HomeMy WebLinkAboutRecreation Trails Master Plan 1988RECREATION TRAILS MASTER PLAN REPORT
Town of Vail Colorado
MAY 1988
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i WI NSTONN ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
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RECREATION TRAILS MASTER PLAN REPORT
Town of Vail Colorado
1 MAY1988
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CREDITS
Council JOHN SLEVIN Staff rei ER PATTEN
ERIC AFFELDT RICK PYLMAN
MERV LAPIN PAT DODSON
GAIL WAHRLICHLOWENTHAL BILL ANDREWS
GORDON PIERCE
THOMAS STEINBERG
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KENT ROSE Mayor1RONPHILLIPSTown Manager
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1 SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS 1
Goals and Objectives 1
Key Findings of This Study 1
Recommended First Steps 3
PRECEDENTSIN TRAIL PLANNING 5
What Other Cities and Towns Have Done 5
State and Federal Trail Standards 11
EXISTING CONDITIONS ATTITUDES 12
The Existing Trails 12
Public Attitudes and Opinions 19
THE CONCEPT 25
IMPLEiratATION 34
Signage 34
Winter Use of the Trail System 36
Design Guidelines 37
The Trail Implementation Plan 39
Funding 48
Phasing 50
APPENDIX
Existing Trails Summary and Cost Estimates
Survey Results
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TABLE OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1 Inventory and Analysis Plan West Vail 14
Figure2 Inventory and Analysis Plan Central Vail 16
Figure 3 Inventory and Analysis Plan East Vail 18
Figure 4 User Characteristics 23
Figure 5 Compatibility 24
Figure 6 User Concept Plan West Vail 26
Figure 7 User Concept Plan Central Vail 27
Figure 8 User Concept Plan East Vail 28
Figure 9 Bike Lanes Section 31
Figure 10 BikePedestrian Lanes Section 31
Figure 11 OffStreet Trail Section 32
Figure 12 OnStreet Trail Section 32
Figure 13 Pedestrian PathSection 33
Figure 14 Gore Creek Pedestrian Path Detail 33
Figure 15 Signage Details 35
Figure 16 Proposed Implementation Plan West Vail 41
Figure 17 Proposed Implementation Plan Central Vail 44
Figure18 Proposed Implementation Plan East Vail 46
Figure 19 Core Area Detail 47
Figure 20 Retaining Wall Along Pedestrian Path Detail 52
Figure 21 Phase I West Vail 54
Figure 22 Phase I Central Vail 55
Figure 23 Phase I East Vail 56
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SUMMARY
RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of this report is to document a sixmonth effort by the residents
of Vail the Town Council Planning and Recreation Department staffs and the
consultant team The work involved extensive inventory and analysis of the
existing trail system public meetings and surveys close coordination with
the Town Staff and indepth research on how other cities and towns have
handled their trail systems This Master Plan will help guide the Towns
development of its recreational trail system for the foreseeable future and
possibly to its complete buildout
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goals and objectives of this Master Plan are as follows
Identify problems and deficiencies in the existing trail system
Identify who uses the trail system what their needs are and who can
safely share trails
Identify where trails are needed and which trail segments should be
constructed first
Develop a master plan that will allow for all types of nonmotorized use
in a safe efficient manner
Produce a final report that will be a working document and a resource
book for the staff
KEY FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY
This Recreational Trail Master Plan has resulted in the following basic
observations and recommendations These points are only a brief summary of
the large volume of information this work generated It is important for
those Who will be responsible for the future development of Vails trail
system to not only have a clear understanding of these findings but also of
the supporting data and reasons for their identification
o The Existinit Svstem The Town has an excellent framework of existing
trails already constructed in several key corridors This existing
trail system far outdistances most towns of similar size The trail
from the Westin Hotel to West Meadow Drive and the Katsos Ranch Trail
are excellent examples of what recreational trails can be However it
is not possible to get from one end of town to the other on improved
trails The development of a continuous trail system is one of the
primary recommendations of this study
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The Vail Valley is blessed with breathtaking natural beauty and mountain
slopes at the edge of town However it is this close proximity of the
mountains that creates one of the greatest constraints for the trail
system The narrow valley floor presents few opportunities for trail
alignments thus limiting the number of new trails
The combination of the Valleys scenic beauty and the high quality of
the existing trails could be the source of a major problem Vails
recreational trail system could be so successful that it will not be
able to handle the number of people using it A number of cities in
Colorado are facing this very problem Therefore itis essentialthat
the Town stay ahead of the volume of users in order to keep the trail
experience a positive one for both the resident and the visitor
Vails physical setting will affect the scope of this Master Plan in
another way because the Valley is essentially a closed system Boththe
east and west ends of the Valley are so constricted that there is only
room for one improved trail in and out of town This means that there
is a limit as to how far the Town can develop its trail system At some
time in the future the recreational trail system could be fully built
out This is an unusual condition most cities can not even begin to
envision
Correct Existing Problems First While the existing trail system can
boast a number of positive assets there is certainly room for
improvement in key areas Signage is badly needed throughout the system
and should be the first problem corrected There are also two to three
short segments of the existing trailsystem where safety is anissue
It should be the top priority to correct problems with the existing
system
Maintenance Regular maintenance is one of the most important and
unfortunately most often ignored aspects of an effective trail system
There must be a commitment to maintenance before construction
Regularly scheduled and well documented inspection and repair programs
will not only extend the life of a trail system but could prevent injury
to trail users As the trail system grows it isimportantthatthe
maintenance budgets are increased proportionally Routine maintenance
is not as glamorous as building new trails but it is certainly as
important and must be factored into the yearly budget for recreationalttrails
Winter Use Because Vail is a mountain community with an unusually
long winter season maximizing winter activities on the trail system is
essential Although the trails will be primarily used during the
nonwinter months there seem to be ample opportunities to have portions
of the trail systemdo double duty Cross country skiing should bethe
main focus of winter use for the trail system The plan is calling for
a cross country ski trail along Gore Creek from the center of town to
the golf course
Keen the Public Involved The long term success of the trail system
will hinge on the publics awareness and level of use In order to keep
residents of Vail actively using the trail system the Trail
Coordinators duties should include public relations Press releases
should be used to announce new trail construction students could be
involved through education programs or design competitions for covers of
trail maps etc Any effort or event which involves the people in the
trail system will be returned in the way of support for its growth and
maintenance
Construction of New Trails The planning intended use design and
prioritization of new trails are the main focus of this study A great
deal of effort has gone into identifying where new trails are needed and
which of these desired trails are the highest priorityThis document
will rank proposed trails in three phases 1 to 3 years 3 to 10 years
and 10 years and beyond A prioritization checklist has also been
included to assist decision makers in selecting the top priority trails
in the later phases
Outside Funding Sources In the past the Town of Vail has not
applied for funding from State or Federal agencies There are a number
of potential sources for financial assistance for trail construction
that the Town should be eligible for As withall programs of this
nature there are applications to be filled out and certain times during
the year when applications are accepted In some cases the agency must
be inced of the benefit of the trail construction before including
monies for that work in the capital improvements budget It may be one
to five years between the time the request is made and the time the
money is received Gettingadditional money for trail construction from
outside sources requires careful planning and organization
Identify a Trails Coordinator It is important that there be one
individual in charge of trails development In each successful case
study examined during the study this person was responsible for
applying for grants and funding public education coordinating
maintenance and new construction among other duties In a town of
Vails size the Trails Coordinator will most likely have other
responsibilities not related to the trail system The importance of
this individual cannot be underestimated Quite often the success of a
trail system is a result of the coordinators energy and drive
RECOA4Lc juED FIRST a Ax s
The completion of this document is only the first step in finishing what the
excellent trail system in the Town of Vail has begun The following is a
list of first steps toward the completion of what could be the finest and
most scenic multipurpose trail system in Colorado
1 Appoint a Trails Coordinator
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2 Correct problems with the existing trail system Add signage and make
high quality trail maps available Find ways to improve trail segments
where safety is a concern
3 Begin the process of securing outside funding for trail construction
Securing a grant from the State Trails Program and getting on the
Department of Highways fiveyear Capitol Improvements Plan should bethe
first two actions taken
4 Construct the top priority trail segment designated in the Phase One
Implementation Plan
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PRECEDENTS IN
TRAIL PLANNING
PRECEDENTS IN TRAIL PLANNING
Good examples of trail planning have been done in Vail and a number of other
cities The value in reviewing these examples is to see what information
already exists and what lessons can be learned
The Parks and Recreation Department staff produced the Vail Bikeway Plan in
1984 This report was an excellent starting point for planning a multiuse
trail system Its one limitation was that it did not address other types of
trail users in any detail However from a bicycle planning standpoint the
report is filled with good information on planning and construction Since
the Vail Bikeway Plan has adequately covered statistical information on
bicycle usage bicycle education programs bicycle parking and storage and
specifications for trail design and construction this report will not devotee
space to those items The Vail Bikeway Plan has been included in the
Appendix for reference
Many of the recommendations cited in the BikewayPlan have been adopted by
this Master Plan such as the use of existing streets when possible the
construction of bike lanes widened shoulders and establishing a policy of
maintenance before constructioni
WHAT CITIES AND TOWNS HAVE DONE
The Town of Vail is not unique in its desire to build a high quality
multiuse trail system There are a number of cities in and outside of
Colorado which have a similar goal Some of these communities have done an
excellent job of promoting and constructing trail systems It is hoped that
by examining a few case studies we can learn from their mistakes and benefit
from their successes Statistical data is provided for each city so that it
is possible to compare the scale of each program to the other examples A
brief summary of how the recreational trail system is structured is provided
along with a listing of the things that have and have not worked A complete
list ofcontacts in each of these cities is provided in the Appendix
Colorado Snrings Colorado
Population 259000
Existing Trails 25 miles 7 paved 18 unpaved
Proposed Trails 100 miles
Yearly ConstructionBudget 500000
Yearly Maintenance Budget 12000 paved trails 3500 unpaved trails
Includes depreciation and major repairs
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Summarv
The City of Colorado Springs has recently completed a trail system
Master Plan The Plan has designated two classifications for trail
corridors Initial Development to be constructed in the next 10 years
and Preservation to be developed at a later date as funds become
available In Colorado Springs where rapid growth has been a problem
it was thought to be essential to not only build trails but to secure
trail ROWs before they become developed for other uses Because of the
expense of developing and maintaining urban trails the Colorado Springs
plan argued that they must be accessible to a full range of users or
multiuse Annual budgets were established for trail construction
acquisition and maintenance A set of design guidelines was established
