Longmont City Council joining with CDOT to expand St. Vrain Greenway trail

The approval of a long-awaited addition to the St. Vrain Greenway trail means Longmont is back in the trail-building business, according to proponents of the plan.

They are cheering a decision by city council on Tuesday to let the city match $1.5 million in Colorado Department of Transportation funds to design and construct a 3.5-mile extension of the St. Vrain Greenway east of Longmont.

The $3 million project will stretch the greenway trail from the Sandstone Ranch Nature Area to near St. Vrain State Park in Weld County. Council on Tuesday approved an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT to accept the grant funding.

Crews will create an 8-foot-wide path from the current eastern terminus at Sandstone Ranch Nature Area to the Colo. 119 bridge over St. Vrain Creek between Longmont and Interstate 25, city planners said. Planners estimate the project will take 12 to 18 months to finish with construction planned for 2022.

The project meets city council goals by “increasing alternate modes” and “improving walkability/bikeability” of the city, planners said.

The extension also will help revive efforts to build a trail system that connects the city with surrounding communities, said Katja Stokely, a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

The 2013 flood put many planned extensions of Longmont’s trail system on hold as the city instead concentrated on rebuilding paths and greenways, Stokley said.

“It’s been tough for Longmont and the surrounding area, recovering from the 2013 flood, and having to put off so many improvement plans,” Stokley said.”I’m happy to see us finally able to take this step, work with the state, and eventually be part of the Colorado Front Range Trail regional system.”

Residents and visitors will be able to use the trails from Golden Ponds Nature Area to the state park without having to resort to streets with vehicle traffic, Stokley said. 

“Expanding the multi-modal options in our community is good for seniors, for families, for people with disabilities,” she said. “It increases the opportunities for residents to get outdoors and get moving.”

Paula Fitzgerald said the extension means Longmont will begin to develop a true regional trail system. Fitzgerald is a retired senior project manager who worked on the St. Vrain Greenway trail during her tenure with the city.

“This is just huge,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s not another highway expansion but it is a recreational trail and commuter trail in many ways. There are plenty of people who ride their bikes into Longmont to work. This is going to be a big deal for them.”

The St.Vrain Greenway trail currently goes for about eight miles from the Golden Ponds Nature Area at Third Avenue and Hover Street to the Sandstone Ranch Nature Area to the east, according to the city.

Boulder County plans to extend the St. Vrain Greenway west to Lyons, while the state plans to run it through St. Vrain State Park to southwest Weld County.