Oct 31, 2024

On Oct 31, 2024, at 2:22 PM,

All,

This is not acceptable, someone will get seriously injured or will die because of your inaction to an existing problem that is only getting more serious as the road becomes more popular for bikes and more people move to this part of town.

 What I have suggested from the beginning knowing that there are budgeting constraints is to focus on the blind right turns so the bikes have a safe place to go when the cars can’t see them E and W bound. What Boulder county did as a “solution” is allow over 4 miles westbound of bikes being allowed in the entire road after they added 20+ warning signs on Lee Hill Drive. This approach that the county took is not like any other road in the county even though bikes uses many other roads in the foothills. The bikes being allowed on the entire Lee Hill drive going westbound for over 4 miles has made this road even more dangerous with close calls that I have witnessed with cars going into the opposing lane to go around bikes with on coming cars and bikes slamming on brakes and in the case of the bikes going around the cars that they are facing while they are going downhill. Ask anyone that lives up here and they will have their own stories, this is all day dawn to dusk that’s only getting more extreme since Lee Hill is becoming one of the more popular spots for bikes.

Based on what I have researched Boulder County is using a legal regulation allowing bikes to occupy the entire road that was intended for construction areas and not for an entire roads as a “permanent fix” to this situation. 

As a reference none of these roads have near the signage recently added to Lee Oil lDrive nor do they have 4+ miles of “Bikes may use full lane” allowance even though they are all popular with the biking community. Road to reference include: Flagstaff Road, Magnolia Road, Four Mile Canyon Drive, Sunshine Canyon Road, WagonWheel Gap Road

Again, I am advocating for the road to be safe for both bikes and cars since they frequently interact on it at the same time. I too want to ride my bike to and from my home up here but I will not risk my own life thinking that signs and ability to ride the full lane at 3-5 MPH uphill westbound is safe just because signs are up to alert the cars. 

Answer this question: I am asking that you show me, the Boulder heights community and everyone that uses this road on bikes and cars why you think this approach is acceptable on this road when it isn’t used anywhere else in the county. This is a real question that I am asking that serves a logical fact based answer with supporting documentation.