to assure continuity and safety for the trails and amenities such as
benches and signage
Although there was a group of citizens pushing trail planning and
construction there had only been 25 miles of trails built in thetown
since the group began work in theearly 70s The hope is that trails
will become a higher priority in theCity budget with the adoption of
the new plan
Problems Encountered
A number of important trail corridors were lost to development
prior to the Master Plan period
The 1981 trail plan was too ambitious The number of miles of
proposed trails exceeded the Citys ability to build and maintain
them The new Master Plan scaled back that effort
Best Ideas
At the urging of a MultiUse Trails Task Force acitizensgroup
the City passed an amendment to the City Subdivision Ordinance
which permitted dedication of land by developers for trails within
designated trail corridors
Started immediate preservation of potential trail corridors
threatened by development
The trail system was designed to be an interconnected series of
loops tied to a central spine
Recommended amending the existing trail dedication ordinance to
require commercial and industrial properties to dedicate land for
trails during development or redevelopment
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Fort Collins Colorado
Population 86000
Existing Trails 17 miles 9 paved 8 unpaved
Proposed Trails 8 miles over next 5 years Will increase as city grows
Yearly Construction Budget 390000 250000 lottery funds 140000
from 14 cent sales tax till 1989 unless
renewed
Yearly Maintenance Budget 6000 per mile from General Fund
Summary
The trail system in Ft Collins got a boostfour years ago when a
quarter cent sales tax was passed to purchase open space and construct
trails Since that time the City has constructed its highest priority
trails Where possible offstreet paths were built along stream
corridors and up to the unpaved foothills trails Typically the 8
wide asphalt paths were designed not to cross arterial roads The
entire trail system his coordinated to a central grid point with the1compassorientationandmileagemarkedonthepavementTheCityhas
found it necessary to resurface asphalt paths about every seven years
Problems Encountered
An attempt was made to restrict vehicular access to the trails by
using a wooden gatemaze system but these were removed because they
also restricted access to the trails for handicapped individuals
and seniors
e It has been determined that 8 paths are not wide enoush to handle
the number of people now using the system All new trails will now
be 10wide
There was an injury on the trail system and theemergency vehicle
was unable to find the injured individual since an accurate
location could not be provided The coordinate system was adopted
following this incident
Because of conflicts between the various users a centerline stripe
was painted on the paved portions of the trail system It was
felt that this separation was working well and people were
generally staying in their lanes
Best Ideas
On warm summer days they will have a steam roller run on the
asphalt paths to recompact the surface This is followed by a crew
which seals cracks with a liquid asphalt sealer
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e Marking the mileage and direction of a path on the asphalt has
proven to help not only emergency personnel but joggers as well
Striping to separate use andor traffic flow in heavily used areas
The use of geotextiles for additional strength under the asphalt
in areas where pavement is subject to frost heaving Initial
results indicate That this material is extending the pavement life
in these areas
Boulder Colorado
Population 80000
Existing Trails 50 miles on and offstreet
Proposed Trails 4050 miles of multiuse trails in tributary
corridors
10 miles of unpaved trails
Yearly Construction Budget 100000year
Yearly Maintenance Budget 6000mileyear
Summary
The City of Boulder enjoys a nationwide reputation for its trail
system It has been the Citys policy that bicyclists ride onstreet
with the flow of traffic since the experience has been thatthe cyclists
are actually safest there While most of the trails are onstreet
Widened shoulder bike lanes a new offstreettrailhasbeen built
along Boulder Creek Offstreet trailsare only built where they do not
cross major streets The City has gone as far as building very
sophisticated trail underpasaesalong Boulder Creek toavoid having the
trail cross major streets At some pointsthe trail is actually below
the surface of the creek which is held back by a watertight concrete
wall
Only concrete trails are built as it is felt that in comparison to
asphalt the extended life and strength of concrete outweighs its
initially higher cost A10 wide trail is standard for all offstreet
trails while the 4 wide one way bike1anes are simplydesignatedbya
white paint strip at the edge of the roadway
Problems Encountered
Tree roots destroying the pavement surface have been a serious
problem especially along creek corridors Regular inspection and
cutting the roots at the pavement edge have been the only methods
found for controlling the problem in creek corridors where soil
sterilants cannot be used
Where a trail goes under a road good lighting is essential
Signage directing traffic flow may also be necessary due to limited
sight distance
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Nonmetal sign faces have proven to be too easy to vandalize
The Boulder Creek Trail is so successful that congestion is
becoming a serious problem There is a question whether a 10 wide
trail is wide enough when very heavy use is anticipated
Best Ideas
Crusher fines a byproduct from gravel mining make an excellent
surfacefor pedestrianonly paths
The City uses a unified program of good design signage education
and promotion to encourage use and avoidconflicts
The Platte River Greenway Denver Colorado
Population NotApplicable
Existing Trails 12 miles Within the City of Denver
Proposed Trails None
Yearly Construction Budget None for trail construction
Yearly Maintenance Budget 4500 per mile
Summary
The Platte River Greenway is the Grandaddy of trail systems in
Colorado Its success over the years has spawned similar programs
throughout the state The Greenway Foundation has been soadept at1raisingmoneyfromcorporateandprivatesourcesthattaxdollarsonly
accounted for 50 of the 14million dollars required tobuild the system
in Denver As in Boulder only concrete trails were built Part of the
reason for concrete trails was that the project was done aspart of
flood control improvements and the trail doubles as a road for the
maintenance trucks The low maintenance characteristics of concrete
were also cited
ProblemsEncountered
TheGreenway Foundation learned that the State Trails Program will
not give grants for resurfacingexisting trails so funding for this
type of maintenance must come from other sources
An 8 wide trail was originally built and now an adjacent
softsurface trail is being considered to help lessen congestion
Since the Greenway Foundation is a private group coordination
between all the public agencies it must work with has proven to be
complicated
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Best Ideas
The Trail Ranger concept was originated by the Greenway
Foundation Trail rangers ride the trails doing general
maintenance noting where repairs are needed and providing
assistance for trail users Use of trail rangers is an excellent
way to maintain the trails and more importantly provides an
excellent public relations vehicle
The Foundation works with local school districts to produce an
education program called the Greenway Experience in which
students are instructed on the environmental aspects of thePlatte
River and the how the trail system works It was felt that sucha
program increased awareness and gave the children a sense of
ownership of the trail system
e The Foundation worked to create an endowment fund with private
donations to provide a long term source of funding for
trailrelated projects
Whenever other agencies do improvements in or nearthe Greenway
the Foundation tries to coordinate their work with that group to
help reduce costs After a while many of those agencies began to
automatically review their plans with the Foundation prior to
beginning work
Blaine County Idaho
Population 12000CountytExistingTrails5miles
Proposed Trails 17 miles
Yearly Construction Budget 50000
YearlyMaintenance Budget 2000 per mile
3ummarv
Blaine County Idaho is also well noted for their multiuse trail
system The cities of Hailey Ketchum and Sun Valley are the major
communities in the 20 mile long Wood River Valley Planning on the
trail system began in the late 70s but it was not until 198 that the
first major trail segments were built What has been built is well
planned and executed and supported by some very inventive programs which
generate funding and support The trail systemis designed to take
advantage of old railroad ROWs and stock drive easements However due
to complications in negotiating easements with 80 private owners the
old UPRRtrack bed became the first priority The eventual goal willbe
to have the 10 paved trails flanked by 3 4 soft surface trails for
joggers and horses
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Problems Encountered
The major problem has been conflicts between motorcycles snow
mobiles and nonmotorized uses
Red tape in securing Land and Water Conservation Fund grants for
trail construction
Limitations imposed by the narrow valley and the lack of potential
trail alignments
A lack of home rule and securing legal use of the UPRR roadbed
Best Ideas
Produced a catalogue of recreationrelated products including
trail signage benches 1 segments of trail construction even
hours of grooming time for cross country trails This has been
surprisingly well received by the community and A source of
additional funding
Designed trails to meet AASHTOstandards to make qualifying
for federal funds simpler
Passed a town ordinance to define allowed trail uses and to enlist
the frequent trail users to help enforce the rules
STATE AND rauAL TRAIL STANDARDS
State and Federal design standards for multiuse trail constructioncanbe
very helpful when planning new trail construction It appears that many of
these standards were incorporated into the 1984 Vail Bikeway Plan Design
Manual see Appendix By following these guidelines many mistakes can be
avoided and a safer trail system will be the result In order to be eligible
for Federal grants trails must be designed and built to meet theirStandardsSincegrantsofthisnaturearefewerandhardertoqualifyfor
this is not as important as it was in the past However the political
climate can change and it may be good insurance to have all new trail
construction meet these standards
The State Recreational Trails Program has published a booklet on trail
construction which has also been included in the Appendix This publication
has excellent information on all aspects of trail construction A number of
its recommendations have been incorporated in this plan However there is
additional information not covered here that may be of some value in the
future to the Trails Coordinator It is important that the Trails
Coordinator be familiar with both of the above standards as they can greatly
assist in the administration of Vails trail system
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EXISTING CONDITIONS
ATTITUDES
EXISTING CONDITIONS ATTITUDES
This section will examine the shortcomings of the existing trails inthe
Town of Vail This does not imply that there are major problems A
majority of the previous trail planning and construction in Vail is
sound The trails are generally located in the most scenic locations and
the 10 trail width is the accepted standard for a multiuse trail
This analysis will focus on three basic problems areas where safety is a
concern areas of conflict or congestion and deficiencies in signage
Potential trail alignments will also be covered in addition to a
discussion of the options where more than one potential trail alignment is
available The final recommended trail alignment will be presented in a
later section
Other key factors that must be identified before further planning can be
done are who is using the trails how are they using the trails in what
ways are various groups similar and can they safely share the same trail
THE EXISTING TRAILS
In order to convey the information relating to the inventory and analysis
of the existing trail system graphically it was necessary to divide the
Town into three areas a western sectionFigure 1 a central section
Figure 2 and an eastern section Figure 3 Each section will be
discussed as a separate entity but the trail system must be viewed from
the perspective of a continuous townwide system A complete summary of
existing trails and their lengths is provided in the Appendix
Existing Trail Tyges
At present there are three trail types used in Vail
1 The 10 Agphalt Path This is the most common trail type now in use
in the Town Generally it is not associated with a roadway but has
been sited in a scenic area such as the Batson Ranch area or along
Gore Creek This is considered to be an excellent size for a
multiuse trail too narrow to be confused as road and wide enough to
accommodate most recreational use The problem arises when this trail
type is used where there are frequent curb cuts or intersections
Because crossing traffic must be alert as it crosses the path in
addition to the roadway a dangerous condition can occur Many
motorists especially the visitor are expecting oncoming traffic only
at the roadway and not at the trail Presently there are about 65
