Durango is forming a focus group to gather community input on how best to implement a speed limit and address safety concerns on the Animas River Trail.
During a Tuesday study session, following a postponed November decision on a 10 mph speed limit, Multimodal Manager Lily Oswald, police Cmdr. Devin Conroy and Assistant Parks Director Sara Humphrey presented findings from monthslong research to City Council.
They recommended forming a focus group to improve trail safety – including possibly implementing a speed limit – according to a Wednesday news release. The group will be made up of “nonprofits engaged in recreation, bike shop staff, citizens, commuters and include a youth representative.”
City spokesman Tom Sluis said the group will help draft an ordinance to be presented at a future City Council meeting.
The ordinance would outline specifics on how best to implement a speed limit and other safety measures, which could then be adopted into the city’s municipal code. They would then be enforced by Durango’s Open Space Rangers and the future Animal Rangers, who will begin patrolling city trails Jan. 1.
“The general intent of this group wouldn’t be to limit use so much as it would be to deal with safety and speed considerations,” Humphrey said.
She said other communities with similar commuter behavior and infrastructure have a 15 mph speed limit, rather than 10 mph.
Denver, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette and Zion National Park in Utah have a 15 mph speed limit on their multiuse paths. Additionally, the U.S. Access Board’s Public Right-Of-Way Access Guidelines recommend a 15 mph speed limit for shared-use paths like the Animas River Trail, according to the presentation.
“We’re really looking at communities with thoughtful, integrated infrastructure, which is what we’re working with here in the city,” Oswald said. “By and large, a lot of the municipalities we’re seeing are aligning with a 15 mph speed limit.”
However, a key part of the discussion were e-bikes – specifically, what types of motorized bicycles are allowed on multiuse paths like the Animas River Trail.
Colorado Bike Law says there are three classifications of e-bikes. Class one e-bikes have a pedal-assist motor with a top speed of 20 mph. Class two have pedal-assist or a throttle and also top out at 20 mph. Class three e-bikes are pedal-assist but have an electric motor that can propel the rider up to 28 mph.
Durango has seen a rise in conflicts between people riding class three e-bikes or electric motorcycles on public trails – many of whom are juveniles. Class three e-bikes, e-motos and other motorized vehicles are not allowed on the Animas River Trail, Oswald said. It is also illegal under Colorado law for anyone younger than 16 to ride a class three e-bike, and for riders 18 and younger to ride without a helmet.
“The state of Colorado is recognizing now with current laws that people under 16 cannot operate a class three e-bike,” Conroy said.
He said a typical user on the Animas River Trail travels 12.6 mph, according to compiled data from a September 2025 survey in which 100 adult users were surveyed at four different locations along the trail. The majority of those surveyed were riding bikes, and only 10 of 100 were observed exceeding 15 mph.
In November, DPD conducted outreach to educate e-bike riders on what electric-assist bikes are allowed on the trail, Conroy said. Officers contacted 65 adult riders, and out of that number, 44% were riding class one and two e-bikes, while roughly 45% of those surveyed were riding class three e-bikes, e-motos or e-scooters.
DPD also encountered several people riding modular e-bikes, which are technically a level two e-bike but can be modified to make them as powerful as a level three e-bike, Conroy said.
“The majority of people did not understand that they could not ride a level three e-bike on the trail,” he said.
DPD wants to continue increasing its presence on the trail, partially to find people riding illegal e-bikes and penalize them for reckless behavior, but also to help spread awareness about what types of bikes are allowed and what are not, Conroy said. That includes reckless or careless behavior, illegal bikes or vehicles on the trail, and someone younger than 18 years old not wearing a helmet or causing crashes.
“The increased presence alone is an opportunity to contact, educate and enforce,” he said.
Since the department started bumping up patrol on the trail, four people have been issued mandatory court summons, though not all for reckless bike behavior. Specifically, three e-bike riders were issued summons for municipal court hearings.
Conroy said hiring a full-time Animas River Trail ranger to patrol the trail was a good first step in increasing enforcement. DPD put a camera trailer on the trail to capture photos of people riding illegal e-bikes, e-scooters and e-motos, which they can then use to find and contact them, and, if necessary, deliver legal notices. Additionally, school resource officers have been doing extra patrols at the end of the school day to remind kids on e-bikes to slow down, he said.
“We’ve also just gotten feedback from the schools that they’re on board with not having their students ride a lot of these e-bikes,” he said. “We have gotten pictures of people and have visited their homes to let them know that their children are riding illegal bikes on the river trail.”
Conroy told councilors that DPD also plans on increasing presence with animal rangers on Jan. 1 – who can enforce the illegal e-bike rule as well as telling people to put off-leash animals back on-leash. Those rangers will also be able to enforce e-bike rules on the path.
Sluis said the focus group will draft an ordinance that will be placed before City Council for its consideration within the coming months.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
