City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) staff updated the Open Space of Board of Trustees (OSBT) on the ongoing e-bike evaluation on November 9. Staff presented the results of community engagement surveys conducted during the summer and answered questions from the board.
The meeting was recorded and is on YouTube.
Meeting Summary
OSMP staff recommends including Class 1 and Class 2 e-biking as a passive recreational activity permissible on open space and allowed only on certain designated trails. Staff recommends e-bike use outlined in “Alternative B,” the Boulder Canyon trail and trails east of Broadway.
OSBT questions for staff:
- Are online surveys and visitor survey statistically valid and representative of the Boulder community as a whole?
- Were the surveys were biased because staff recommended Option B?
- Do e-bikes meet the definition of passive recreation?
- How do we know whether able-bodied or people with disabilities can safely handle an e-bike?
- Should or can e-bike speed be regulated or enforced?
- When using data from Boulder County, is the density of visitors higher on OSMP managed land than Boulder County managed land?
- Can staff provide maps that better show how OSMP trails connect to other agency trails?
- Is there a risk of wildfire from e-bikes?
The staff presentation and survey results are also on the OSMP Evaluation of E-Bikes project page. And here’s the slides from the staff presentation at the OSBT meeting.
Next Steps
- Wednesday, Dec. 14, 6 p.m. – OSBT will take public comments.
- Wednesday, Jan. 11, 6 p.m. – OSBT will provide City Council with recommendation.
- Later this winter (TBD) – Boulder City Council is expected to consider this matter.