miles of this trail type now in use
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2 The Trail Immediately Adjacent to the Roadwav This trail type is
used at two points along the Frontage Road The main problem with
this trail type is that the two way flow for bicycle traffic forces
half of the cyclists to ride against traffic violating one ofthe
basic principles of trail design From A pedestrian standpointthe
8 to 10 width offers some measure of security but being so close to
the traffic is not considered to bea good recreational experience
In the past the Town has installed concrete curb stops during the
summer months to protect the users ofthis type of trail Experts
consider these temporary measures to be more hazardous thenLbeneficialLessthanamileofthistrailtypeexistsbetweenthe
two locations
3 Icw Volume Residential Streets Designated as a Trail This is an
acceptable trail type as long as there is no other opportunity for a
10 asphalt trail and the road is not heavily used by vehicular
traffic When conflicts develop because of heavy use by automobiles
and trail users alternatives such as separated paths or widened
shoulders should be considered A total of 56 miles of this trail
type are included in thepresent inventory
WestVai1 Figure 1
This area of Vail has the fewest existing trails There is a trail along
the North Frontage Road which uses boththe separated 10 asphalt trail
rand the adjacent 10 trail However the final segment from the Safeway
at Vail das Schone to the West Vail Exit has not been completed yet One
other small trail has been completed in front of the Casa del Sol
condominiums but it is not connected to the rest of the system
The existing Frontage Road trail functions fairly well at this time It
is not without problems however In West Vail much of the trail is
immediately adjacent to the Frontage Road and does not provide the safest
or best experience for pedestrians At some point in the future it may be
necessary to add additional bike trails along this corridor to accommodate
increased use
There is an obvious need to extend a trail from Intermountain to Highway 6
at Dowds Junction to accommodate bicycle commuters coming from
EagleVail These commuters are now using I70 which is obviously an
unsafe situation
j A second trail is needed south of170 to connect the Casa del Sol trail
to the trail which ends at the Cascade Village tennis courts east end of
Donovan Park The trail alignment through Donovan Park has be shown
along Gore Creek in the Park Master Plan This is the best possible
alignment and should be followed The remaining portion from Donovan Park
to Casa del Sol could follow one of the three potential alignments along
the Frontage Road Gore Creek or West Gore Creek Drive
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LEGEND
TRAIL
GpJEXISTING TRAILS
HtNM TRAIL ADJACENT TO ROADWAY Donovan Park
ONMEET TRAIL
aOFFSTREET TRAIL
CONFLICT AREA
Buffer Creek Park
1 AREA NEEDING SIGNAGE
s Joe BRIDGE
yam
WEST PAIL EXIT
j 111IriY T
AUGMENTS TO
HREE POTENTIALDTRAJL
FORCC SNOLAD NEED ONLY
I ONE OFTHETHREE CRM
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AuGFamTT MAY NOT BE
lG FewsmLE OuE TormvATE
Stevens Park future
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WEST VAIL
TMs TRAIL SEGMENT CONNECTING NAY e
TOsYSTEN MUST BE A JOINT EFFORTCONSTRUCTIONBETWEENIOoITmrortsAnEAGLENiY INVENTOR YANDCDOHSOGHCOSTOF
ANALYSIS
PLAN
ffE ON TRAILSTrailconnects
to F ghwav e MASTER PLAN
Town of Vail
plan
v
SONre r 4W wreFAA04F9ea
m
Figure 1
Central Vail Figure 2
Trail development in this area of town is good but only half as many
trails have been built as are needed The best functioning trail is a 10
asphalt path which goes from the Westin Hotel to the LionsHead base
facility The Westin portion with its bollard lighting and landscaping
is a good example of trail construction The Frontage Road trail seems to
be handling the present volume but it is plagued with numerous
intersections and curb cuts which make the trail dangerous for the reasons
outlined in a previous section As with the Frontage Road Trail in the
West Vail section the addition of bike lanes to help distribute the
traffic load more evenly needs to be considered
There are a number of major problem areas in this part of Vail
Generally the problems are related to very heavy use of the existing
system It seems logical that as one nears the center of town the number
and variety of trails would increase This is not the case and
consequently congestion is A serious problem
One major area of congestion is West Meadow Drive This small segment of
road is being asked to handle a high volume of traffic and almost every
type of use Because the hospital and main fire station are located
within this corridor it must handle emergency vehicles It is also a
major bus route Cars must use theroad as it is the only access for a
number of condominiums and visitors to the hospital It is the major
pedestrianbike route between LionsHead and Vail Village All of this
occurs on a 32 wide roadbed with no accommodations for nonmotorized
uses A creative comprehensive solution is called for here one that is
far beyond the scope of this trail study Inaddition a corridor of this
importance should make a strong design statement for the Town West
Meadow Drive is as much a problem for Vail as it is an opportunity
The 10 asphalt path along Gore Creek from LionsHead to West Meadow Drive
is also very heavily used during the nonwinter months This is an
enjoyable trail which captures the essence of Vail The only solution to
relieve this congestion is to provide alternate trails parallel to the
path
A third area of concern is Vail Valley Drive from the Gold Peak Base east
1 to the athletic fields The combination of a narrow road and heavy use by
cars bikes and pedestrians makes this section of onroad trail very
congested and often hazardous Improvements which move the nonmotorized
uses out of the travel lanes will help alleviate the problem These could
take the form of widened shoulders or a physically separated trail if the
rightofway is wide enough
There are two portions of the trail system in the core area where
directional signage is badly needed The first is the short onroad trail
which connects the trail from the Cascade Village tennis courts to the
west end of the Westin Trail The second portioniswhere the pedestrian
bridge over I70 exits on the south side of the highway near LionsHead
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rr r r r r r r rr r r r r rr rr rr rr rr
lLIOnsHeadSkierBridgeI1r ad SandstonePfNiestflan RfId9B THEREARE A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL
TRAL ALGMNEMS W AND AROUND
LionsHead Tennis T
THE CORE AREASEE CORE AREA DETAIL
Courts l Head Mall CENTRAL VAIL EXIT NEWTRAasARENEEDED IN THIS AREA
SandstonePark Ice Arena andLibrary
Drd Park
a Vlla9e
STEEP SIOPE
APPROX 10 1
CIRCLARONAROUND PEDESTRIAN
F ENED NEED
FOR
ORGE
BETTER
WELLNOTWEELL DER
Gold
BRIDGE
Base
Peale Ski
Bas L am IIEreFacilitiesL
EXISTING 10 TRAIL
LIONSHEAD TO WEST
UNCLE
DIRECTION MEADOW DRrUNCLEARNEEDNEEDFOR Athletic FiMs
BETTER SXNAGE HERE USE FITn 1SAVr
JOGGERS AND CYLOISRS
TRAIL PROVIDES
EXPERIENCE VAIL VALLEY DR GOLDNEEDTOPROVIDEALTERNATE
ROUTES FOR NONCOMPATTBLE PEAK TOATHLETIC FIELDS
USES HEAVYPEDESTRIANBIXEUSE ESPECIALLY
DURING SUMMER MONTHS
WAVEMENT NARROW NEED FOR ADDUGNAL
WFSr MEADOW DRIVE
SHOULDER OR SEPARATED PAM
VERY HEAVY USE WITH A MIX OF PEDESTRIANS
BICYCLISTS CARS SERVICE VEHICLES ANDIEMERGENCYVEHICLES
NEED TO SEPARATE VEHICLES AND PEDESTPHAN3
PROVIDE ALTERNATE ROUTES FOR BICYCLES
AND PEDESTRIANS TO HELP RELIEVE CONGESRIKK
LEGEND
PROPOSED TRAIL
C3EXISTINTRAILS CENTRAL VAI L
486 TRAIL ADJACENT TO ROADWAY
ONSTREET TRAIL INVENTORYTuOFFMEETTRAILYpevcANftiDaVI
CONFLICT AREA PLAN0
L AREA NEEDM SCNAGE 1RCRRE pATUON TRAALS
mom EIRWE MASTER PLAN
Comprehensive 1
Plan
SCALET 100 DATE WRCH MISS
Ili umogee
Figure 2
1 In both areas there is no clear indication of which direction to take to
continue on the trail system
1 There are a number of potential trail alignments in and around the core
area
The best opportunity for a new trail is along Gore Creek from the
LionsHead base to Ford Park This will not be an easy segment to
build as the trail will have to cross the creek a number of times and
four existing bridges must be negotiated
Bike lanes could be added to the Frontage Roads north and south of
I70 to provide alternate routes for commuter and competitive
cyclists
Pedestrianonly paths could be constructed with their western starting
points in the central area the first eastbound out of the Spraddle
Creek stable area and the second originating at the Gold Peak Base
Area also going east known as the Vail Trail Both trails would be
on steep hillsides and therefore could not be very wide
East Vail Figure 3
The best developed system of existing trails is in this section of town
The Katsos Ranch Trail offers an exceptional experience to its users The
separated trail to the Vail Mountain School serves a useful purpose
although it would benefit from being extended to the east Onroad trails
are used extensively and quite successfully in East Vail
There are four major areas of concern in the East Vail portion of the
recreational trail system
i The first is at the point where Vail Valley Drive turns into Sunburst
Drive This onroad trail handles the traffic adequately but there is
a problem for westbound bicyclists The rider must come down a very
steep hill and then make a sharp s turn while avoiding other traffic
on the road Alternate routes around this area should be examined
The secondproblem area is at the switchbacks on the Hatsos Ranch
Trail There is little that can be done about the steep grades and
sharp curves Maintaining adequate site distances will mean keeping
the vegetation well pruned The greatest safety hazard from a
liability standpoint isthe presence of the tee box above the trail
which forces golfers to shoot over the trail itself Solutions that
protect the trail user will need to be considered
The short section between Columbine Drive andStreamside Circle where
all cyclists must use the Frontage Road regardless of their level of
experience is also an area of concern This portion is made even
17
VAIL VALLEY DR1S 1NBtR1ST OR Booth Falls Tennis Courts
BRAES
P 7UFITIAW
TRAVEUN3 WEST MUST MAKE
A SHARP AFTER STEEP DOWNHILL GRADE
EXPLORE NEW ROUTE FOR SEPARATE PATH Golf Ckbhouse r
OR FIND WAY TOMAKE CURVE LESS SEVERE EAST VAIL EXIT
OTE THOUGH BIGHORN ROAD
77 3 IS SHOWN As AN EXISTING TRAIL
ON TRAIL MAPS PAVED SHOULDERS
OR SEPARATE TRAIL SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED
SgNAGE OR STRIPING NEEDED
TO DERNE PROPER TRAIL ROUTE
COLE TgA2 gjNFLICT COLUMBINE DR STREAMSIDE CIRCLEiTEEBOXABOVETRAILGOLFERSHITTING
4
ONLY POINT DI EAST VM WHERE USERS MIST USE
GOLF R40WOVER TRAIL NEED FOR wmFw D FRONTAGE ROAD NEED FOR ALTERNATE ROUTEfJSIGNSAT10AkORMOVETEE801ORSHIELDTRAIL
TO P
SION NEEDED TO MARK TRAILITOKICAREA
r o Bighorn Park
LEGEND
nJGTRATRAIIExISTILSS EAST VAIL
NNBM TRAIL ADJACENT TO ROADWAY
ONSTREET TRAIL Trail to Frisco
o OFFSTREET TRAIL INVENTORY Copper Motmfair
ANALYSISOCONFLICTAREAPLAN
LY AREA NEEDING SIGNAGE WEGREQRQ H T ALL
so BRIME MASTER PLAN
BGLE T IDS DATE WKK 1788
Figure 3
more dangerous because of a very narrow bridge An alternate route
that keeps the inexperienced cyclists off the Frontage Road should be
explored
e The Bighorn Road from Pitkin Creek to the Vail Mountain Pass Trail is
also a problem area This is heavily used by cyclists staging outof
the parking lot at the East Vail Exit The roadway is narrow and does
not have shoulders forcing the cyclists to ride in the travel lane
The addition of bike lanes to the Frontage Road would increase the
level of safety for the riders The bike lanes would also take
serious cyclists off the side street trails reducing congestion for
the more casual and visitor cyclists
There are three points along the east portion of the trail system where
signage is badly needed to clarify the trail route All these are along
the Katsos Ranch trail and are illustrated on the Inventory and Analysis
Plan Figure 3
The basic framework for a successful trail system is in place in East
Vail With the addition of signage to the onroad trails and by
correcting the four major problem areas discussed above the East Vail
portion of the trail system would be in excellent shape
PUBLIC ATT ITUDES AND OPINIONS
Since the Recreational Trail system is to be usedby the public it is
important to understand their needs and desires How are they using the
present trail system what new trails would they like to see built and
what groups can share the same trail In order to collect this
information a number of vehicles were used These varied from public
meetings to surveys published in the newspaper What was heard wasthat
the people ofVail enjoy and frequently use the existing trail systemand
are eager to see more trails built It was obvious that certain user
groups could share trails comfortably if the system was designed to
accommodate each use type
Public Meetings
As a part of the planning effort for the design of the recreational trail
system three public meetings were held Two were open public meetings
and the third a work session with City Council
The initial thoughts on the trail plan were presented at the first public
meeting to a group made up almost entirely of competitive touring and
frequent bicyclists Though their opinions and comments were focused on
their specific needs they offered a number ofexcellentcomments and
suggestions
19
i
It was felt that serious bicyclists prefer to ride on or adjacent to
the roadsas that is where they felt the safest
