Taming the ART
Taming the ART

Following two focus group sessions and community feedback, the City of Durango has decided not to pursue a posted speed limit on the Animas River Trail at this time. Instead, the city will implement several trail safety improvements this summer, including centerline striping, enhanced education and enforcement, and continued evaluation of user behavior.

The focus group, which was comprised of 10 community members selected from a pool of more than 80 applicants, was created in response to ongoing concerns regarding safety and user experience on the busy trail. The group’s goal was to guide recommendations, strategies and potential changes to city staff. Members represented a range of perspectives, including pedestrians, cyclists, accessibility advocates and trail users. Staff liaisons from the city’s Police Department, Parks and Recreation Department and Multimodal Division also attended. 

During the May 5 City Council meeting, city staff reported the focus group did not recommend implementing a speed limit. Instead, the group expressed “strong consensus for better enforcement of existing regulations – especially off-leash dogs, unauthorized motorized use and reckless behavior,” Klancy Nixon, the city’s community engagement specialist who facilitated the discussions, said. “This approach is preferred over creating new rules.”

In response to the citizen group’s feedback, city staff is moving forward on adding centerline striping in high-traffic areas along the trail and then evaluating the lines’ effectiveness. Striping is a low-cost, effective tool to organize traffic, reduce conflicts and help with enforcement. The installation will use a combination of dotted and solid striping depending on congestion and visibility. 

Also, as part of this summer’s efforts, Police Department open space rangers will expand their presence on the trail and continue outreach on responsible cycling, e-bike regulations, yielding and off-leash enforcement.

Devin Conroy, commander with the Durango Police Department, told council the focal point for police is spotting reckless behavior on the trail. He defined this as, “any type of behavior that could put somebody in jeopardy of being injured or any type of dangerous act … that could potentially harm somebody.” 

Durango Police will also be partnering with the Durango School District to educate young riders, focusing on highly used areas, such as between Rotary Park and the Recreation Center. Additional signage is also under consideration.

For more information, visit Durangoco.gov.