News Feb 1, 2017

Go to our website www.trailsandopenspaces.org/closures for closure info
Westside Action Plan Open House Feb 2.
TWO World-class cycling events come to Colorado Springs this summer!
COS residents are “super users” of parks–TPL Study
Forest Restoration plans for mid-January
News and events.
NEWS FEBRUARY 1, 2017

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Current Trail Closures now on our website

We now have a section on our website for Closures.
We’ll enter what we know about parks and trails that are closed, why they’re closed, and how long before they are expected to re-open.

From the home page, hover over “News and Events” and choose “Closures.” Or use this link to go directly to the page: http://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/closures/
Help us keep this page current–email us at info@trailsandopenspaces.org with your updates on trail closures and detours!

Air Force Academy closed Feb 1st, 8 am – 5 pm

The portion of the Santa Fe Trail running through the Academy will be closed to non-DoD identification cardholders from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1.

Sinton Trail at Mark Dabling closed.
The Sinton Trail will be closed for as long as 60 days. We’ll update as we know more about the re-opening.
This is a repair project being done with  money from the 2D “Yes for Trails” ballot measure. Scope of work includes: Improvements to line of sight, primarily under the railroad trusses and Sinton Road, connection to Sinton Pond, improving drainage under the trail, and converting the asphalt trail into a 10′ wide concrete trail.
The City is not providing a detour, saying it’s not feasible.
We are asking commuters and trail users to let us know how they are getting around the closure, so we can let others know.

Bear Creek Trail Closure
Crews on the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Interstate- 25/Cimarron Interchange Design-Build Project will temporarily detour Bear Creek Trail between 8th Street an d I-25. This temporary detour is scheduled to go into effect Monday, Jan. 23 and will be in place for up to five weeks, to complete creek protection work at the east end of the box culvert under I-25.

Westside Ave Action Plan Open House Feb 2
Join Wildcat Construction and El Paso County for a public open house on Thursday, February 2 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Shrine Club, located at 6 South 33rd St. Project team members will be there to give information about the Westside Avenue Action Plan project. County representatives and project engineers will deliver a brief formal presentation at 6 p.m.
 Come learn more about:
  •          The new roadway design for Colorado/Manitou Avenue
  •          Improvements to Adams Crossing
  •          Ridge Road’s new trail plaza
  •          Other project design features, traffic impacts and the construction schedule
For more information contact the project team via email at Msprings@PublicInfoTeam.com or by phone at 719-301-3801, or you can visit the project website at: http://westsideplan.com

TWO Major cycling events come to Colorado Springs this summer!

Colorado Classic–Professional Racing Aug 10 – 13
Professional bicycle racing will return to the Centennial State as the  inaugural Colorado Classic rolls through Colorado Springs, Breckenridge and Denver for four exciting and entertaining days this summer.
From August 10 to 13, starting in Colorado Springs, Olympic City USA, a world-class and international field of professional, male cyclists will race more than 300 miles in multiple, fan-friendly circuits, combining with each stage starting and finishing in the same location. The Colorado Classic will also feature two days of professional women’s cycling, beginning in Colorado Springs on August 10th and concluding the following night with a women’s-only event under the lights in Denver.

More info and schedule

Mavic Haute Route Rockies 2017–Amateur Cycling
One of the most prestigious cycling events for amateur riders will come to Colorado this summer, and the exciting final stage and finish will take place in Colorado Springs,hosted by the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.
 
Mavic Haute Route Rockies 2017 will feature seven timed, ranked and fully-supported stages from Saturday, June 24 to Friday, June 30.

More details and race schedule on our blog.

TPL study shows millions of dollars in economic benefits of parks

The Trust for Public Land wanted to know–how much do parks and recreation bring to the Colorado Springs economy? They released their findings this week. Here are just a few of the numbers:
  • Additional property value – $502,000,000
  • Additional Property tax revenue – $2,580,000
  • Providing free or low-cost recreational activities – $58,700,000
  • Medical care cost savings – $56,500,000
  • Increased tourism – $135,000,000
More of us use parks more often than any city they’ve studied to date. The researchers now call us “ultra-users.” They were so amazed at how many residents regularly use our parks – they didn’t believe their own data and went back to check the numbers. But it’s true! That’s also why our medical care cost savings are so high.

Download the report at this link.

Public Meeting on joint land use on military installations–
Give your opinion on AFA and the Santa Fe Trail
DATE:  Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017
TIME:   5 – 7 p.m.
LOCATION:  Pikes Peak Library 21c, Venue Room, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive

Join the Regional Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) Team for a public meeting examining local issues related to land use when military installations and communities are neighbors. Citizens are invited to this public meeting to learn about the JLUS program and to provide input to the JLUS Working Groups and staff. This public meeting is focused on topics of interest to neighborhoods around the United States Air Force Academy. There will be stations at the meeting exploring issues ranging from trails, wind energy compatibility, noise/sound/flight impacts, storm water management and fire.

RSVP here

Friends and Partner News

Garden of the Gods 12th Annual Bighorn Sheep Day Feb 11
12th Annual Bighorn Sheep Day
February 11, 10 am – 3 pm
Fun, Free, Family Event
– Look for Bighorn Sheep in their Natural Habitat
– Nature Presentations
– Crafts
– Door Prizes
– Children’s Activities

Cheyenne Moutntain State Park Trail Challenge and 100-Mile Trail Challenge
Want to challenge yourself this year? The goal of the Cheyenne Mountain State Park Trail Challenge is to complete ALL 18 of the existing trails for a total of 21.87 miles. Not enough of a challenge for you?? The 100 Mile Trail Challenge goal is to log 100 miles of trail within the park. This challenge will kick off with the First Day Hikes. A quick sign up is necessary and sign up sheets will be available at the visitor center anytime after Jan 1st. All miles must be logged and checked off by staff. Completion of the Trail Challenge will earn a special patch and the 100 Mile completers will earn a CMSP Challenge Coin. The challenge is free but a valid parks pass is required on all vehicles entering the park.

More information.

Waldo Canyon Update from Society for Ecological Restoration.
Feb 9, 6 pm – 9 pm
Gold Hill Mesa, 142 S. Raven Mine Dr
 

“Table to Trails” with Salsa Brava, Over Easy, Sonterra Grill
New Over Easy location gives another chance to take part!

 
Over Easy, Downtown, University Village, Dublin/Powers 
Over Easy donates one dollar to the Trails and Open Space Coalition for every special sold, and as of the end of 2016, the amount had reached almost $5,000.
Now through May 2017, join Salsa Brava, Over Easy and Sonterra Grill in the Table to Trails fundraiser, and $1 from every lunch special sold will go to support the Trails and Open Space Coalition.
These restaurants are locally owned, and use local ingredients when possible. Now they’re taking their local commitment one step further to support our local trails and open spaces.
Enjoy time out with lunch at Salsa Brava, and support TOSC!

We are in the Sustainacenter!

The COS Office of Sustainability established office space in one of two city-owned, Victorian style houses located in the Middle Shooks Run neighborhood (704 E. Boulder Street).  The other house, located at 702 E. Boulder Street, houses sustainability focused non-profit organizations to co-locate with each other and the COS Office of Sustainability.  Collectively, these two houses are referred to as the Sustainacenter.

Trails and Open Space Coalition’s new office address is:

702 E Boulder, Suite 200

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Love the trails? Want to see more connections, more bike routes, more care for our parks? 
 
Support parks, trails and open spaces!
Please give to the Trails and Open Space Coalition. Your donation supports our important work of preservation and conservation.
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