Some cyclists thought the separated paths were often more dangerous
due to heavy use by other user groups frequent intersections and
curb cuts
It was agreed that the use of concrete curb stops on trails adjacent
to the roads posed a hazard to cyclists but did seem to belp protect
the pedestrians from traffic At the second public meeting the use
of plastic reflector poles to mark the edge of the road was
suggested
1 Vail Valley Drive from Gold Peak to the athletic fields needed wider
shoulders to get pedestrians and bikes out of traffic Better bike
access to Ford Park was also requested
Everyone said better trail signage and maps are needed
A suggestion was made to add a centerline strip to the existing 10
wide paths so that the bikes and pedestrians would each have their
own lanes
s The group felt that winter use of the trails should be considered
Ways to extend the cross country trails from the golf course toward
town should be a part of the Plan
j Some said the Town should pass an ordinance requiring bicyclists to
wear reflective clothing after dark
At the work session with Council the details and concepts of the Plan
were again presented While there was general agreement with the goals
and objectivesa number of comments on the Plan were noted
Was it possible to add a soft surface trail adjacent to or nearby
the existing 10 trails in sections where congestion was a problem
The Town should work to complete portions ofthe trails already begun
before starting construction in new areas
The Council agreed that the lack of signage and adequate trail maps
wa major problem
The increased interest in mountain bikes should be considered and the
Master Plan should take in account their needs
Council also listed the trail segments they would like to see built first
A pedestrianonly trail along Gore Creek from the center of Vail
Village to Ford Park
o Correct the problems along West Meadow Drive
20
Cascade Village Tennis Courts to West Gore Creek Drive the Donovan
Park Trail
1 e East Vail Exit to the campground along Bighorn Road
Survey Results
Eagle County recently completed a Recreation Master Plan As a part of
that study a detailed survey of the recreational needs of the Countys
residents was done This survey covered all recreational activities and
not just trail usage However some results of that survey did help gauge
the residents feelings about trail construction When asked to rate what
recreational improvement they would like to see most bike trails rated
second behind an indooroutdoor swimming complex There wasstrong
support for spending tax dollars to build bike trails to connect
population and recreation centers in the County with the UpValley
respondents Vail voicing the strongest support This survey is
statistically accurate to plus or minus 10 and can be consideredavalid
synopsis of the opinions of the residents in the Vail area Copies of the
analysis with relevant questions are provided in the Appendix
This study used surveys to help identify where newtrails were needed the
most A shopping list of potential trails was developed and
hypothetical costs were assigned to each segment The respondents were
asked to spend a years budget allocationfor trail construction and
prioritize their selection when more than one trail was selected When
faced with a limited budget the individual was forced to choose which
unbuilt trail segment he wanted the most This survey was handed out at
public meetings and published in the newspaper While there were not
enough responses to draw conclusions based on accepted statistical
analysis they did provide some insights into what people saw as the
critical missing links in the existing trail system The top four
priority trails as determined by the survey are shown below The results
were arrived at by taking into account the number of votes and the average
priority rating of each segment
1 East Vail Exit to the Town center along the Frontage Road
2 Safeway parking lot at Vail das Schone to the West Vail Exit
3 Donovan Park Cascade Village to West Gore Creek Drive
4 Blue Cow Chute to Ford Park along Gore Creek
A sample survey and a summary of the survey analysis are provided in the
1 Appendix It should benoted that in surveys of this type the responses
will often come from those who have a strong interest in the item being
questioned Therefore it is assumed that the responses have an inherent
bias toward present trail users and the results should be interpreted with
21
i
that in mind The wishes of those not presently using the trail system
and the visitor cyclist will not be represented at all
A second questionnaire was handed out to those people who attended the
first public meeting Since this group was predominantly composed of the
competitive and commuter cyclists it only provides insights intotheir
observations on the trail system A summary of their responses is also
provided in the Appendix
User Characteristics
The second task in this portion of the study was to determine the
characteristics of the various types of groups using the trails Six
distinct types of user groups were identified
1 Competitive Cvclists Serious bicyclists who race bikes or people
who ride in a similar fashion
2 Commuter Cvclists Experienced cyclists who ride bikes to work and
are used to riding with traffic on roadways and prefer direct routes
3 Neighborhood Cvclists People who use the trails for local short
trips includes school children
4 Visitor Cvclists Guests who rent bikes and are inexperienced and
not used to riding a bike at high altitude
5 Joggers
6 Pedestrians
Matrices were used to examine each groups needs and preferences in
relationship to each other These exercises are shown in Figures 4 and 5
When each group is compared to the other in terms of speed surface
preference type ofroute preferred linear or scenic and compatibility
of each group to the other pairings of certain groups becomes obvious
e Because they share many characteristics such as speed level of
experience and type of route preferred the competitive and commuter
cyclist can comfortably share the same trail
e The neighborhood and visitor cyclists are highly compatible sharing
many common characteristics
e Joggers and pedestrians are also compatible with the neighborhood and
visitor cyclists and can comfortably share the same trails
e Pedestrians and joggers are the only groups with the exception of
mountain bikes that can use soft surface trails
22
SPEED SURFACE PREFERENCE TYPE OF ROUTE
c9cr Amit Mel cb
P P 5 P G 1G 5G
COMPETITIVE CYCLIST
1
ro
w COMMUTER CYCLIST
NEIGHBORHOOD CYCLIST I
VISITOR CYCLIST
JOGGERS
PEDESTRIANS old 1@ 000
Recreation Trails Master Plan WINSTON ASSOCIATES
TOWN OF VAIL u4NCI 0 ORAN 0 N
1A no A1 A
Figure 4
rl Ir s Ir rr r r sr r l Ir l Ir it r r r
o e
Not Compatible
G110ER 1987 5GyG Compatible Under Certain
CircumstancesAJSomewhatCompatibfeyG014
COMPETITIVE CYCLIST Q tQG yC CompatibleO
COMMUTER CYCLIST O CGS OQZO
NEIGHBORHOOD CYCLIS e CyG
COQ
VISITOR CYCLIST O 5 5
JO0JOGGERSOE
O5QOOPEDESTRIANS0Ulm
Recreation Trails Master Plan WINSTON ASSOCIATES
TOWN OF VAIL N NING OM 94 ND aON
LA DoC et ANCN11a Chu Nt
Figure 5
1
1
t
1
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I
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THE CONCEPT
LV r
i
THE CONCEPT
The preceding research inventory and analysis form the foundation for the
Town of Vails Recreational Trailystem Master Plan By careful analysis
of this data and close cooperation with Staff a clear picture ofthe
physical characteristics of the Master Plan begin to take form
An analysis of the compatibility and needs ofthe various user groups led
to the conclusion that the trail system should be designed for three basic
types of users and trails
1 The competitive and commuter cyclists prefer paved linear trails
along existing roads becausethey want the most direct routes and are
comfortable riding with traffic Bike lanes on the road shoulders
will best meet their needs
Bike lanes as shown on the Concept Plan Figures 6 7 and 8 are
typically found along theFrontage Soadand are the equivalent of an
arterial road This linear system forms the spine from which the
other trail types feed
2 The remaining user groups are accommodated on a second level trail
The Town is already using a trail type which is perfectly suited for
this purpose the 10 asphalt path These multiuse trails should
continue to be built separate from roads and in scenic areas where
possible The onstreet trail used extensively in Vail also meetsthe
needs of this second group
Multiuse trails as shown on the Concept Plan would be the
equivalent of residential collector roads They will be used by all
groups but will have a lower average speed than the bike lanes They
should have a higher scenic quality and be more meandering in nature
3 Pedestrians and joggers are the users of the third level trails
These trails should of a soft surface material to cushion shock and
since they do not need to be as wide as bike trails can be located in
the most scenic areas such as along Gore Creek
i Pedestrianonly trails are the lowest speed trails and would branch
off the second level trails These soft surface trails should not be
destinationoriented as are the two previous trail types Gore Creek
and the slopes of the Valley are the primary locations of these
trails
This Concept Plan is appropriate to Vails physical conditions and
provides a logical hierarchy for the trail system
25
USE TYPES I
M COMMUTER AND COMPETITIVE CYCLISTS
00 MULTIPLE USE all user groups
PEDESTRIANS ONLY
DONOVAN PARK
rj
WEST VAIL EXIT
rnl i O
WEST VAIL
USER
CONCEPT
rail Connects to GCCG3CQ5Io01 4G3Q0
NMYER PLAN
Town of Vail
ComprehensivePlan
WALE f 4W dTE FEBRWRY1988
fIIJ a top
Figure 6
rr r r r r rr r r r r r r r
LIONSHEADMALLF7CENTRAL VAIL EXIT1ICEARENAANDLIBRA
FORD PARK
tillLi1111 it
VAIL VILLAGE
4
K
N
V
I
USE TYPES
COMMUTER AND COMPETITIVE CYCLISTS
MULTIPLE USE fall taw groups C E NTRALVAI L
1 PEOESTRMS ONLY
USER
CONCEPT
MASTER PLAN
Town of Val AOCompreliensiveE
Plan
WALE r 4WV Ave FOR WY ma
Figure 7
1
EAST VAIL EXIT
y
ILIlam1
N
0p
1
USE TYPES
COMMUTER AND COMPETITIVE CYCLIM l
MULTIPLE USE all usergroups EAST VAi L
Trail to Frisco
rrwIIvANSONLY Copper MountainUSERSreckenritlge
CONCEPT jRECRExRommms
MASTER PLAN
Town of Vail
Plan
eDNE r We DAM fEBRWRY 1988
Figure 8
With the concept defined the actual dimensions of each trail type could
be defined along with how they will be used Although three basic trail
types were defined when theMaster Plan is completed there will actually
be six physical trail types the three basic types and three variations
Bike Lanes
The Plan calls for three types of bike lanes The first is the standard
widened shoulder bike lane Figure 9 This trail type is called for on
roads where no other trail exists such as portions of the Frontage Road
and Vail ValleyDrive from the Gold Peak Base to the athletic fields The
bike lanes will be one way and 4 5 wide depending on the shoulder
available The bikes will be moving with traffic Although not intended
for pedestrian use limited use by joggers etc should be anticipated
since this will be the only path available in many areas
The second and third types of bike lanes Figure 10 are called for in
conjunction with the trails already in use along the Frontage Road the
10 asphalt trail from the Safeway east to theLionsHead pedestrian bridge1andthe8concretetrailalongthenorthsideoftheBighornRoadat
Pitkin Creek Both details call for striping the existing trail and
designating one lane for bikes one lane for pedestrians and the addition
of new bike lanes to the road shoulder This trail type would beone way
with traffic and in the standard bike lane configuration Since the two
segments where this trail type is called for are already in place andnot
overly congested the conversion to this detail will be a low priority
item
Multiuse Trails
The multiuse trail will be implemented using two trail types which are
already extensively used in Vail Figures 11 and 12
The offstreet trail 10 asphalt trails
The onstreet trail on low volume residential streets
The plan does not call for anychanges in the functionor design of these
trail types as they are satisfactory as multiuse trails Some options
should bekept in mind if problems arise
If serious congestion on the multiuse trail is not reduced by the
addition of the new trails called for in the Master Plan an adjacent
3 4 soft surface trail could be added along side the existing 10
trail for nonwheeled uses
Serious consideration should be given to the use of concrete for the
trail surface Many of the case studies covered in a previous chapter
specify only concrete for their trails due to its longer life
29
Whether concrete will have the same life cycle in a mountain
environment remains to be seen
PedesirianPaths
There are a number of options for the surface when constructing soft
surface trails designated as pedestrian pathson the plan Figure 13
Materials such as crusher fines shredded wood products or road base
gravel with fines mixed in could be used Which surface is best for
Vail depends largely on local availability of materials since all the
surfaces listed above will in perform essentially the same way The
addition of a geofiber under the wearing material will greatly extend the
life of the trail surface and reduce the frequency of top dressing
30
rirwnL Rc14v41sr WIDTH 44
Dies Ls Dlra LAb
t
i
BIKE LANES
Highest speed trail Predominately used by competitive and commuting cyclists
Two way traffic flow on paved shoulders the safest for experienced cyclistsiEasytomaintainplowedbysametrucksthatplowroadway
Typically no curb between bike lane and roadway
Figure 9
WINSTOM ASSOCIATES
