Trails and Circulation
We welcome your comments on any and all aspects of the Clear Creek Corridor Master Plan. If what you have to share concerns issues surrounding trails and circulation, please leave your comment below. You can also comment on any of the topics at right or respond to comments. Thank you for your participation.
I like the proposed plan for a unified theme along the Clear Creek through Golden. To link the parks, the kayak course, the trails, the recreation center, and downtown by this fantastic waterway–is wonderful!
However, if we really want to do this right–we, all of Golden, should be looking both upstream and downstream! How do we link all of this with the much needed trail up the canyon to Idaho Springs? How do we link to confluence park in Denver? How do we incorporate the water ways that are tributary to Clear Creek–like Tucker Gulch?
John Wesley Powell wrote that The West should be developed along its waterways. It wasn’t, and we all pay for this daily. Now, we have a chance to make the Clear Creek the center of our community in good style–a great thing!
But, we need to consider these listed questions–because they are arguably the most important part of the equation.
Thanks.
I’d like to propose (if it hasn’t been proposed already) continuing the path/trail west from the History Park on the south side of the creek at least to Route 6 and the new path south along Route 6.
Many benefits from doing this. One is to provide better and safer access/traffic flow for those walking their kayaks back upstream.
Also agree with working with Jeffco on continuing the trail west up the canyon toward Idaho Springs…
Are these ideas/concepts already in the plan?
Thanks.
Traffic:
I saw some conceptual drawings of potential improvements along 10th street. This included brick type crosswalks and median planters with trees. I like this concept because it increases the asthetics of the street and increase traffic control. I think something like this should also be included along 11th street.
Trails:
It would be nice to see a southern link from the Clear Creek Trail to the Mount Galbrath Trail north of Highway 6th.
Our vision for the Golden Community Garden is to be a public park dedicated to gardening, demonstration gardens (xeriscape, permaculture, pollinator attraction, etc), as well as a beautiful place to experience and contemplate nature.
We believe the Community Garden has tremendous value to people of all ages, abilities, and walks of life, whether or not they actively participate in a garden plot. The garden (and all of our educational activities and events) are open to all. We invite people to walk through the paths, and gain inspiration from the creativity of gardeners, or even obtain healthy organic food from one of the plots dedicated to food banks in Golden.
An inviting trail loop connecting the Garden/Community Center overflow parking lot/Creek Path is needed to accomplish this.
I keep wondering if we can’t find a better way to manage the many different user types along the creek: walkers, cyclists, kayakers, strollers, etc…
Maybe the addition of the south-side of the Creek trail helps, but maybe we might consider a wider path along the Creek, or different areas for different uses or some other traffic management to let everyone enjoy and get where they want to go (or not go if they’re just chillin’).
When connected to C470 trail, via the trails through Golden, the biking through traffic to Clear Creek Trail will increase dramatically. Currently all those bikers using roads are going to migrate to the mixed use trails leading to increased conflicts with hikers, dogs, and kayakers. I echo comment that pedestrian friendly 10th street will help, but wider sidewalk, one way lanes, or one way trails should be part of the plan. Let’s anticipate the conflicts and figure out how to cut down on them before they show up in the very near term.
What I would like to see with the trails along the creek are some widening, and some definition of the user types, either by marking or color of surface. I would not like to see certain users banned from certain trails, as this is a community……………….and we should welcome all uses and users.
We have great connection along the Creek going East, all the way to Confluence Park, and JCOS will be working on the trail going west along the Creek, from where the 2nd newest bridge is located……………right now, ‘the bridge to nowhere’…………….that does go to some hiking trails.
I’d love to see the inclusion of crusher-fines or other soft surface material along side all concrete pathways (north and south pathways, HWY 6 pathways, Clear Creek to Idaho Springs trail, etc.).
Not only are soft surfaces beneficial to runners and walkers (softer surfaces save joints!), but the extra trail space will help to alleviate some of the congestion caused by stroller/bike/pedestrian traffic that currently exists.
I envision connecting the Creek trail to the Recreation Center and the Community Garden creating a nice loop for those walking the path. This would highlight the communities wonderful recreation center and build community support for gardening and sustainability. Perhaps the path could follow the ball fields and then meader through the park south of the rec center and then head west through the garden connecting to the existing path.
