Trustees of the Open Space Board of Trustees heard about two dozen public comments on Dec. 10 about a proposed mountain‑bike connector between Shanahan Ridge/Greenbrier and the Dowdy Draw/Marshall Mesa trail network, with speakers split between safety and ecological concerns.

Supporters, including parents, Fairview High School riders and local cycling organizations, framed the connection as a safety and access measure. ‘‘This would prevent accidents, reduce car dependency, and provide responsible, sustainable access for all users,’’ said Andrew Feeney, who urged the board to ‘‘prioritize the well‑being of our youth.’’ Anna Niedy, a Fairview captain who described being seriously injured by a distracted driver, said the connector would cut road riding from five miles to about a half‑mile for many students.

Opponents cautioned about ecological harm and loss of solitude on sensitive lands. ‘‘The Shanahan Grasslands is very high biodiversity significance,’’ said Carl Ford, citing rare plants and butterflies; Bev Baker of the Boulder County Audubon Society said any new trail project ‘‘should include full review of impacts to wildlife, native plants, and ecosystems’’ and called for full public participation.

Board members and staff emphasized process constraints. OSMP planning manager Casey French and planner Jenna Van Gruen described the multimodal improvements assessment tied to City strategic plan objective 7c as a system‑wide, year‑long project with three engagement windows and an intercept survey planned for April. Staff said the assessment will focus on actions OSMP can direct on its lands and will consider environmental remediation and feasibility.

Trustee Michelle, who helped draft the board’s annual letter to City Council, said the board wants the assessment completed within 2026 and asked council to be prepared to approve minor West TSA (trail system area) amendments if the assessment supports them. Other trustees said they support an expedited, but thorough, assessment and urged preserving options for alternate alignments if environmental review suggests realignment.

The board heard repeated requests from cycling‑community groups—Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance and Boulder Junior Cycling among them—to begin evaluation now and to use near‑term projects (such as a 2026 reroute of the Lower Big Bluestem Trail) as study opportunities. Ecology‑focused speakers urged that designated state natural areas and high‑value habitats be excluded from potential bike conversions.

The board did not take a formal vote on approving a specific connector at the meeting; trustees agreed to finalize language in their letter to City Council to emphasize expedited study in 2026, clarifications about process, and the need for environmental review. Staff said more detailed findings and preliminary opportunities will be presented to the board in March 2026 and during spring engagement windows.

The next procedural steps are the staff assessment (background research and a system‑wide gap analysis), an April intercept survey and public outreach, and successive engagement windows through 2026; if the assessment identifies a justified West TSA amendment to allow bikes on a particular existing route or a narrowly defined new connector, trustees indicated they would ask council to consider a minor amendment based on the study’s findings.