewalks, which makes them safer for families. It also provides great, safe entertainment for the kids, and won't appreciably impact wildlife.

Not sure why this proposal is so appealing to some. I've lived here for over 30 years and to tell you the truth, I'm tired of the building of anything in this area. The City Council doesn't give a rats a@@ what you think about anything but is real good at giving lip service. Although this appears to be a single entity that is promoting this idea, do you people really want more intrusion in our lovely open space? Stop promoting things that will only add to the already overcrowding of people, intrusion to our wildlife's habitat, and basically will not be managed by anyone. How about advocating to actually get the city to "walk their talk " and add their band-aids to the poorly designed Heritage Road? City Council said they had laid out a plan in April but they haven't done jack to fix their errors. Be careful what you wish for or agree to neighbors!

Seems like the sticking point of this plan is section 5. I support giving kids a place to ride near Apex and Heritage Dells park where there is ample room. Section 5 is a concern to stonebridge residents due to the wildlife there and the narrow area. The key to any conflict is compromise. What about taking the trails up to Heritage Dells Park and leaving it there for now? Or alternatively re-routing.

Wow! What a great idea to encourage more family outdoor activity. In addition to biking, I think running on the single track will be great. Less pounding on the kness from concrete and very easy to give bikers on the single track room to pass. This seems like an inexpensive way to get more trails. Please plan North Golden soon.

I think this is such a great idea and would love to see it happen. What a great way to get kids out riding bikes and building their confidence on dirt. Seems like it would also help keep bike traffic off of the sidewalks when connecting Apex and Chimney. I definitely support this and hope it can act as a pilot program to get more trails throughout the city.

I think this is a great opportunity to provide trails that young kids can ride on to keep them active.

Our 2 1/2 year old twins are just getting started on their striders and I think this would be great for them to be able to get out on their bikes around the neighborhood without being on the concrete path or on Apex trail proper. I'm just getting started mountain biking myself and Apex is pretty intimidating as a trail. Having something less steep near our home would make it much easier for me to get out and ride, instead of having to load my bike up in the car and drive somewhere like Bear Creek Lake Park.

For everyone that is against this project, I would say that most in not all of you have zero experience with them as non exist in Denver Metro. They are very sustainable, do not hurt the overall ecosystem like the paved paths, if they are policed by everyone they will not get wider like some trails have, it will certainly not create more conflict as there will be LESS riders on the concrete. I am 110% for this idea, for children, adults, and riders of all levels. I do not see this a damaging open space. I feel the postcards going around are like 'fake news' political ads. The correct measures have been taken and it is time to give this a 'try.' Side note to all the proponents that are thinking of a mt bike race - for one, that is not true. #2, SO WHAT if ONE race is ever done?? Would that really ruin your entire neighborhood, lifestyle, property value, existence???? Get over yourself and give back to the community.

I support infrastructure that enables multi-modal non-motorized transportation, and believe the STS system will a wonderful addition to Golden and the larger Front Range community. There is a highly sensationalized flyer makes the rounds on facebook, posted by an anonymous person, that makes claims like "Mountain bikers will destroy the historic Kiln" - this is not supported by fact, evidence or experience, and as such - I must believe the rest of the information and opposition to this project is also based on poor information and hysteria rather than thoughtful planning and well reasoned points.

Build all the trails you want, but NO taxpayer funds, no city funds, let those that want these trails pay the cost, including reimbursing the city for the postage costs incurred for the notices. The city of Golden(taxpayers/citizens) should not be wasting taxpayer money on postage for a private group's project.

Golden has traffic circles/roundabouts to remove or enlarge on Heritage Road, a FAR more important issue that is in the interest of public safety, and that is exactly where all loose funds should be directed, not towards recreation for a few.

Attending these project meetings is futile, deaf ears greet all opposition, as was evident at the Shelton meeting regarding the Heritage road roundabouts/traffic circles, which are too small and poorly designed. It was unsettling to learn there were funds to build the roundabouts wrong, and more funds to pay for a study that offered nothing towards actually correcting the blunder , and then hear there aren't funds to pay for removing or enlarging the roundabouts to a reasonable size.
I no longer use Heritage Road because of the tiny roundabouts, they should have been designed to improve traffic flow, not restrict it.

Removing or enlarging the poorly designed traffic circles should be the first priority.