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Residents press Manitou Springs council on event notices, ebikes and speeding; traffic-calming meeting planned
Summary
Public commenters and councilors raised safety and communication concerns about a weekend Bar Trail race, increasing ebike/tour traffic and speeding on Crystal Park Road; councilors announced a neighborhood traffic-calming meeting for Aug. 1 and discussed enforcement and physical measures.
Residents and councilors told the Manitou Springs City Council on July 21 that intensified recreational traffic, ebike tours and occasional early-morning events are creating safety and quality-of-life concerns in several neighborhoods.
Colleen Johnson of Engleman Canyon said she received no notice from event organizers or city staff before a Bar Trail race that routed people through her neighborhood. "There was 0 communication from anyone in the city or anyone organizing that event," she said, and added that early-morning music and announcements starting between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. caused safety and disturbance issues for the adjacent neighborhood and a large local business.
Resident Mike Casey also questioned enforcement around a different local parking ordinance, asking why center-lane permits exist and whether the rule benefits the public.
Councilors said they regularly receive correspondence about speeding on Crystal Park Road and similar routes without sidewalks and agreed the pilot speed humps have been lightly effective because they are small. Councilor Gloria Latimer announced plans for a traffic-calming neighborhood meeting on Aug. 1, saying residents in multiple neighborhoods have expressed concerns about buses, tours and ebikes.
Councilor John (first name) said the city has already seen a traffic fatality on Crystal Park Road in the last year and urged stronger action. "We've already had a casualty in terms of somebody dying," he said, noting the seriousness of the issue and the need to consider enforcement and engineering solutions.
City staff said they will follow up on event coordination questions and are researching possible enforcement or physical traffic-calming measures; councilors emphasized the need for more visible enforcement and community notification when large events are planned.
What happens next: Councilors Judith Chandler and Gloria Latimer will coordinate neighborhood outreach and a traffic-calming meeting on Aug. 1 to collect resident input and consider options including enforcement, larger speed cushions or other engineering measures.
