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Hikers, birders and conservation groups urge board to limit bike access on Shanahan trails
Summary
Public commenters at the March 11 Open Space Board meeting urged staff to resist proposals to open about 4 miles of Shanahan Ranch foot trails to bikes, citing safety, wildlife impacts, loss of solitude and biodiversity concerns; trustees asked staff to consider separation strategies and cited need for more evidence about ecological mechanisms of harm.
Residents, conservation groups and regular trail users told the Open Space Board of Trustees they oppose proposed bike access on certain Shanahan and South Boulder trails as outlined in the city’s multimodal assessment.
"We used to spend our time leisurely watching for birds, bees, and beasts. Now it's become, 'watch out for the bikes,'" said Ed Youngs, who described more frequent and faster e‑bikes as altering the trail experience and increasing collision risk. Karl Ford cited the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, saying South Boulder and Shanahan grasslands have very high biodiversity significance and include rare plants and butterflies.
Bev Baker (Boulder County Audubon Conservation Committee) asked staff to prioritize wildlife habitats — including the Tallgrass Prairie State Natural Area — and to retain spaces for quiet, pedestrian recreation. Multiple speakers recommended alternative approaches for cyclist access, such as improving Highway 93/170 intersections and creating designated bike connections rather than converting narrow foot trails to multi‑use.
Trustees acknowledged the passion of commenters. Trustee Brady said he understands the safety and solitude concerns and encouraged staff to pursue separation where possible and to be explicit about design strategies on connector routes. Trustee John suggested staff take time to ensure the public can engage fully on the issue.
Staff explained the April engagement window will include intercept trailhead surveys (iPad-based Human Dimensions field surveys) and an online questionnaire; the first engagement window is planned to include field intercepts and will be followed by Q3 and Q4 engagement events.
What’s next: staff will report back with more detailed analysis, additional public engagement results and potential design options for minimizing user conflict; no formal trail‑use decisions were made at the meeting.
