IT IS TIME FOLKS!
Especially if you are from the Front Range, the time is NOW for you to act and help support the momentum to build out cycling-specific facilities (including CROSS baby!) at Valmont Park in Boulder. The response from the City Council from various groups and citizens has been very good.

OK, so where are we at...and what can YOU do? Let me break it down this way.

GIMME THE BACKGROUND.
The City of Boulder is collecting public comments to shape the future
of Valmont Park. Your input will help determine if cyclocross and
mountain biking are part of the plan.

Valmont City Park is a 132-acre chunk of land located on Valmont Road
in Boulder. The city is drawing new plans for the park after the
original 1998 plan failed to be implemented. During the past year, a
group of cyclists have rallied under the umbrella of the Boulder
Mountainbike Alliance to encourage the city to include off-road
riding like cyclocross, mountain biking, and a terrain park in the plan.

RAD! I'M IN! HOW CAN I HELP?
The city has now released 3 versions of the plan for public feedback.
These are concept plans only, and include a whole laundry list of
potential facilities, from soccer fields to tennis to arts and more.
The good news: 2 of the versions include a mix of cyclocross trails,
singletrack, and bike terrain parks.

Now is time for the public to speak up. You can help by lending your strong voice!
It's essential to let city officials know that you support cycling at
Valmont.

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO...AND IT'S EASY!

1. Talk DIRECTLY to the City Council and submit your comments and take a survey on the city's website here.

2. When commenting, use the talking points at the end of this post below. Be sure to use
your own voice and highlight any personal experiences you've had.

3. Forward this blog post!!!. Rally your friends and ask them to echo your
support for cycling.

4. Attend one of the upcoming public meetings (listed on city's
website) to review the plans, ask questions, and log your comments.

5. Check out the park blueprints and see the schedule for public open
houses here.

6. Join our long-term effort by becoming a member of the Boulder
Mountainbike Alliance. Go to: http://boa-mtb.org

7. The deadline is Oct. 31, 2007.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to give your feedback!

------TALKING POINTS FOR YOUR COMMENTARY BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL-------
Talking points you can stress in your comments back to the City:

* I support support cycling at Valmont.

* Create an interconnected system of purpose-built mountain biking
and cyclocross trails that includes a variety of trail styles to meet
the needs of a wide range of riders. These trails can be available
for skiing and running too.

* Locate all cycling facilities adjacent to each other in a linked
system of loops. The bike terrain park should be located nearby.

* Seek the input of professional trail designers and local riders to
craft the final design.

* Maximize hills: The cycling trails and bike terrain park should
make maximum use of existing and/or constructed hills.

* Don't put streets through the park.

* Build it as soon as possible.

--
Additional Information

Our goal, working in partnership with the City of Boulder Parks and
Recreation Department, is to build and maintain a permanent off-road
cycling facility at Valmont City Park. Intended for mountain biking,
cyclocross, dirt jumping, BMX, and other off-road riding and racing,
the facility should consist of an integrated network of natural-
surfaced trails, a mountain bike/BMX terrain park, a start/finish
venue, and appropriate trailheads. The exact location and design of
the facility is flexible and should be developed by a team of
community stakeholders, city staff, and professional consultants.

We intend not only to advocate for this vision, but also to provide a
permanent partner to the city and to share in the long-term
stewardship of the facility.

Cycling facilities at Valmont would be of benefit to thousands of
Boulder’s residents, not to mention cyclists from outlying areas like
Longmont, Louisville, Broomfield, and beyond.

Most importantly, it would provide a safe location for kids to learn
about cycling, participate in clinics, and even get started with racing.

We hope to create a compact yet varied collection of trails and open
areas to appeal to off-road riders of all ages and all abilities. The
facility would be open to the public on a daily basis, but also offer
pre-scheduled closed-course racing, race training, instruction, and
other events. The project could be developed in phases, starting
small and growing as resources allow.

The concept of off-road cycling facilities at city parks is a growing
trend. Variously known as bike parks, bike skills parks, or adventure
parks, these playgrounds are popping up all over—and riders love
them. There are more than 30 purpose-built public bike parks in the
U.S. and Canada, and this figure doesn’t include privately owned bike
parks or bike facilities at ski resorts. In Colorado, different types
of bike parks have been built in Fort Collins, Eagle, Colorado
Springs, and Gunnison.

To get involved or learn more, contact pete at imba dot c o m.

Survey seeks input on Valmont City Park
Boulder residents polled on recreation preferences

By Ryan Morgan Camera Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Open house

The Parks and Recreation Department will host an open house to discuss plans for Valmont City Park between noon and 2 p.m. Sunday at Eben G. Fine Park, 101 Arapahoe Ave.

Photo by Marty Caivano

Members of the Boulder Parks and Recreation Department's youth football league, including coach Jeff Cantrell, foreground, practice at Valmont City Park on Monday evening.

The future shape of one of Boulder's largest undeveloped parks is in the mail.

The city's Parks and Recreation Department has sent out 2,000 surveys asking residents what they'd like to see happen at Valmont City Park, a 115-acre parcel that sits at the intersection of Valmont and Airport roads in northeast Boulder.

Parks officials say they'll use the survey responses, along with input from the public at several open meetings over the next few weeks, to draw up a new plan for the park, which they expect to present to the City Council early next year. Eventually, elected officials would take the plan to voters to ask for the money for the project, which could easily cost $50 million.

The survey asks residents to outline their preferences from among 15 options, including an indoor recreation center, lighted tennis courts, a dog park, a single-track mountain biking course and an 18-hole disc golf course. The final plan will likely include a combination of those 15 options.

Read full article and reader comments HERE.