Updated 12/23: OSBT recommendation to City Council is postponed from Jan. 11 to Feb. 8.
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Open Space Board of Trustees (OSBT) will be taking public comments this week regarding OSMP staff’s proposal to allow e-bikes on certain open space trails.
Next Steps
- Wednesday, Dec. 14, 6 p.m. – OSBT will take public comments.
- Wednesday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. – OSBT will provide City Council with a recommendation.
- Later this winter (TBD) – Boulder City Council is expected to consider this matter.
OSMP staff is recommending Alternative B, which would allow e-bikes on open space east of Highway 36/Broadway/Highway 93 and the Boulder Canyon Trail. Alternative B includes 34 miles of paths, of which roughly 14 miles are singletrack trails. OSMP staff’s recommendation does not include Chapman Drive, Doudy Draw, Springbrook, Flatirons Vista or the new North Sky trail. Also excluded are the Boulder County Parks & Open Space managed systems of Betasso Preserve, Walker Ranch, Heil Valley Ranch, Hall Ranch, Rabbit Mountain and Mud Lake.
Currently, there are only 3 miles of singletrack open to e-bikes in all of Boulder County – the Rattlesnake Gulch trail in Eldorado Canyon State Park.
BMA uses the term e-bike to mean any electric assist bicycle. We use eMTB to refer to an electric pedal-assist mountain bike without a throttle and with a max assist speed of 20 mph.
Want to take a deeper dive?
OSMP e-bike evaluation
🟢 OSMP Evaluation of E-Bikes on Trails project page
🟢 OSBT Meeting Page
🟢 Sign up to speak at the Dec. 14 virtual OSBT meeting
🟢 BMA’s updated comments on the OSMP e-Bike evaluation
🟢 Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks tackles the thorny issue of e-bikes – Boulder Reporting Lab
eMTBs in Boulder County
🟢 Where to ride your eMTB near Boulder
🟢 What’s the deal with the U.S. Forest Service and eMTBs?
National eMTB news
🟢 eMTB Access and Management – International Mountain Bicycling Association
🟢 eMTB Identification Guide – International Mountain Bicycling Association
🟢 The Future of E-Bikes on Public Lands: How to Effectively Manage a Growing Trend – Federal Highway Administration
