New Colorado trail in the works that will connect Boulder and Erie
If he's not working, you can typically find Steven Kaminski on the trails -- but pretty much exclusively on the trails.
"Pretty much just stick to mountain biking these days and being in the mountains on the trails, singletrack, "Kaminski said. "My main reason is to avoid cars and traffic. ... I've been hit by a car before on a bike and it's scary."
In 2007, Kaminski got hit by a car while racing and separated his shoulder. As a result, he avoids riding on streets, and therefore rarely rides from Erie -- or his home in Louisville -- to Boulder.
"You kind of have to maneuver, get on the road, get off the road, get on the bike path, back on the road," Kaminski said describing the paths.
But now, that path will get a whole lot easier. This fall Boulder County commissioners approved a new project -- Boulder to Erie Regional Trail, or BERT. Tonya Luebbert has been working on BERT for the last five years as the Regional Trails Planner for the Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting Department.
"I've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this, and it's exciting that we got the go-ahead," Luebbert said.
The BERT trail will turn an out-of-service RTD railway into a trailway. It will create eight-and-a-half miles of trail that will connect Boulder to Erie and everything in between with a goal of not only connecting the city and town but making the parks along the way more accessible. The trail also comes as Erie is one of the fastest-growing areas in Colorado.
"Cyclists, you know, that do try to make the connection between Erie and Boulder ... are risking their lives on the roads every day," Luebbert said, "Having this, this unused rail right of way presents this amazing opportunity."
But as for when bikers could start riding, you may have to hold the breaks just a bit as Luebbert explains a trail takes more work than sometimes first assumed.
"Realistically, we're looking at design in 2025, 2026 and applying for grants in that time. I think the earliest we could start building a segment would be 2027," Luebbert said.
But no matter the wait, bikers like Kaminski are standing by to gear up.
"It's a beautiful country," Kaminski said, "The more trails, the better. Off-road would be great."
