City council advances Mineral Mobility East contract after public criticism over concrete Railroad Spur Trail

A Littleton City Council majority voted 5-1 to advance a contract the council described as the Mineral Mobility East Improvement Project, which includes work on Mineral Avenue and paving the Mill Avenue Trail (also called the Railroad Spur Trail) at a cost residents described as about $1,000,000.

The decision drew public comment at the Transportation Mobility Board (TMB) meeting, where several residents urged changes. "We feel the city's presentation stretched the truth or ignored the truth in quite a few places," said Steve Lowry of District 3, who told the TMB that two former TMB officers had submitted letters of support to Arapahoe County Open Space during a 2023 grant application for the project. Lowry and other speakers said the paving plan would convert sections of a soft-surface recreation trail through Jackass Gulch into a concrete path used by commuters, and that change would displace people who prefer unpaved trails.

Why it matters: The paved trail is presented by city staff as an accessibility and multimodal improvement. Opponents say the change will alter recreational character and exclude some users. The project also intersects with a prior 2023 Arapahoe County Open Space application for which letters of support were submitted by people previously affiliated with the TMB, raising questions among residents about earlier endorsements.

What the TMB heard: Lowry described two TMB members who "expressed considerable concerns about putting a concrete trail down through Jackass Gulch and trying to turn a recreation trail into a commuter trail." He said residents who want softer surfaces now ask the city to install a separate 4‑foot crusher‑fine path south of the concrete trail inside the proposed right-of-way so walkers and other soft‑surface users would still have a place to use. Lowry presented that option as a compromise; he said the project as proposed risks "denying people with disability" certain uses while at the same time disenfranchising citizens who prefer soft trails.

Council action and next steps: City council’s recorded tally was 5 yes, 1 no to advance the contract for further processing. The motion, as discussed in public comment, will move forward through contract execution and project implementation steps; the council vote advanced the contracting process rather than representing project completion. The transcript did not record the motion’s exact wording, mover/second or the names of individual council votes.

Funding and provenance: Speakers linked parts of the project to a 2023 Arapahoe County Open Space application and associated letters of support. The city staff presentation and council action are the immediate drivers of the contract advancement; implementation may depend on final contract terms and any external grant conditions.

Voices at the meeting

- "The city's presentation stretched the truth or ignored the truth in quite a few places," — Steve Lowry, District 3 resident, on the council presentation and vote.

What wasn’t decided: No final construction contract award, construction schedule or contractor name was recorded in the TMB discussion. The council vote was to advance the contract; the transcript does not show final execution, construction start dates, or whether a separate design change (such as adding a parallel crusher‑fine path) will be adopted.

Context and next meetings: The issue arose during public comment at the TMB meeting. The board and staff discussed many outstanding TMP topics and study items at the same session; residents may continue to press the council and staff for modifications as design and contracting proceed.