A bike trail connecting  Boulder and Erie could be a commuter paradise. The holdup is the money to build it.

ERIE – The alignment and allure are no-brainers. 

Boulder County commuters and walkers will flock to an 8.5-mile former railroad bed between fast-growing west Erie and a constrained city of Boulder, if leaders can just find the money to build it.

Entrepreneurs would do well to snap up property for smoothie stands and coffee shops along the way. Boulder County now has an official preferred path for the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail, or BERT, and detailed designs begin in 2025. Every yard of the westbound path sports million-dollar views of snowy Flatirons and Indian Peaks framed by blue sky. 

A finished BERT would include a crusher-fine gravel path on a raised railroad alignment, through horse country along Boulder Creek and a speedy corridor for Erie commuters on bikes. Farm produce stands and sightlines over Valmont Reservoir and Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat would be daily bonuses. 

On top of the “spectacular views,” said Boulder County regional trails planner Tonya Luebbert, without BERT “there’s no safe bike and pedestrian route that provides an east-west connection between eastern Boulder County and the city of Boulder.” 

East-west routes are currently the domain only of “very strong and fearless cyclists right along the shoulders,” Luebbert said. “So safety is kind of the main reason for this. And then this out of service rail line, now owned by RTD, presents a very unique opportunity to make this off-road connection.” 

After intense study, mapping and community input, Boulder County has now approved the BERT plan and alignment, Luebbert said. Now the fundraising begins, as well as detailed design work on exactly where in the railroad right of way the path should go, with dozens of feet of possibility on either side.

Some commuters would want a fast concrete path, Luebbert added, but more residents want the quieter, natural feel of a crushed-gravel path. 

To speed up opportunities while trails officials seek funding, construction will be divided into segments, Luebbert said. The first constructed segment would be from about 109th Street into Erie, since that area has fewer recreational and commuting options right now. The second segment would be from Boulder east to 75th Street, with the central connector section through open farmland going last. 

State health department environmental justice screens, which show income levels and other social health factors in neighborhoods throughout Colorado, reveal disproportionately impacted communities on the west and east ends of the BERT plan, Luebbert said. Some residents lack secure access to transportation for work, as one example of challenges the trail could address. 

Boulder County took a survey a year ago asking residents about the potential for BERT, and got 485 responses in 13 days, Luebbert said. Ninety-three percent of the respondents said they would use the path. 

“Almost everyone said they would use it for recreation, but 30% said they would use it for commuting, and I thought that was a pretty great number,” Luebbert said.