i ruare rsuper
eseeraearrervea
1
s 1YTYALRA4DFUYMIICTFI ID
FEa PtMAlG
Mob IV
NMI MRtw 41
1
i BIKEPEDESTRIAN LANES M Q
Variation of Bike Lanes
i Predominately used by competitive and commuting cyclists
Possible to physically separate vehicular and bike traffic with a barrier ie curb
A third alternative occurs between the West Vail exit and UonsHead pedestrian bridge where the bike
and pedestrian lanes are separated from the roadway see section on the Core Area detail
i Figure 10
r
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
V aeerarDONar
1
OFF STREET TRAIL
Multiuse trail for low to average speeds Potential use by all groups
Best if well separated from roadways with as few curb cuts and intersections as possible
Paved surface asphalt or concrete
Where possible strong relationship to creek
Connection to key destination points
Figure 11
ON STREET TRAIL MG
On street trail type to be used where separate trail not possible Potential use by all groups
Shared use with vehicles
To be used only on low volume residential streets
Designated by signage with striping in key areas
Primarily to be used by Recreational and Neighborhood Cyclists with some use by
local pedestrians and joggers
VAKWON ASSOCIATES
Figure 12
32
1
brr
PEDES I KIAN PATH1Lowspeedlowvolumetrails Primarily used by pedestrians and joggers
Could double as a cross country ski trail
ff doubling as a cross country trail 1012 clearance needed otherwise 6 width is adequate See Detail below
Soft surface ie devosed granite crusher fines or shredded wood products1Grassshoulderslawnornativegrasses
Trail type to be used in natural areas YWNSTON ASSOCIATES
Wood decks would also be in thiscategory
Figure 13
GORE CREEK PEDESTRIAN PATH
56 unpaved pedestrians only path
Would be heavily used by visitors
Could double as a crosscountry ski trail
during winter months Would require at grade
street crossings at the Covered Bridge and
Blue Cow Chute Bridge Crosscountry skiing
r under passes could be constructed at Vail
Road Bridge and Willow Bridge see Detail
33
Figure 14
l
1
l
1
i
IMPLEMENTATION
IMPLEMENTATION
With the implementation of the key components of the Recreational Trail
System Master Plan the Town of Vail can justifiably claim to have one of the
premier trail systems in Colorado How this can be achievedis the main
focus of this section The proposed trail segments will be discussed with
special attention paid to winter use of the trails design details and
signage The phasing and funding of the project will be the last itemsof
discussion
SIGNAGE
At each public meeting and in surveyresponses a lack of directional signage
was mentioned as one of the major deficiencies of the trail system One of
the first proposed expenditures of this Master Plan is to develop asignage
program for the trail system and implement it The first step in this
process has already been taken by the Town with the recent completion ofthe
signage improvement program and the Vail Sign Language report The Kit of
Parts and design guidelines outlined in this document provide the basic
principles for trail signage
FrontaoeRoad Bike Lane Signs
Signs identifying bike lanesadjacent to the Frontage Road should meet CDOH
standards They should be constructed according to specified dimensions and
materials bearing the universal bike symbol The signs should appear to be
a part of the highway system However the design of the sign face should
match the Towns standard traffic regulation and warning signs This type of
sign is inexpensive and easy to replace Figure 15
Itandard Trail Sin
A sign designed for the other types of trails within the community is also
neededFigure 15 Standard recommendations include
V0 maximum height this takes into account the eye level of a person
on a bike
Square post allows application of symbols in each direction at
intersecting trails
Designate each trail with a letter from the alphabet in a logical
pattern That letter should appear at the top of the post as a reverse
white graphic against a colored background The colors should denote
the level of difficulty of that trail section being posted Color1selectionsmightbethesameasforskirunsgreenforeasybluefor
moderate and black for difficult
34
BIKE
LANE
FRONTAGE ROAD BIKE LANE SIGN
1 r
Sign at Intersection Detail of Trail Designation Band
STANDARD TRAIL SIGN Figure 15t35
Universal symbols depicting appropriate uses for that trail should be
shown below the trail designation Symbols include a bike pedestrian or
hiker and crosscountry skier
e Where trails and streets intersect the use of directional arrows becomes
necessary They should be below the plaques indicating trail
activities The arrows would be most effective if they were a standard
color ie green on a white background or the same as other universal
symbols
Some optional recommendations on sign construction and materials
The standard square post can either be wood or metal whichever material
is being adopted by the Town would be most appropriate Metal would make
a high quality durable post although wood is amuch cheaper alternative
The post should be a minimum of 4 with a 6 preferred width considering
the speeds and distances from which the sign will beseen The post size
dictates plaque size and the plaque width should not exceed the dimension
t of the post
The color band at the top of the post withthe trail designation letter
should appear on all four sides so that the trail can be identified from
any approach If a wooden post is used the sign plaques should be
mounted so that they are flush with the surface of the sign
In addition to signs other methods can be used to identify trails One
suggestion mentioned at the last public meeting was to use a color stripe
along confusing portions of the trail system This would be especially
helpful with onstreet trails where there is no obvious trail tofollow
Mileage markers or a coordinate system similar to Ft Collins should also be
used to assist the users of the trails As mentioned before a good quality
map of the trail system should also be made available to both residents and
visitors
Sign implementation which follows the above recommendations will produce an
attractive sign programgreatly increasing the effectiveness of the proposed
Recreation Trails Plan
Signage for the existing trails 15000 20000 depending on quality
Signage for newtrails should cost about 800mile
WIA USE OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM
One unique aspect of the Vail Recreational Trail System is the potential for
winter uses such as cross country skiing If fully developed this aspect
of the trails program would be yet another amenity to offer the winter
visitor to Vail The goal is to bring the golf course cross country trails
as close to the center of town as possible The main limitation in combining
36
cross country skiing with othertrail uses is that they are not compatible
In order to provide a top quality cross country trail tire ruts and
footprints must be kept to a minimum This is best accomplished by closing
the trail to all but cross country skiers during the season Also if the
trail is to be set with a track setting machine the corridor for the trail
must have a 10 wide clearance
The best opportunity for a cross country trail to the center of town is on
the proposed Gore Creek Trail Since this will be a soft surface path it
will be difficult to plow and will not be used during the winter months The1trailcouldbedesignedsothatthenordicskiercouldgofromtheLionsHead
base facility to Ford Park while only crossing two streets This will
require the use of cross country skiing underpasses on the bridges where
there is clearance see detail Figure 14 In the long term consideration
should be given to constructing yearround underpasses below bridges similar
to those used in Boulder for the Boulder Creek Trail However due to the
high cost of this type of underpass around 80000 each they have not
been formally included as a part of the Master Plan
By ramping the trail up to the roads that must be crossed at theCovered
Bridge and the bridge at Blue Cow Chute the skiers will only have to remove
their skis for two short segments A decision will have to bemade as to
whether track setting will be required for the trail Due to the number of
trees in the area where the Gore Creek trail is planned a 10 clearance may
be unacceptable
DESIGN GUIDELINES
In order to lend unity to Vails trail system similar materials should be
used throughout These guidelines were developed to assure that the
amenities such as benches picnic tables trash receptacles etc usedalong
the trail system contribute to this unity The design of signage and the
trails themselves have already been covered inprevioussections As a part
of the Plan these site furnishings were discussed with the Town staff and
models and materials were specified The basic materials for the trail
amenities were wood and black painted metal It was felt that these
materials would blend with the natural setting where most of the trails are
located and still be durable The following manufacturers were specified
Benches Litchfield Industries Contour Series Orieinal Model 6 length
redwood with permanent bases Model 3004 37000 each
or
Du Mor Incs Model 51 Bench 6 length redwood with two
permanent supports Model 51605 46800 each
Du Mor Incs Model 36 Bench low profile no back 6 long
redwood with two permanent supports Model 36605 17700 each
37
The standard benches with backs were intended to be used in the core
area portions of the trail system and the low profile bench in the
outlying sections
Picnic Tables Litchfield Industries MountaineerSeries 6 length
redwood with permanent or portable mounts depending on
location Model 4428 36000
Trash Receptacles Victor Stanley Ints Heagya round receptacle with a
fiber glass lid Model TOR32 lid 8500 each
Model HF324 rec 28800 each
Bike Racks Core Area Urban Accessories Bike Bollard Model 1C1
19500 each
In outlying areas wood bollards withgalvanized pipes could be made by
the Town Maintenance staff using the dimensions of the Bike Bollard
above
All prices listed above are FOB Freight on Board at the manufacturer and
are in 1988 dollars Shipping and installation will need to be addedto each
price The cost for shipping can only be determined once an order has been
placed since that figure is based on weight
Reference material for each of the above products is provided in the
Appendix
Other Elements
Retaining halls Presently the Town is using timber retaining walls
for trail construction This type of wall when designed and
constructed correctly is perfectly adequate and can still be used
However there are wall systems now on the market that can easily be
erected by Town staff that are more durable Product information on one
such system has been included in the Appendix While such systems may
be more expensive initially their longer life expectancy should offset
the higher cost
In high profile areas such as along Gore Creek in the Core Area more
decorative walls should be considered Concrete walls faced with stone
would match a number of existing walls in the Town Dry laid stone
walls should also be explored as an option if the stone faced walls are
too costly
Soft Surface Paving As stated earlier there are a number of materials
that could be used to build soft surfacepaths Crusher fines have
proven to be the best surface in other cities studied However the
best material for Vail will depend on local availability and climatic
conditions Initial research has shown the relative costs for the1followingmaterialstobedoesnotincludeinstallationorshipping
38
CostSF
Crusher Fines 2 3 08
Road Base 4 13
Chipper Chips 4 20
Fibar a specially formulated
wood product especially for trail
construction see Appendix 99
In key areas these soft surface trails would be more distinctive if
they were edged with stone or timber The final selection of a material
would depend largely on what was being used elsewhere for retaining
walls etc
Rest Stations The Plan calls for rest stations about one mile apart
along major offstreet trails These rest stations are not to be
confused with restrooms which are all well distributed throughout the
system The intent here is to provide a convenient stopping point for
visitors who are not used to the altitude These can simply be a bench
and a bike rack or picnic tables in more scenic areas Rest stations
should be shown on the trail maps with the distances between each one
The key point when considering the final design of the trail system is
unity Materials and colors should be simple and repeated throughout the
system The crispness of the detailing will be the most noticeable
characteristic to the visitor Vail has a reputation for quality design that
should be upheld in the design and construction of its recreational trail
system There are a number of excellent examples that could be followed one
of the best is the Boulder Creek Trail in Boulder Colorado and theseshould
be investigated before major construction begins There is a direct
relationship between the quality of the design of the trail systemand the
quality of the experience of its user
THE TRAIL INPLDuoATION PLAN
On the following plansthe proposed trail segments are shown by area West
Vail Central Vail and East Vail The graphics also showthe alignment of
the proposed trail and the trail type Adescription of each new trail has
been included along with brief a summary of key components where appropriate
The cost for each segment is also shownbut due to the master plan level of
the estimate each number has an error factor of plus or minus 26 A more
detailed cost estimate is included in the Appendix
West Vail Figure 16 Trails are listed west to east and not in order of
