Posts tagged city
One-of-a-kind, natural surface bike park to open June 11 in Boulder
Jun 6th
Media interview opportunities available in advance of Valmont Bike Park grand opening
What do you call 40 acres of twisting trails, mild to wild dirt, structural jumps, strategically-placed sand pits, logs, boulders and staircases? While off-road cyclists may soon call it, “Shangri La,” we call it, “Valmont Bike Park.”
Opening for the first time at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11, the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s latest park development has already been hailed as an outstanding bike park by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA).
“Cyclists from around the nation will be totally floored by what they see,” said IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel. “Based on its many options for riding natural-surface trails, the diversity of both technical and non-technical features and the outstanding quality of the build, Valmont will be among the top venues in the country for this style of biking.”
The City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department will open the newly-developed park with a grand opening event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 11. The event will feature an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. with comments from council members, including Deputy Mayor Ken Wilson and Parks and Recreation Director Kirk Kincannon. Food and bicycle gear vendors, a cycling demonstration (on the park’s slopestyle features) and public riding in the park will round out the day’s activities. The event is free and open to the community.
The park contains a pump track, dual slalom and slopestyle riding loop as well as elements for a competition cyclo-cross course. The park also includes training and skill building trails, a toddler playground, event plaza, restrooms, parking and outstanding city and Flatiron views. Developed with the support and partnership of the local cycling community, Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA) and organizations such as the PLAY Boulder Parks Foundation and Great Outdoors Colorado, the 40-acre Valmont Bike Park encompasses natural-surface amenities for multiple riding styles and skill levels.
“We are very excited to open this flagship park,” Kincannon said. “We invested in a collaborative partnership with BMA and the off-road cycling community to design and build this portion of Valmont City Park. The result is a park worthy of our internationally-recognized athletic community—one that will be a daily asset to local kids, families, riders and businesses and also attract events and riders from all over the country and the world.”
Note to Media: Media interviews with Parks and Recreation Department Director Kirk W. Kincannon will be available on a scheduled basis on June 7 and 8. The media is encouraged to attend the grand opening event on June 11. Please contact Shelly Ruspakka by June 7 at RuspakkaS@BoulderColorado.gov or 303-413-7214 to set up a media interview or to discuss plans for the opening event.
The bike park is currently closed due to allow completion of construction. The park will open to cycling on June 11. No footage of park use or demonstrations will be available until June 11.
City of Boulder Public Works summer construction projects
Jun 3rd
For the next six months, construction crews will be working to resurface city streets, restore utilities infrastructure and improve transit options for all modes of transportation. The major summer construction projects with traffic impacts are outlined below. All active projects and related traffic impacts are updated weekly on www.boulderconezones.net.
2011 Street Resurfacing Program
The City of Boulder’s annual street resurfacing projects have begun, and are scheduled to continue through the summer and into the fall. About 50 city streets are targeted for chip sealing, resurfacing (overlay) or replacement in 2011 (See all streets planned for resurfacing). In general, these operations will have daytime traffic impacts with intermittent lane/road closures and parking restrictions. Budget and scheduling issues may prevent the city from finishing all of the resurfacing projects currently being considered.
Sidewalk Improvements Program
This project completes repairs to damaged sidewalk and installs or improves pedestrian curb access ramps in a particular neighborhood area each year. This year’s program begins on Tuesday, June 7. Crews will be making improvements to the area bounded by 4th and 9th streets, Alpine and Iris avenues. There will be periodic daytime lane closures associated with this work, as well as short-term impacts to sidewalks and bicycle lanes. This project is expected to be completed by early fall 2011.
Arapahoe Avenue Multimodal Improvements Project
This project will begin in late summer, with traffic impacts expected to last for three months. The purpose of the project is to upgrade Arapahoe Avenue, from Folsom to 30th streets, to include amenities and facilities for all transportation modes. Generally, lane closures will occur during off-peak hours with occasional 24-hour closures as needed. There will also be impacts to sidewalks and transit stops. Detailed weekly traffic impacts will be posted on the Cone Zones website when the work begins.