So……liking the idea of having access from 8th and 10th, and making both more ‘friendly’, but being able to loop, and also liking the idea of moving 10th away from the Creek near Lion’s Park, I was thinking of how ‘box culverts’ could be used under a moved 10th to bring peds and bikes under the 10th St to the Creek. That would mean closing the pond, which would allow a splash pad, moving the playground closer to the rec center, and the restrooms there, and might even allow incorporation of a skate board park, perhaps where the 8th st access comes down the hill…….east of the community garden, west of the rec center………..
I echo Traci’s comments about crusher fine (soft paths) next to the hard surface paths. Wheatridge has great examples of this type of trail that is much more user (joint) friendly.
I live in Golden and enjoy running the trails along the creek. As mentioned above, the harder surface paths are not fun on the knees.
So as the plans for expanding the walking paths and trail system progress, please consider the need for the addition of “soft paths” that are runner/walker friendly.
Just found the Rio Grande trail from Glenwood to Aspen. Wide with crusher fines on the side in the populated areas. See this article from ‘08:
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080512/VALLEYNEWS/940282554
Of course they had a standard gauge track corridor to work with and lots of money. But, one side of CC should have a wide pass through path for bikers and runners. Take it up CC to Kermitts. Didn’t Jeffco float the continuous CC path a few years ago? Haven’t heard about it lately.
-pg
Comparing the before and after road layout, I don’t see a lot of functional difference. We would simply be moving pedestrian/car conflict from 10th St to the new windy street. Although this would decrease conflict adjacent to the river, the traffic would then negotiate two extra right angles, which are a little more dangerous than the current straight road, and a bit of a nightmare for the RVs and anyone near them.
But these are quibbles. My main concern is that clearly we have a lot to money to spend ($2 million? $5 million?), so why don’t we spend it on something that would have a greater benefit than simply rearranging concrete and grass ? Here are three ideas:
1) The selfish one. How about some topographic protection from the next flash flood or reservoir break for the houses along 9th St and 10th St ? This would be fairly cheap – simply build a NW-SE hill just W of Maple to deflect the raging waters back toward 10th St.
2) Do we have a flash flood early warning system like Boulder ? If we have, does anyone know about it ? How much would it take to set up and maintain a few cameras, automated detectors and telephone procedures ? The risk/severity of a flash flood will be higher for the next 20 years as the dead lodgepole forest in the upper Clear Creek basin becomes less able to absorb cloudbursts.
3) The Clear Creek Canyon Trail. This will be expensive. So lets build the first section now from Golden.
In summary, the current plan sounds like an awful lot of money to achieve not very much. And the kayak instructors would lose their beginner area in the lake.
On Road Design: if the detailed road design follows the philosophy of the “architects” who decided to make it as difficult as possible for RTD buses to negotiate the right turns from Washington to 10th and from 10th to Ford, I expect that there will be huge jams as the RVs attempt to get through the morass of traffic, bikes and pedestrians to and from the RV Park while other vehicles are moving in the opposite direction. Anticipate lots of stationary and near-stationary traffic with large diesel engines emitting smog downwind over 9th and 10th St residences. Is this factor included in the EIA (now we have about 10 parking spaces nearby upwind; the plan increases this to about 100).
A final thought: maybe we should acquire the RV Park as park space ? This would eliminate the most problematic traffic and allow the N side Creek Trail to be widened along its most confined section. Get it now, before inflation kicks in and the price goes up. Perhaps the RV Park owner would want to trade for some less publicly useful land somewhere else in Golden ?
Why would we spend $2-5 Million to reshuffle the concrete? No offense, the park system along Clear Creek is fine the way it is.
This plan is just a solution in search of a problem.
Why not refund that money to the tax payers or put it to some good use, like creating new open space resources where they don’t currently exist or extending the Clear Creek Trail.
Reorganizing Lion’s park is one gigantic waste of money, and completely unfair to the people who live on 9th street. If they’d wanted to live with the traffic, they’d have bought the cheaper property on 10th. Why don’t the people behind this go tear up their own neighborhood (and on their own dime).
Just wanted to add my supoprt for a mutlie-use trial through Clear Creek to Idaho Springs. Also should connect the paved bikepath north to the Ralston path along hgwy93. It would make a nice loop.
Thanks,