LOBO Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony July 14

BY LIZ EMMETT-MATTOX
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If you’ve ever thought about biking to Longmont, but didn’t want to brave the Diagonal, you will soon have an alternative. On July 14, at 4:30 p.m., Boulder County Commissioners, representatives from Boulder County Transportation, Parks and Open Space, and the City of Longmont will gather in Niwot at Left Hand Valley Grange Park to celebrate the completion of two key components of the planned 12-mile Longmont-Boulder Regional Trail or LOBO trail.

One of the key components is the bridge/underpass where 95th Street crosses Left Hand Creek in Longmont. The existing roadway bridge has been replaced with one that can accommodate bike and pedestrian traffic. The new structure also incorporates an underpass which connects the existing Longmont trail system to the LOBO regional trail.

Also completed is a three-mile section of trail connecting Longmont and Niwot. The north section of the trail travels primarily through the road right-of-way or Boulder County Open Space east of the BNSF railroad tracks to 83rd Street to Left Hand Grange Park where it connects to existing trails in Niwot. This soft-surface gravel trail will be a multi-use trail, open to pedestrians, bikes and horses.

According to Kristine Obendorf, Boulder County regional trails planner, there are still two small sections of the trail that are not yet complete: the section from Lookout Road to Twin Lakes and one section along Spine Road in Gunbarrel.

Aside from these two sections, commuters and recreational riders will soon be able to travel from Longmont to Boulder completely on trails.

Marni Ratzel, a Niwot resident and bicycle/pedestrian transportation planner with Go Boulder (City of Boulder) has been involved with this project from the beginning and is excited about the trail for both professional and personal reasons.

When Boulder County voters agreed to dedicate sales tax revenues to transportation and trail improvements, Ratzel was part of the discussion about which projects were the highest priority. “Everyone agreed this was it. We needed a trail to connect the communities of Longmont and Boulder.”

Ratzel said, “Boulder is really unique in that it has this fantastic greenbelt surrounding it, but what that means is that when people commute into the city, they need a way through that greenbelt that isn’t on roads. With 50,000 people commuting to Boulder every day, having an alternative transportation corridor is significant. This trail offers a real opportunity to commute by bike that is separated from vehicular traffic.”

Ratzel often rides for fun with her husband and pre-school aged sons on the trails around her Niwot home, and said, “I can’t wait to ride all the way from Niwot to Longmont. I can ride all the way to Main Street with my family.” Having an off-street option makes biking much more family-friendly, and Ratzel hopes that those who would never consider biking with their children along busy roads might be inspired to ride the trails instead.

Buzz Feldman, one of the founders and current board members of Bicycle Longmont said that he too is glad the trail is nearing completion. “There’s been a lot of interest among people in Longmont wanting a connection to Boulder without riding on the Diagonal.”

As part of the celebration, groups of cyclists will depart Longmont and Boulder earlier in the afternoon and meet in Niwot for the ribbon-cutting. Longmont cyclists will gather at Left Hand Park and will depart at 3 p.m. for Niwot led by Feldman. Riders from Boulder will meet at the Boulder Municipal Building, Sister City Plaza at 2:45 pm. Ratzel will lead the ride which will depart promptly at 3 p.m.
For more information on the rides, contact Marni Ratzel at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Buzz Feldman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .