The Animas River Trail is a prime recreational venue. People use it to walk, cycle, exercise their dogs, spend time with friends and family, skateboard and stroll with children in buggies and strollers.
Currently, all of these activities are compatible, as the users travel at relatively low rates of speed and can negotiate the clusters of congestion without collision or confrontation.
As a resident of the north end of Durango, I took my own count recently of the types of users who frequent the trail. From early December through early March, I made 110 loops, starting at Memorial Park at 32nd Street and walked south either toward Rotary Park or back to the Recreation Center.
I counted a total of 5,640 users. The vast majority, or 85 percent, were on foot – including 2,920 walkers; 537 runners; 1,198 dog walkers; and 167 others pushing buggies or scooters, or skateboarding. Accounting for the remainder were 818 bicyclists.
Those of us on foot appreciate the trail’s natural qualities. We gaze at the river, watch the birds and other wildlife and enjoy the quiet of our outdoor surroundings. But the joys of natural, passive recreation now feel at risk because of a recommendation to allow electric bicycles on the trail – vehicles that can travel at speeds of 20 miles per hour or more, and on average weigh 20 pounds heavier than a regular bike.
Notably, the e-bike subcommittee making this recommendation was not created by Durango City Council. Last April, council voted 5-0 to maintain the ban of motorized vehicles on city trails. Nonetheless, in response to “citizen inquiries,” a subcommittee was formed, comprising two members each from the city’s Natural Lands, Parks and Recreation and Multi-Modal advisory boards.
Unsurprisingly, e-bike enthusiasts stepped up to volunteer for this board. They would like to lift the ban on e-bikes on the ART. The full text of the recommendations can be viewed on the web at durangogov.org/electricbikes. A joint meeting of the three advisory boards will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Durango Community Recreation Center to hear additional comment and act on the recommendation.
As recommended, Class I pedal-assisted e-bikes would be allowed on the ART for a trial, one-year period. All involved recognize e-bikes must avoid adverse impacts on other trail users. But aside from receiving email comments from trail users throughout the year, no specific measures have been proposed to judge whether the benefits of adding e-bikes to the trail outweigh the negative impacts.
Increased signage and posted speed limits are planned, but no mention is made of adding police patrols to the trail. We’ve seen how ineffective ordinances have been to limit smoking and certain dog behaviors on the trail. Unfortunately, the ART is bedeviled with cigarette butts and dog poop, and users are often confronted with unleashed dogs.
How are residents supposed to determine whether a bicyclist is exceeding posted speed limits, absent use of a radar gun? Also, how are residents supposed to determine whether the bike is a pedal-assist Class I type, or one of the throttle Class II types that can reach speeds up to 30 mph?
A Durango Herald reader poll with 2,116 responses conducted Nov. 12, 2016, clearly reflected public sentiment about e-bike use on the ART. Only 24 percent favored e-bikes on the trail; 57 percent were against them; and 19 percent would allow them with a speed limit.
Proponents of e-bikes on the ART understandably include vendors, as the price tag runs anywhere from $500 to $10,000 for these bikes. Some senior citizens also advocate for them, but no age limitation, special permits or licensing are included in the current recommendation.
When driven on streets or dedicated bike lanes, e-bikes provide a means of transportation with little environmental impact. But they do not belong in areas set aside for quiet, passive recreation. Those who are concerned about the addition of motorized travel on the ART need to speak up and be heard.
Chris Paulson is the past chairwoman and former conservation officer of the San Juan Chapter of the Colorado Mountain Club. Reach her at cpdurango@frontier.net.