Broadway (Euclid to 18th) Transportation Improvements Project
Intersection improvements at Broadway and 18th Street (part of the larger improvement project) will begin on Monday, June 6. During construction:
Broadway will be reduced to one lane in each direction, 24 hours a day;
Turn lanes at 18th Street, to and from Broadway, will be closed at times, and detour signage will be in place; and
There will also be occasional closures of the Broadway multi-use path, with bicycle and pedestrian detours in place.
Improvements are expected to take about two months to complete. Work should be done by mid-August, prior to students’ return to campus for move-in week. Construction of the underpass work has been rescheduled to start in late 2011 or early 2012, with the work taking approximately one year to complete.
2011 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project
This project began in May, and involves the rehabilitation of sanitary sewer lines at various sites throughout the city. In general, motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane closures and parking restrictions where posted. Individual work sites and times will be scheduled on a weekly basis. The project is scheduled for completion by mid-July.
2011 South Boulder Waterline Replacement Project
These projects will begin in mid-June, with traffic impacts expected to last until the end of November. The project involves the replacement of waterlines on:
33rd Street, from Fisher Drive to Walnut Street;
3rd and 4th streets, at Evergreen and Forest avenues;
Chippewa Drive, from Inca Parkway to Mohawk Drive;
Hillsdale Way, from Howard Place to Table Mesa Drive;
Lipan Way, from Inca Parkway to Eutaw Drive; and
Ottawa Place.
Crews will also be installing 1,300 linear feet of new waterlines in Arapahoe Avenue, between 28th and 30th streets. Construction will begin in July and is expected to take approximately a month to complete. The replacement of waterlines will greatly improve the water distribution system and water quality in South Boulder.
For the most up-to-date information on all construction impacts, visit the Cone Zones webpage or follow Cone Zone Man on Twitter at www.twitter.com/boulderconezone for real-time traffic updates.
CU STUDENT INSTALLATIONS TO HELP ENGAGE COMMUNITY IN UNIVERSITY HILL DEVELOPMENT
Jun 1st
The temporary installations will serve as the basis of a community charrette, an intense planning and design collaboration, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on June 3. The event is part of the International Town & Gown Association conference and is cosponsored by the city of Boulder.
“We take great pride in partnering with the city to provide opportunities for students to solve real-world problems,” said Frank Bruno, vice chancellor for administration. “The ability of our students to connect and engage the University Hill community through this interdisciplinary project is truly remarkable and can result in progress for the neighborhood.”
Charrette participants will explore revitalization ideas for University Hill that encompass the education, research and community service resources of CU-Boulder and the vibrant culture of the area as a commercial and residential district, according to organizers.
The project stems from a CU-Boulder Maymester course called Finding Ground. The student works include two interactive survey boards, two tables and 25 hammocks, all for public use.
“The installations are meant to bring people together to explore ideas for community connectedness and the overall use of public space,” said Finding Ground student Richard Mapes, a senior in architecture. “It’s amazing to see so many groups working to positively change the course of University Hill.”
Students carried out mapping exercises, interviews, precedent studies and presentations. They also conceptualized, designed and built the installations.
“We are excited about the close collaboration we’ve had with the university in preparing for this event, and look forward to learning more about the students’ work and their creative ideas during Friday’s charrette,” said David Driskell, executive director of Community Planning and Sustainability for the city of Boulder. “University Hill is a unique Boulder neighborhood, where the university and community literally come together. This course and Friday’s activities are just one example of how we can work together to make the Hill a vibrant and successful place that is welcoming for everybody.”
Students also maintained a group blog and developed a quick response code, which is displayed on three project information signs located on University Hill. It also will be stenciled in chalk on University Hill sidewalks. Visitors with the appropriate cellular phone technology can scan the QR code to be linked to the project website for more information.
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