importance
1 Dowds Junction to the end of the Frontage Road in Intermountain
This trail segment will require the cooperation of Eagle County
Steep slopes a crossing under I70 at the Gore Creek underpass and
39
the need for a bridge across the railroad tracks and the Eagle river
make this trail difficult and costly to build Using what is left
of the old Highway 6 roadbed and bridge abutment will make the task
somewhat easier However the need for this trail segment is
selfevident
Offstreet trail 5400 L f Cost Because of the difficult
terrain and the complex bridge required a cost estimate for this
segment cannot be provided without consulting an engineer Arough
guess would put the costin the range of 500000
2 The endof the Frontage Road in Intermountain to West Vail Exit
Signage only
Onstreet trail 66001fCost 1600
3 West Vail Exit to Safeway Vail das Schone
Bikepedestrian lane1800 lf Cost 64000
4 West Gore Creek Drive South Frontage Road Intersection to Donovan Park
Signage only
Onstreet trail 2650 L f Cost 1400
5 Donovan Park West Gore Creek Drive to Cascade Village Tennis Courts
Offstreet trail 2000 L f Cost 609000
6 South Frontage Road West Vail Exit to Cascade Village
Bike lanes 5800 lf Cost 175400
7 South Frontage Road In Front of Casa del Sol
Conversion to bikeped lanes 800 L f Cost 11200
8 North Frontage Road Safeway to Valley Hi Condominiums
Conversion to bikeped lanes 4200 lfCost 113400
40
8
LEGEND
I3EXLSTING TRAILS JDonavanPark
ynnu0 FRONTAGE ROAD BIKE LANES
ssNpss FRONTAGE ROAD BIKEPEDESTRAN LANES
ONSTREET TRAIL 6
ss OFFSTREET TRAIL Buffer Creek Park
PEDESTRIAN PATH O5soBRIDGE
REST STATION 3
e
tom
WEST VAIL EXIT
I
i I 7
Stevens Park future
WEST VAIL
1
PROPOSED
IMPLEMENTATION
P9iN
OUV QOLcJ
MASTER
LSCII IiLS1UIIIPLANTrailconnects
toKghway6
Towniof Vail
iensive Lplall
WALE I Aee 017@ AM Ma
roo o
Figure 16
1 Central Vail Figures 17 and 19
1 Gore Creek LionsHead Skier Bridge to The Vail Road Bridge
Able to take advantage of existing bridge One new bridge required
Pedestrian Path soft surface 3000 1f Cost 137800
2 Gore Creek Vail Road Bridge to the Covered Bridge
Two pedestrian bridges required along with retaining walls and steps
up to the road from the creek trail Other amenities could include
sunning decks and cross country skiing underpasses see detail on
Core Area Plan
Pedestrian path 1420 lf Cost 193000
3 Gore Creek Covered Bridge to Blue Cow Chute
Steps and retaining walls required
Pedestrian Path 600 lf Cost 23800
4 Gore Creek Blue Cow Chute to Ford Park
Extensive retaining walls required
Pedestrian Path 1325 lf Cost 80500
5 Vail Road Gold Peak Base to the Athletic Fields
Retaining walls needed
Bike lanes 2400 lf Cost 88800
6 Beaver Dam Road Forest Road Intersection to Vail Road
Signage only
Onstreet trail 3400 lfCost 1700
7 Trail above I70 Spraddle Creek Stables to Bald Mountain Road trail
continues on East Vail map
42
Extensive retaining walls will probably be required The use of
volunteer labor will greatly reduce costs
Pedestrian Path 12600 Lf Cost 393750
8 Upgrading and widening of the Vail Mountain Trail trail continues on
East Vail map
Volunteer labor will greatly reduce costs
Pedestrian Path 8000 L f Cost 160060
a 9 North Frontage Road Red Sandstone Pedestrian Bridge to 4Way Stop
Bike lanes 3800 L f Cost 102600
10 North Frontage Road Valley Hi Condominiums to LionsHead Pedestrian
Bridge
Conversion to bikeped lanes 4200 L f Cost 113400
11 South Frontage Road 4Way Stop to East End of Ford Park
Bike lanes 5600 L f 151200
12 South Frontage Road Cascade Village to the4Way Stop
Bike lanes 8800 L f Cost 237600
NOTE An alternative trail alignment is shown on the Core Area Detail
Figure 19 This alternate route could be an important segmentto
Central Vail The proposed alignment along the south side of the
creek was not originally a preferred location for the Gore Creek
Trail due to the close proximity of buildings and parking lots and
lack of winter sun However as the study progressed it has become
apparent that a trail may also be needed here Because a
pedestrianonly pathisplanned on the north side of the creekthis
section is still seen as a lower priority
Opportunities may present themselves as properties redevelop in this
area Trail easements should be sought if they do not exist now or
are too narrow Unsightlyutilities should be screened and steps up
to Bridge Street will need to be built A trail in this location
will connect the Covered Bridge and Bridge Street to the Gore Creek
Promenade and the nearby park area providing yet another pedestrian
experience in the center of Vail Village
1
43
rr rr r r rr r r r r r r r rr rr r r i
9 1
2LionsHeadSkierBridgeRedSendslIPedestrianBridge
ionsHead Mall CENTRAL VAIL EXIT
Sandstone Park loo Arena andLary
12 7FordPark
Afiil it
10
Tot Lot
ionsHead Tennis Courts c
Goii Pock IdBaseFacilities
6
Athletic Fields
SEE CORE AREA DETAIL
LEGEND
EXISTINGTRAIL3 CENTRAL VAIL
SWIMW FRONTAGE ROAD BIKE LANES
R C
wnn FRONTAGE ROAD BIKEPEDESTRIAN LANES PROPOSED
OWSTREET TRAIL IMPLEMENTATION
NOFFSTREET TRAIL PLAN
ww rcucANPATH WLSQOuV tI W1LSU
mom MASTER PLAN
Town of Vail
RW STATION CoMprehensivePlan
r r 19a oATeArno 1999
two
Figure 17
East Vail Figure 18
1 South Frontage Road East End of Ford Park to Aspen Lane
Bike lanes 10000 lfCost 270000
2 Columbine Drive to Streamside Circle Frontage Road bypass
Offstreet trail 2300 lf Cost 120000
3 North Frontage Road Aspen Lane to Katsos Ranch Road Vail Mountain
School
Conversion to bikeped trail 29000 lf Cost 28000
4 North Frontage Road Katsos Ranch Road Vail Mountain School to East
Vail Exit
Bike lanes 3700 lf Cost 1099900
5 Bighorn Road East Vail Exitto Streamside Circle west intersection
Will require reconstruction and widening of deteriorating bridge
Conversion to bikeped lanes Pitkin Creek 1850 lf
Bike lanes remainder of segment 2600 lfCost 246000
61 Bighorn Road Streamside Circle west intersection to Campground at
Town Boundary
Very narrow road Retaining walls are needed to add shoulders in
some sections Some rock removal required
1 Bike lanes 8800 lf Cost 297000
45
m
3
CONY FROM CENTRAL
VAIL MAP Booth Falls Tennis Courts AIY
8 Odf CkbOuse EAST VAIL EXIT
6
7 CONT FROM CENTRAL
VAIL MAP 2
Ilb Bighorn Park
LEGEND
EXISTINGTRAiLS EAST VAIL
09m1408 FRONTAGE ROAD BIKE LANES Trail to Frisco
Copper Mountain
nnoFRONTAGE ROAD BIKEPEDESTRIAN LANES PROPOSED Breckenridge
ONSTREET TRAIL IMPLEMENTATION
sase OFFSTREET TRAIL LAN
w PEDESTRIAN PATHLyWc 411pryOIIIV fpQL
e BRIDGE t1ASTER PL AN
TownofVail
REST STATION Comprehensive i
SWE 107 017E APRs IM
m wa
Figure 16
PFSIRNN Wy
aiRr ea 11 IWGAr RAAI to lHST AIFAODW ODYEWtXsTMN1YSf10UQAWifAltratlidodWfDBYiH WIFYNAR td LLKTMINfA
IArt wry w bud f1Ux xvfvdaCdtne x o bas d Ih d vxleaW6 F tleemWFRIFOVOfINWAYa
AgIW vdsx ox LAM jla nklw Fnna mednrtm4uNk pn xMpeueWig IN
Nn wiea boxmeaFIMwm
pvta d ildoua @ sd F NWd be Cwmd dketo ee fdrtGedAamuh
em urreMwn rwxlw
rtk
F eob eN xwe dtle pwetl WJdkb mdum8elmm tle Cm 4n bebiIfAMGWW1AbpAvtlip4iddd
tlNbORAd IMUe rceiA F op exenu boldbe Peies by AiweRe i
NORTH FRONTACf ROAD 1 C
WF Ud dvtl ni 6e msmb died mA de tonlosmaZONEFORlvaxvawbeMYdlkrBKEIPEDESTRNNTRAILDETAILbeywAie r
f yr Asuux av dm6 hzd
cwre wnwsd i
O 6IIJ Id A Ii 1 ll ri 111 Tor j
e L 9 iii i
J ter S CORE AREA1i
ENO DETAILGORECREEKPEOESTRLEGEND
EXWM TRAILS OR SIDEWALKS nIlI5 p j pPWkoiNpnWISfILS2idnIIIIIIyNVIIpIf11ALIHhffUedbfsiusu1VIWIDBIKELAWSWJIILSWrLG10V
rwe aoAFn oxbY mUei iF11N4 BIKENEOESTRIAN LANES
A ONSTREET TRAIL Town of Vail
CARE CREEK PEDESTRIAN
r
COiY O11e fOeY 41t OFFSTREET TRAIL Co nprehensivePATHUNDERPASSDETAIL
444 Aod addW6 mI n Leo SIDEWALK PlaI
cewrGANPATH
BIIDSE O fIW lMif I A0 19RR
BENCHES 1Yw
Figure 19
47
Securing Trail Easements
Potential trail alignments must be monitored to assure that opportunities for
trail easements are not missed or lost The Town of Vail is fortunate in
that a vast majority of the proposed trails are on Town property or within
roadrightsofway The following proposed trails may require easements
01The trail designed to bypass the Frontage Road connecting Columbine
Drive to Streamside Circle may require easements depending on the final
alignment The Town does have an easement at the end of the Willow Way
culdesac which could be used for the west end of this trail
e Easements may be needed to clarify the trail at the south exit of the
Red Sandstone Pedestrian Bridge and into LionsHead
e An easement may be required at Bald Mountain Road at the east end of the
Spraddle Creek pedestrian path
The ownership of properties on parts of thetrail connecting West Vail
Intermountain to Dowds Junction will have to be determined againtdependingonthefinalalignmentMuchofthetrailisintheI70
rightofway or old Highway 6 road bed but some potential alignments
could cross private property
e Trails on Forest Service land the Spraddle Creek Trail the Vail Trail
and possibly the connection to Dowds Junction will require coordination
with the USFS for their procurement A use and maintenance agreement
will need to be made at that time
FUNDING
Securing funds for trail development is a critical issue which will determine
how such of the Master Plan will be implemented within the first ten years
Discussions andcorrespondence with people directly involved in the planning
construction and funding of similar projects have revealed a number of
possible sources Their names and additional information are included in
the Appendix Outside assistance for trail construction will most likely
come from State County private and land dedication sources
State Two primary State funds should be available to the Town of Vail
The first is the Land and Water Conservation Fund which provides matching
funds for trail construction on a reimbursement basis Construction must be
initiated within one year upon receipt of the executed agreement between the
State and the Town and work must be completed on or before September 30 not
more than three years after the effective date of the contract
The second source is the Colorado Greenway Project which uses the Division
of Parks and Outdoor Recreationsshare of Lottery proceeds appropriated byttheStateLegislaturetotheStateRecreationalTrailsProgramApproximately
48
1
34000 was requested in Fiscal Year 1988 for trails from Vail to Eagle
Currently the Vail area is rated a Phase 2 Corridor The Town can apply to
upgrade their rating if the project meets the Phase 1 criteria which should
not be a problem A change in status will improve the likelihood of
receiving monies
Because appropriations are based upon requests received for the coming fiscal
year it is extremely important to submit applications for these funds on
time Planning must revolve around the submittal dates listedin the
application which is included in the Appendix
The State Highway Department may also be an additional source of funding for
trail improvements along the Frontage Road The existing shoulders are in
need of widening for safety reasons The new Trails Plan maximizes the use
of the road shoulders by providing routes for competitive and commuter
cyclists The CDOH may be interested in participating because bike lanes can
also serve as breakdown lanes on narrow roads Because all the monies are
allocated for the next five years the CDOH will not be in a position to
participate in any improvements in the near future However contact should
be made immediately to determine what areas they would look atcollaborating1withtheTownonandifthoseimprovementscouldbeincludedinafutureCIP
County The construction of a trail linking West Vail and Highway 6 will
depend upon cooperation with Eagle County A joint effort is absolutely
necessary as this segment of the trail will be costly due to a major bridge
and other pertinent features The Town should meet with the County as soon
as possible to begin work on this trail and look to applying for funding as a
joint effort The CDOH may also be interested in participating in this
project as it would result in getting bicyclists off I70
Private An innovative idea which has been used successfully by another
t town is the offering of signs equipmentandtrail segments as gifts The
gifts are tax deductible and can be purchased by individuals groups or
organizations In addition each donor can be recognized by a plaque mounted
on the gift ie benches bollards and signs or in a speciallocation
appropriate to the gift These gifts would be it noticeable way the citizens
can participate in the improvements of their community
Land Dedications Another approach would be to acquire indirect funding
through land dedications from new development properties along the proposed
trails especially those segments along the creek This action could also
apply to developers seeking variances on their projects such as increased
densities or building heights A new town ordinance may be needed but there
are examples that can be obtained from other cities
Miscellaneous Other possible funding sources include fundraising
contributions and volunteer support Volunteer labor is an option for
49
building trails by involving schools and organizations Bike shops would
greatly benefit by contributing to the production of a detailed fullcolor
trail map in exchange for free advertisinge
PHASING
Due to timing of fund allocations and application dates the Town probably
cannot expect significant amounts of money from outside sources for the first
phase Outsidefunding must occur later though to ensure the Trails Plans
development Because of this limitation and the scope of the proposed
trails it will take 15 20 years to complete the Vail Recreational Trail
System as conceived
e
Criteria for Selection
While there are an unlimited number of ways to phase the implementation of
