Advisory boards anticipated to make suggestion on whether or not pedal-assist bicycles ought to be allowed
John Glover, supervisor of Mountain Bike Specialists, describes options of an e-bike to Jonathan Bell in May 2017. The metropolis of Durango’s Parks and Recreation, Natural Lands Preservation and Multimodal Advisory boards mentioned information collected from a two-year examine about whether or not to permit e-bikes on the trails at Twin Buttes. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file)
Results compiled from a two-year trial examine about whether or not to permit e-bikes on trails at Twin Buttes reveal a majority of residents are in favor of the favored new bikes.
After the survey interval led to November, the town despatched information from the survey to Fort Lewis College to be analyzed.
Paul Clay, affiliate dean of the School of Business, mentioned 237 path customers accomplished the survey in the course of the two-year trial interval at Twin Buttes.
Of those surveyed, 83% have been bike riders, 3% have been e-bike riders, 12% have been hikers and a pair of% have been runners.
Clay mentioned the large query to focus on from the survey was whether or not those surveyed have been towards or in favor of e-bikes. Survey outcomes confirmed 57% of those surveyed mentioned they want e-bikes on the trails, and 43% mentioned they might not like to permit e-bikes on the trails.
“The core question from the survey is really question two, which is really why we’re all here,” he mentioned. “Overall, 57% of all people that were surveyed thought that e-bikes should be allowed on the Twin Buttes trail system. For me, that’s the primary takeaway from this survey.”
In addition to the information collected on the Twin Buttes path, the town acquired about 130 emails from residents in support of or towards permitting e-bikes on soft-surface trails.
Durango’s Parks and Recreation, Natural Lands Preservation and Multimodal Advisory boards held a joint assembly Wednesday about whether or not to completely permit e-bikes on Twin Buttes trails.
“We really wanted to just share our new information from the survey so that our three boards can have some general discussion,” mentioned Parks and Recreation Director Ture Nycum.
A movement to support continued e-bike use at Twin Buttes was introduced earlier than the three boards close to the tip of the assembly, but it surely was tabled so every board might decide on its personal.
The sort of e-bikes in query are Class 1 pedal-assist, electric-motorized mountain bicycles, that are pedal-assisted as much as 20 mph.
Public feedback on the assembly have been overwhelmingly in support of permitting e-bikes on metropolis trails.
Those in favor of e-bikes spoke about how they permit for folks with bodily limitations to make use of and discover native trails. Those who’re towards the bikes have considerations concerning the velocity of e-bikes on trails, and the etiquette of riders.
At the assembly, a subcommittee between the three boards was shaped to work on permitting e-bikes on native path programs aside from Twin Buttes. One of the large issues that must be checked out to permit e-bikes on trails outdoors Twin Buttes is the way it will work with conservation easements that sure trails have.
“We’re wanting some clarification on those conservation easements, and what they mean moving forward if we decide we want to allow e-bikes on more trails,” Nycum mentioned. “There are no conservation easements at Twin Buttes.”
E-bikes stay allowed at Twin Buttes as a result of a suggestion and choice is beneath dialogue.
njohnson@durangoherald.com