Doudy Draw connection: speak to the Open Space Board on Wednesday, October 14 at 6pm.
The Open Space Board of Trustees makes its final recommendation on a Shanahan Ridge to Doudy Draw trail open to bikes at its October 14 meeting. This is the last chance for public comment, and the board pays close attention to riders.
The South Boulder trail connection we have been following since June is nearly at a decision. At its meeting on Wednesday, October 14 at 6:00pm, the Open Space Board of Trustees gives its final recommendation on a plan that could open a connector from Shanahan Ridge to Doudy Draw to bikes. This is the last chance for the public to comment before that recommendation.
Riders from Fairview High are organizing a group to speak, along with the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance, and the goal is ten or more riders at the microphone. Parents and coaches are welcome too, but the board listens most closely to the young people who would actually ride this trail, so every rider who comes makes a real difference.
Sign up to give public comment
The details
When: Wednesday, October 14, 6:00pm Where: Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, at Broadway and Canyon
You can speak in person or over Zoom. Either way, sign up at the link above to reserve a spot. The organizers send the Zoom link next week, and we will forward it to the team as soon as it arrives.
If you are planning to go, let us know at coach@boulderhighmtb.org. The organizers want a rough count, and splitting up the points means speakers can each say something different rather than repeating one another.
What to talk about
Public comment is short, usually a couple of minutes each. The strongest comments come from your own experience, so pick one point you actually care about and tell the board why. Some that matter to our riders:
- Safety. Getting to Doudy Draw today means riding Marshall Road or Eldorado Springs Drive (Highway 170). A trail connection would take young riders off those roads.
- Time and driving. Riding the roads to Doudy Draw takes far longer than the connector would, so most families drive to the trailhead instead. A connection means fewer cars and less pressure on parking.
- Trail work. Our team puts in a lot of volunteer trail building hours every year, and riders can say they are ready to help build and look after this one.
- Who it serves. Boulder High, Fairview, Boulder Junior Cycling, the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance and plenty of families would all use the connector.
- The trail is already there. For most of the route, the question is whether bikes are allowed, rather than whether to build something new.
A simple shape for a comment is to say your name and that you ride for Boulder High, why mountain biking matters to you, that you support a connector from south Boulder to Doudy Draw and Marshall Mesa, and then the one point above that means the most to you, finishing with a thank you to the board.
Speaking at a meeting like this
Standing up in a public meeting can feel nerve-wracking the first time, and that is completely normal. The board hears from adults all the time, and a high schooler explaining in their own words how they get to the trails is the comment they remember. If you have questions about any of this, find a coach at Cañon City this weekend or send us an email.