the Trails Plan the selection of each trail to be constructed should be
based on the following criteria
Annual trail development should be in usable and meaningful increments
Adequate resources must be committed to complete a segment long enough
to attract users and demonstrate the viability of the program This
criterion does not necessarily apply to the Frontage Road as it will be
developed in A piecemeal fashion due to its length and cost
O Correcting safety issues affecting trail users for example trails
which are surrounded by the golf course steep blind curvesor high
volumes on trails which combine incompatible uses etc
Trails which are frequently requested by the public
w Getting the most for your dollars by filling in gaps between existing
trail segments
Opportunity to receive funds from an outside source Priorities should
always remain flexible and responsive to work being done by other
agencies
A number of ongoing items and issues need to be dealt with in every phase
including
Signage virtually no signage exists along entire course of the current
trail system
Safety issues ieuser conflicts hazardous slopes blind curves
Site amenities rest stops benches trash receptacles rest rooms etc
Pursuing outside funding sources
50
The maintenance and improvement of existing trails should be first and
foremost insetting the priorities of each phase The Town must befinanciallycapableofmaintainingthenewtrailsitbuildsinadditionto
those already existing
Phase I l to 3 vears Phase I trails are shown on Figures 21 22 and 23
The Gore Creek Trail between the Covered Bridg and Ford Park was picked asBridge
the first trail segment to be constructed under the new Master Plan The
trail was considered top priority by the staff and Council and also received
high ratings in the public surveys A more detailed cost estimate of this
trail is provided in the Cost Estimate Section of the Appendix
This pedestrianonly soft surface trail will wind through the most scenic
courses along Gore Creek Where possible the proposedtrail is closely
aligned with the creek The nearby condominium are scarcely visiblefrom
the path Costly retaining walls will need to be built inseveral areas for
gaining access to the creeks side These ramps are fundamental for a
continuous cross country skiing route to Ford Parkas called for in the
Plan
The trails completion requires
A ramp down to the creek bottom it is possible that retaining walls
will be needed along the ramp behind the Mountain House
A ramp up to the Blue Cow Chute Gore Creek Road is also necessary It
is impossible to pass under the bridge due to the obstruction of a large
utility pipe
A shoulder will need to be added next to the existing sidewalk running
from Blue Cow Chute to the WrenApollocomplex This sidewalk is plowed
in the winter and cannot be used for cross country skiing By building
up a level grass shoulder alongside the existing sidewalk through the
extensive use of retaining walls cross country skiers would then be
accommodated Figure 20 This reconstruction would resolve any
possible conflicts withpedestrians and utilities
51
1
141
1
Figure 20
1 GORE CREEK RETAINING WALL DETAIL
1
The above improvements add about 22000 to the cost of this trail section
making it 150000 total Another possibility would be to relocate the1utilitylinesundertheBlueCowChuteandcoveredbridgesThisalternative
is less expensive and gives skiers the option to ski along the creek
Phase I of the Gore Creek Trail Covered Bridge to
Ford Parkpedestrians only 150000
Additional First Year Goals
s Signage for the existing trailsystem take steps to
correctportions of the trail where safety is an issue
production of a clear well designed trail map full
color if possible 13000
e Other ongoing items 5000
1 Second and Third Years
m Hatsos Ranch Trail There is a safety issueconcerning
a tee box located above trail Relocation of the tee
box or trail should be considered If neither of these
options is workable then some type of device designed to1protectpedestriansandbicyclistsfromgolfballsshould
beinstalled 59000
52
Begin work the Frontage RoadBighorn Road improvements
The segment selected depends on an evaluation of the
selection criteria and the availability of outside
funding Initially improvements should center on the
area east of the East Vail Exit
Recommended Section Bighorn Road East Vail to
Streamside Circle west intersection 2469000
Assuming more funds are available the following segments
should be considered
West Vail Exit to Vail das Schone Safeway 879000
Donovan Park West Gore CreekDrive to Cascade Village 649000
Another segment of the Gore Creek Trail Vail Road
Bridge to Covered Bridge 193000
1 Phase II 3 to 10 Years
Completion of priority trails fromPhase I
Ongoing items 749000
Shoulder widening of Vail Valley Drive between Gold Peak
Base and Northwoods 890000
Bighorn Road Streamside Circle west intersection
to Campground Town Boundary 297000
Signage for West Gore CreekDrive Frontage Road
intersection to Donovan Park 19400
Gore Creek Trail LionsHead Base toVail Valley
Drive Bridge 138000
1tage Road Bypass from Lupine Drive to Streamside
Circle 120000
Provide signagealong Frontage Road west of the West
Vail Exit Intermountain 1600
North FrontageRoad Hatsos Ranch Trail Vail
Mountain School to East Vail Exit 110000
Build trail which connects the west end of the
Frontage Road toIHighway6 Intermountain to Dowds
Junction Again this involves coordination with
the County This segment is the key linkage to Costs Not
Highway 6 Available
53
err r rr r rr rr ar r r rr r r rr r r r
LEGEND
MISTMG TRAILS
Donovan Park
011181111116 FRONTAGE ROAD BIKE LANES
I1a118 FRONTAGE ROAD BIKEPEDESTRIAN LANES
ONSTREET TRAIL
No OFFSTREET TRAIL Buffer Creek Park
w PEDESTRIAN PATH r
a BRIDGE
REST STATION
WEST VAIL EXIT 7
J
Stevens Park Ifulurel Phase
r1mWEST VAILrrl
PROPOSED
IMPLEMENTATIONPLAN
Tram oonnecta 1ASTIERSIyWLS4aIII1lO N U WGOLS
to Iighway S PLAN
Town of Vail
Plan
E r 4W DATE ARIL mae
Figure 21
r moo mm r m m mm m mr i r
LionsHead Skier Bridge 1iI 090dSardstoriePedestrian Bridge
ronsHeadMall CENTRALVAILEXIT
Sandstone Park i si Ice Arena andLary
d Park
I
y
a Veil Village
ATot Lot
Head Tennis Courts r
t am Peak Ski
Base Facilities
I Athletic Fields
J rJJIr SEE CORE AREA DETAIL
Wi
5
i LEGEND Phase
I EXISTING TRAILS CENTRAL
VAIL 0111111wW FRONTAGE ROAD BIKE
LANES nNMn FRONTAGE ROADBIKE PEDESTRIAN LANES
PROPOSEDON STREET TRAIL
IMPLEMENTATIONOFF STREET TRAILP2LANy pnwrcnALNPATHRECREARON
MAHpS o BRIDGEMGalSll ER
PLAN Tow n of
Vail REST STATION Con reliensiv
0
plallso e r 4W aae Arita sea
I
Figure22
Booth Falls Tennis Courts
Golf Ckd6house I EAST VAIL EXIT
N17
o
i
Ul o Bighorn Park
LEGEND Phase I
EXISTING TRAILS EAST VAI L
nluuwu FRONTAGE ROAD BIKE LANES Trall to FriscoPROPOSEDCopperMountain
U4101
ONSTREETRTRAILKEPEDESTRIANLANES
IMPLEMENTATION
ssse OFFMEET TRAIL PLAN I
OIIV gRALSPEDESTRIANPATH
MASTER
VrVEG111 OPLANsosBRIDGE
REST STATION
I
WALE t 4W DATE AMIL 1988
Figure 23
i
Pedestrian Trail from Spraddle Creek to Bald Mountain
Road 344000
South Frontage Road bike lanes East End of Fork Park
to Aspen Lane 270000
North Frontage Road Red Sandstone Pedestrian Bridge
to Vail Exit 103000
Phase III10 Years and bevondl
Complete remaining items from Phases I and II
Buildout of Master Plan by completing all remaining improvements and
trail segments This will primarily involve the Frontage Road system
t conversion of the existing offstreet trails to the bikepedestrian trail
type
In conclusion the assigned Trails Coordinator should be constantly
evaluating this phasing plan and public input thensetting priorities
accordingly Adjustments should be made in response to availability of new
funding opportunities A detailed cost estimate is located in the Appendix
which outlines each phase
Maintenance of theTrail Svstem
This report has emphasised the need for good quality maintenance for the Vail
Recreational Trail System The Town must be able to adequately maintain
trails already built before constructing new ones As new trails are built
the maintenance budget must be increased proportionally
The level of maintenance to the trails themselves and the number of employees
assigned to that work will all factor into theoverallmaintenancecosts In
the other cities examined in this study the maintenance costs ranged from a
low of 2000 per mile to a highof 12000 per mile
A complete maintenance program for Vails trail system should include the
following
Sweeping The trails should be swept an average of twice a month during
the months when they are in use This is especially important in Spring
since sanding is required in the Winter months Where the trails are
adjacent to the roads this can be done with the regular street sweeper
but for the 10 separated trails a special vehicle may be neededifnot
in use already
Access Trails should be wide enough to be accessible to maintenance
vehicles The soft surface pedestrian paths would be the exception to1thisrule
57
The Trail Surface The asphalt concrete and soft surface trail wearing
surface should be inspected yearly Cracks should be patched during or
following each inspection Resurfacingshould be done before the trail
surface becomes a safety hazard The soft surface trails should be top
dressed with a similar material each Spring As the age of the existing
trails increases resurfacing costs will require a greater allotment of
the annual budget
Vegetation Control A monthly weed and root control program is needed to
stop vegetation from destroying the pavement surface Nearby trees
shrubs and overhanging branches shouldalso be pruned to maintain sight
distances The trail should have a minimum vertical clearance of 83
for bikes and 7 for pedestrians and cross country skiers The trail
should be cleared the width of the tread surface and if possible 12
24 on either side
Amenities Signs striping bridge railings site furnishings etc
should all be kept in good repair as these items reflect the overall
image of the Town to the visitor in addition to increasing safety
t Staffing The use of a Trail Ranger should be strongly considered
This individual would do all the yearly inspections minor repairs
collect litter and debris and sweep glass off the trails In Vail this
would be a late Spring through early Fall position coinciding ideally
with most college students schedules
Presently the Town has allotted 70000 in next years budget for trail
maintenance This works out to 520000 for each of the 1325 miles of
existing trails This figure is in the middle range of maintenance budgets
and should be proportionally increased as the trailsystem expands
58
1
1
l
1
1
APPENpIX
tu
Existing Trails Summary
and Cost Estimates
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLAMMING URBAN OEIIGN
LAMOICAPE ARCHITECTURE
EXISTING TRAILS
Miles
Existing OffStreet Trails
1 LionsHead Skier Bridge to West Meadow Drive 1580 LF 03012Lodge@VailtoNorthwood2600LF050
3 Manor Vail toFord ParkParking Lot2100 LF 040
4 Sunburst Drive CuldeSac toBridge Road includes
Path to Picnic Island 600 and Connection to Aspen
Court 500 12144 LF 230
5 I70Underpass @ Aspen Lane to Vail Mountain School
2100 LF 040
5 Cascade Village Tennis Courts to Cascade Village 800 LF 01517WestHavenDrivetoLionsHeadSkierBridge5800LF110
8 N Frontage Road LionsHeadtoValley Hi 5280 LF 100
9 Buffer Creek Road to Safeway Parking Lot 1300 LF 025
10 Casa del Sol Path 600 LF 011
11 Ice Arena Path 600 LF 011
TotalOffStreet Trails 662
ExistingOnStreetTrails
1 Vail Valley Drive North Woods to Sunburst Court
9000 LF 170
2o Bridge Road to Columbine Drive along Lupine Drive
4700 LF 090
3 Streamside Circle to Frontage Road @ Juniper Lane
7400 LF 140
4 Aspen Lane to Aspen Court 650 LF 012
5 West Haven Drive Cascade Tennis Courts to Westin
Trail250 LF
6 S Frontage Road Glen Lyon Building to LionsHead Place
1320 LF 050
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Miles
7 S Frontage Road LionsHead Circle to LionsHeadPlace
CuldeSac 900 LF 011
8 Kest Meadow Drive 1500 LF 028
9 East Meadow Drive to Frontage Road 2150 LF 040
10 Vail RoadWest Meadow Drive to Gore Creek Drive
1100 LF 020
Total OnStreet Trails 567
Road Adiacent Trails
1 Valley Hi to Buffer CreekRoad on N Frontage Road
3100 LF 060
2 Pitkin Creek Bridge Street to Lupine 1900 LF 035
Total Road Adjacent Trails 095
1
1
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
E FEFFGN FtF MAS EF FLAN
rrajglnary 1et EtllE6te
First Year ais Cerettior
HIRE CHU 7RAll COST ESTIMATE
Note A11 Lasts cut fi and dralnaie 16pf0dBlert5 are 1 udee
in the LOt per linear feet Lf tl e trail
IMFruVENE1v
AMLGtiEfEN15 CU5Ir5
P LJ
BEHIND
a Su LF 2 F E20
2001
14N L ILL LuI 11iE tstiDuE
o RITA NTN W 2 SEES
4 P pair S N
011v 5F Y 3E57
it1AL 01Z
e LF x 1LF 31450
2 ii 5kmLi FtEn FF iiEES
a 6 6
7450
ONTTN
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANOSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
continued
RECREATION TRAILS MASTER PLAN
Preiieinary Ccst Estimate
Torn of Vail
APRIL 985
First Year Trail Construction
GORE CREEK TRAIL COST ESTIMATE
Note All costs for ct fill and drainage improvements are Included
in he cast per linear foot of th trail
1 IMFOVEMEN
IMPRyEMEiTS CuET
B BLUE COW CHLTE B DGE TO FOR FARE
SnUULcFivEHilrrFOE rOvSCLUNTR1
SFING
I rLFtii W 9VGrT RETA141NJ
Wh
1500 F BiSF
o hillrc 150 LF X 61F vv
RAKE DOWN TO CRIED LEVEL
o RETriN1N WA 15U LF C V v hl
coo S 81u 2 1
06 MAIOR RET4TNING aALL T MATCH
EE STINE BABI3N RETAINING WALL 006
TRAIL COSTS
650F X S 2 3 1 L F 15551
i CONTINGENCY t79
pan
TOTAL BYTE SESMENiS l c5c
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
PROaGSEi TRAI WINSTON AISCIIATS
RECEATION TRAILS MASTER P9ti
Preliminary cost Estimate
Town of Va1
APRIL 086
