Help decide fate of access to the Incline
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- Created on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 18:44
- Written by Dena Rosenberry
By R. Scott Rappold
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It’s a moot point for the hordes of hikers and runners who go up the Manitou Incline every day, but it’s illegal to trespass on the former railroad line.
Local officials will host the first of several public meetings June 24 to discuss opening the Incline to legal use and managing erosion, congestion and parking nightmares that accompany heavy use of the route. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Manitou Springs City Hall with a presentation, before people will break into groups to discuss and prioritize problems at the Incline.
While negotiations for legal use continue among the Incline’s property owners — Colorado Springs Utilities, the U.S. Forest Service and the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway — a management plan is being drawn up, funded by a $70,500 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado and a $25,000 donation from philanthropist Lyda Hill’s foundation.
A task force of local officials, residents and Incline users has been meeting since January, identifying “critical issues” with Incline use, said Aimee Cox, a senior analyst with Colorado Springs’ parks department. Now the group wants to hear what the public believes are the major issues.
Next month, local officials will host three workshops, also at Manitou Springs City Hall, for anyone interested in delving into more details on the issues and possible solutions. They are:
• 6 p.m., July 13, traffic and parking issues
• 6 p.m., July 14, trails and trailhead issues
• 6 p.m., July 15, management and operations issues
A proposed management plan, which will set guidelines for handling Incline use and parking, will be released in the fall, Cox said.
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