TRAIL TYPES
1L 1111 LANES One way 4 to 5 widened houlders adjacent to roadway
Iii1iPESTRIAN LANES Iii tra divided for 6 pedestrian lane and one way 4 bike lane
ddltDna1 bke ne on a er sine of reway
7 tN EE TrL L1T bLllctrcct mErD a trli
a TR asp it tri iaced Ddwav
obit SLriae trot payed PedelanG11p paths
1TrV3dectfC WecI ead7drr a ChEE lrlLAE 1 Dtestimate
rrtenasDUresDfonyfortheDntayeRoaiecanesaouidcetLQtatEDenarimen
3 L Y2K GJ dDD necree Dta ra o a
rn rcpt rontSe Road
S J tr rnageRad
u Tr sepof escr1FL to ezaadeast
PHEE
TRAIaHi1
1 K 7
PHASE TYPE LCA 12 N IN LI rEF FT ELECt9T5 IiST TL MET
SIGNAGE END STRIPING OR EXISTING TRAILS
1 ST MAIL VALLEY DRIVE ATHLETIC FIELDS 6600 10
TO SUNBURST CULDESAC
i ST LUPINE DR1RiDK RD TC COLUMBINE 4104 332
DRIVE
1 ST STREAMSIDE CIRiMEADOwDRJUNIPER 141 338x0
LANE
i ST ASPEN LANElASEN COURT 6501 31 2 N
i ST WEST RAVEN DRIVE TENNIS COURT TRAIL 250
rOUTLE Ti WE TIN TRAIL
000
ursT rnlriEMJ 24 EI1Nc IRA J s 1Lot
F AU
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
TRAI
TRAIL LENGTH L F OTHER SEGMENT
FWASE TIP LOCATION IN LINEAR FT COST EtEME14TE COET TOTAL Cla
1 PF GORE CREEK COVERED BRIDGE TO BLUE E54 23 14950
cow CHUTE
MISC DEMO DRAINAGE AND MAERIALS 7644
RETAINING WALLS FOR RAMPS TO CREEK 19400
95t
1 PP GORE CREEK BLUE COW CHUTE TO FORD PARK 85 2 15554
COVERED nRID5E
1 MiEC RETyiiNG WALLS IMFROdEMNE jUtJ
ETSININE WALLS AND DFiNAGE 54
RETAiiWALL FLTOL1i wYLt 14itii
51ia5
1 601RE C z E E v A 1L 1 11 T 1L2 23
ijyii PE PRTDC7Et
0ivE SET CF 57 E COVEz 0E 5t4t
RETAitvlr f4Fi 1N ilRASYJ 4IJ
193 10V
y5itiiBL0iLJLtU1ViHtCWMiTOYiVGLE4SCi6ItDNTINCENCrF0RFDWACOiSiiJd0040
1 G5T DOfrOVAP PARK W GORE CREEK DR TO 2441 34 364 4v
CASCADE VILLAGE TENNIS COURTS
0444
1 BIGHORN ROAD EAST VAIL EXIT TO STREAMSIDE
CIRCLE W INTERSECTION
BiFL ONE SIDE OF ROAD PITKIis CREEP 1E50 14 25900
WIDEN BRIDGE BETWEEN COLUMBINE 100000
DRIVE STREAMSTIiE CIRCLE
iL REIAINLEP OF 1 MILE 5E61ENT oc 7iiiiv
25a CONTINEENC FOR GUAwAILS 5i444
AIMING WALLS DRM NAE ETC
rinE
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN DESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
TRAIL
TRAIL LENST F OTHER SEGMENT
PHASE TYPE LOCATION IN LINEAR FT IDST ELEMENTS CO SJIhL ISTos
GRAND TOTAL OF PHASE I
735700
PHASE ii 3 TO 10 YEARS
SIGNASE AND STRIPTHE OF EY15TINS TRAILS 4Ouil
i S OOi
MiSC iikkOvEtTEicCYEyFu
76
2 L VA JAL 241i Y A yivJLI
TIC FIES
RCINSNINL WFiL c4J
PF GOR LRcE LINSriE 1C1L SfVIE BrIDE 8tiil Se9t3iiii
TL VAL ROAD FFIDSL
ONE SET OF TEES TO VAIL RDkETAtiIr6NAiSAsIDRrINrE xI3Ei1
PEDETRIAN iiRID6E fit SIiiif
SI iyt0
Otir COLUKBINE F TO S7REk i 71RCLE i S64
iDF FKuNiAEE R011D
RETAIHIN3 HALLS 46000
CONTINSENCYFOR ROW ACQUISITION 5000
000
2 DST WEST SORE CREEL DRIVE FRONTAGE RD
INTERSECTION TO DONOVAN FARM
SISNASE AND STRIPING 2650 1400
2 FF SrF1rDLE CREEK TO rLMOiATAiN RD i2 n 5
15 CONTINGENCY FOR LL1 v ILL rNil gRETAININGWhLS7c
r
WINSTON ASSOCIATESiPLANNINGURBANDESIGN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
RAIL LENGTH LF LITHESESMENT
PHASE TYPE LOCAT1G IN LINEAR FT CCEI ELEMENT5 COST TCTAL GO
BL BIGHORN RD STREAMSIC C ia INTERSECTION
TO OAMwOU
20Ti SIDES OF ROAD fib f2354u
5Z CONTiNGEnCY FOR GUARDRAILS
RETAINING GALLS DRAINAGE ETC 59440
BL SFR EAST END OF FORD PARS TO ASFE LANE ir fT f2i00c
V vV
hlLULF YSii F OYT r1 E4J UFS
Vir
n16 V
1Ei
rr F SU F L i tiiLMI vCtiU
LE
rV 71iC OF Rltj i1
lUb CON iNGEKa Fug GUmRDFAILS
CTMNG WALLS DRAifNGE ETC
i49S5
1 F NFfi RD SANUSTOI PEii BRI i E U e 27 10260
VAIL EXIT
SRAivD TO Thi FOR FAK 11
1596840
PHASE H 10 YEARS AND BEYONIj
SIGNASE AND STRIPING s31 ooo
3 SFR NEST VAIL EXIT TO CASCADE VILLAGE
B PL ONE SI ROD iCr5YDEL L 3ri i4 fill i04
BL LOiTi LLJV RllH1i x01 fG
2Ji CO4TNGENCY FOR rttiRihaILS
RETAINING a LLS DRAIK46E ETC
r G
WINSTON ASSOCIATES
PLANNING URBAN OE31GN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
TbL iL LENGTH F OTrEr SLUMEPvT
PHASE TYPE LOCAiI N IN LINES FT COST ELEMENTS CC TL co
rP VAIL MOUNTAIN TRAIL S1600is
3 GST BEAVER AM READ rGFEST ROA INTERSECTION
TD VAIL ROAD
E AND STRIPING
3rL FR CASCADE VILLAS TO 4 WA E900 527
t217 11100
L 51p WAY TC ET ND C iD Ar 6i0 2iSi2U
BF Ne SAWA TO VALLEY hI ONF
T7 tIcrPETnN1L 41CIO r 5114
L P47R 1HLLE CEND 4iGLIUhHALEitILCEI
CLNdEnEliiN TG BlhtiFFEi LAP3L5
52960
3 BiFL NFR ASPEN L IN TL A 7130a RANCH i
VAI T KP33Li
P RSiJP t BIralPEL LANE 14 51011
Qs C00
9940
GRAND TOTAL OF ALL 3 PHASES
3332480
fffeffEfoffirifftiffEfffftfs4fff3FfirfifffitifffkrtFfFiEiFfftfiFfffiFfFfftFffi4lFlFFffsfiFfffFifiixfffftit
DOWD JiNCT ION TRAIL SECTION TG HWY 6
THEE COT LF THIS SEGMENT WILL FROB 0
AB BE SLAKED BY EAGLE OUNTY TOW
tlr VR1L AND UU11
SUGGESIED FOR PHASE fJVJIi i
PtihE
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Survey Results1
The following summary details the responses from the public to a
questionnaire developed to gauge priorities for trail construction The
questionnaire was distributed at public meetingsand published in the Vail
Trail A total of 24 responses were received Acopy of the questionnaire
is below
You have a budget of 200000 which will go toward building new segments of
the Towns trail system Below is an alphabetical listing of potential new
trail systems and the annroximate cost of each segment Please select and1prioritize123etcthetrailsegmentsyouwouldbuildwiththemoneybudgeted
Dollars
Priority Trail Segment Cost Spent
1 A Blue Cow Chute to Ford Park along 75000
Gore Creek
B Covered Bridge to Vail Road Bridge 175000
along Gore Creek
C Donovan Park Cascade Village to 50000
Matterhorn Circle
D East Vail Exit to Town Center on 475000
Frontage Road Phase I
E Columbine Drive to Streamside 75000
Circle off Frontage Road
F Vail Athletic Club to Bridge 259000
Street along Gore Creek
G Vail De Shone to W Vail Exit 50000
H Vail Road Bridge to LionsHead 75000
Skier Bridge along Gore Creek
1 Vail Valley Drive Athletic 150000
Fields to Golf Clubhouse
J Vail Valley Drive Gold Peak to 25000
Athletic Fields
H West Meadow Drive Phase I 350000
1
Results Summarv
Total Average
Trail Segment of Votes Prioritv
A Blue Cow Chute to Ford Park along 7 214
Gore Creek
B Covered Bridge to Vail RoadBridge 2 400
along Gore Creek
C Donovan Park Cascade Village to 10 220
Matterhorn Circle
D East Vail Exit to Town Center on 12 175
Frontage Road Phase I
E Columbine Drive to Streamside 4 200
Circle off Frontage Road
F Vail Athletic Club to Bridge 4 300
Street along Gore Creek
G Vail De Shone to W Vail Exit 10 200
H Vail Road Bridge to LionsHead 4 275
SkierBridge along Gore Creek
I Vail Valley Drive Athletic 2 100
Fields to dolt Clubhouse
J Vail Valley Drive Gold Peak to 4 275
Athletic Fields
K West Meadow Drive Phase I 0 000
The lower the priority average number the more 1 and2place votes the trail
segment received A zero ranking means the segment received no votes
The top 4 vote getters were
1 Trail Segment D 12 votes
2 3 Trail Segments C G 10 votes
4 Trail Segment A 7 votes
1 2
The top average priority number lowest average
1 Trail Segment D C 175
2 Trail Segment G e 200
3 Trail Segment A e 214
4 Trail SegmentC@ 220
Some people hand wrote commentsontheir questionnaire Those comments are
provided below
Trail Segment C Since I live in Matterhorn thisis my first priority
Trail Segment F Would be nice to have our guests in a nice peaceful
setting
Trail Segment G People walk along in the mud already
Trail Segment D Very important All money spent here Most people ride
here and you have to ride on street
t Trail Segment D Base of Vail Pass to E Vail exit
Finish what started ietown East Vail before doing West Vail
Trails B G D E F G waste of time and money H has some merit but K
needs better explaining D needs to go from E Vail exit toGore Creek
campground not back to town The shoulder on the Frontage Road is very
adequate from town to E Vail exit From the exit east is wherework is
needed
3
The following questionnaire was distributed at the first public meeting A
total of 6 responses were received
TRAIL USER QUESTIONNAIRE
RECREATION TRAIL MASTER PLAN
January 6 1988
QUESTION 1
1 How do you use the present trail system in the TownofVail If youre
involved in more than one type of activity indicate theapproximate
percentage of time spent on each activity
Use by
A B C D E F G H IAverage
Bicycle Commuting 10 10 20 5 50 50 18
Local Errands 10 20 20 6
Training for Races 30 50 60 18
Jogging 65 5 50 10 16
HikingWalking 5 10 2
Casual Cycling 80 5 15 20 70 50 80 40
100
Wont use too dangerous uses Hwy 6
Peter Patten
QUESTION 2
2 What sections of the present bike or walking paths do you feel are the
most dangerous and why
A Sharp curves on the eastern end of East Vail Path poor visibility
after steep hills Hole 15 with hairpin turns on East VailtPath
B For Cycle Training all of the Paths
C Blind corners Intersections
D Sharp hills on GolfCourse
E East Vail Frontage Road Far and away the most dangerous section
West Meadow Drive Too much traffic too many people who dont
know where they are going high tourist factor
F East of golf course to Hwy 6 Pitkin Creek Blind Curves too
narrow path
G Sharp blind corners on way to East Vail two way section and1crossingbyPitkinblindintersectionbetweenPedoverpassand
Safeway
1 The S turn on the Golf Course turns are sharpandhave blind
corners the bike path on N Frontage car traffic
I Pitkin Creek Park No separation from road numerous LH to cascade
vehicular intersection
4
QUESTION 3
3 The one thing You feel the Town really needs to do to improve the trail
system is
A Create moretrailsto other areas than East Vail
B Separate WalkingJogging Lane and Cycling Lane
C Expand
D Provide a safe path of substantial length ie through Vail to
Avon and Westward for the person who is training or seeking a high
level aerobic workout The present paths are fine for recreational
biking but a lack of a training course caused the clash
E Complete the obvious links that are missing with the objective
being to separate recreation riding and Commuting from training
trails
F NA
G Complete it expand it winter walking trail two way cross country
trail thru narrows mountain bike trails wider bridges for larger
cross country equipment
H Restrict use for specialized activities
I Exclusive walking paths along Gore Creek in Village
QUESTION 4
4 Do you cross country ski in or around the Town If so would you
regularly use a trail going from the center of Town to the golf
coursekatsos Ranch area
A Yes
B No If designated for cross country yes
C Yes
D Absolutely Vail needs to offer a more serious cross country ski
experience a course originating just west of Gold Peak or Near the
Vista Bahn and going west would be a major asset Also widening
the golf course ski lanes would allow for more regular citizen
races such as Govs cup
E Given the great number of road crossings I see this goal as a pipe
dream Energy should be spent elsewhere before money is spent on
this idea
F Yes
G No train cross country soccer field and golf course Maybe if
welldesigned and maintained
H Yes If it was properly groomed and maintained
1 Probably not regularly rarely cross country in town couple times
a year E Vail to Golf Clubhouse
5
QUESTION 5
5 Please provide us with the following demographic data optional
A Female 27 Sandstone
B Male 40 W Vail Chamonix
C Male 25 W Vail
D Male 33 Red Sandstone Rd
E Male 30 E Vail
F Male 30 Avon
G Male 34 Matterhorn
H Female 30 Matterhorn
I Male33 E Vail
t
6
PARRS AND RECREATION IN EAGLE COUNTY
An Action Plan
1
Prepared fors The Eagle County Parks and Recreation Task Force
Prepared bp Rosall Remmen and Cares Inc Boulder CO
Winston Associates Inc Boulder CO
Date 102687
Revised 112587
r ROSALL REMMEN CARES
awrc uaEa wawo
Table 4
Local Residents Improvement Expenditures Ouestion 27 Version A1
t Saying
Rank Improvement i0 i Avg
1 New IndoorOutdoor Swimming Complex 35 1806
2 Bike Trails 46 1104
3 Indoor Rac Ctr v Gym Dance etc 55 1017
4 TheaterArts Complex 59 779
5 Neighborhood Parks 56 170
6 Softball Diamonds 65 671
7 ImpreveOevelop Existing Parks 60 644
8 Additional Golf Courses 78 569
9 Purchase Land for Open Space 73 491
10 Purchase Landfor Parks 10 488
11 Public Tennis Courts 76 425
12 Indoor Rec Ctr v Racquet Sports 78 371
13 Large CommunityParW 78 350
14 SoccerAthletic Fields 89 118
Table 5
Local Residets and Visitors Responses Comnared Improvement Priorities
40
NOTE 1 is the highest value and shows top
priorities 5 is the lowest value possible38
36
34
30 I Rack iaiproveee28
26 t 6m doaahtltreia
2 TinAwlatts oo1012x
t lbtttorro exM pool
24 eor ads3a
5 Tents
7 tapaosp apool
22 1 8tk1agM1k tmfU
I i6oQoatbelI
9 Vd ttftgjWMflW
20 10 AMMO
18
1 2 4 3 5 7 6 8 9 10 11
O Mountain Visitor Survey Local Residents na205
Respondents a366
t
i Table 6
Please provide your opinions on the following
1 2 3 4
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agee Disagree Disagree
a We need lore oc ized
recreation programs 20 56 22 2
UpAq f1 60 25 1
DoAxubdj 2b5 5I T ao Z
bWeneed new and improved
parks facilities sox 55K 14 1
UpYollty 33 TL 14
1kunlbTit 2S Go 195 1
c Parks and recreation
developoent should
accommodate residents
first 46 41 13
VP Yaucy 47 3g 15
Uaa Itv 41
d Use of local town and
County parks and
recreational amenities
by tourists should be
encouraged 18 65 155 15
UP4411y az 66 11 1
DOOnVA110 13 626 22 2
e I4duld support through
talc dollars the pro
vision of bicycle trails
that connect population
and recreational centers
in the County 36 40 18 6
Vp0t CIS 41 U 3
39 Ae
f1 believethe towns should
Ocooae increasingly in
volvedin priding parks
and recreation facilities 385 53 7 1
op t 4L 50 I 1
DotdIi 3S 56 8 1
g I believe leCounty
should become in
creasingly involved in
providing parks and
recreation facilities 37 51 11 15
UPNagy Sg o 11 I
Oorwag 37 3b 11 2
Nae 64atds oclude to upVa11t