Colorado Front Range Trail Implementation Plan
The Colorado Front Range Implementation Plan, submitted to the State Trails Committee and approved by the State Parks Board in June, 2007, is the document being used as a reference for the entire project. It includes the:
- Executive Summary
- Planning Context
- Corridor Charicteristics
- Inventory & Assessment
- Prioritization Plan
- Marketing Plan
- Financial Strategy
The appendix contains:
- Development Council Member List
- CFRT Development Council Charter
- Trail Development Guidelines
- Criteria for acquisition, planning, construction & maintenance grants for the CFRT
- Much more!
Colorado Front Range Trail Implementation Plan (3.4 MB)
CFRT Appendix (1.03MB)
CFRT Executive Summary (1.1MB, updated 8/14/07)
Colorado Front Range Trail Receives $2 Million Boost
From Colorado Lottery Proceeds
The Boards of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and Colorado State Parks approved $2 million in Lottery grants to advance the build-out of the Colorado Front Range Trail (CFRT). The CFRT vision is to create a multi-purpose trail from Wyoming to New Mexico, along Colorado's Front Range. The 876-mile trail will link diverse communities, scenic landscapes, cultural and historic points, parks, open space and other attractions. The five projects that received grants are:
St. Vrain Greenway/Phase 7B sponsored by the City of Longmont - $500,000 grant
The City of Longmont has partnered with Boulder County to complete this vital trail connection to the St. Vrain Greenway. This 1.6-mile portion will connect two existing trail segments. Two street underpasses and two bridges over St. Vrain Creek will also be constructed to divert the trail from busy road traffic. The trail is a critical link that will enable one, final, short extension segment to the Sandstone Ranch Community & District Park, and ultimately, to St. Vrain State Park in the future.
CFRT & Trailhead At River Bluffs sponsored by Larimer County - $494,373 grant
This project will help complete a high priority trail segment between Windsor And Fort Collins. Specifically, it will extend the CFRT one-half mile into the River Bluffs Open Space and build a 30-car trailhead with user amenities including picnic tables and a bike rack. The project will also involve construction of a trail underpass beneath State Highway 392. Additionally, it will overcome the barrier that State Highway 392 has posed to the project from Greeley to Fort Collins, and allow the trail to be incorporated into commercial and residential developments planned north into Timnath.
CFRT from E-470 to Brighton sponsored by the City of Brighton - $425,000 grant
Consisting of 2.05 miles of concrete trail on City of Brighton-owned land and easements, this trail travels along the east edge of the South Platte River connecting Adams County Fairgrounds into Denver on the south end to the CFRT trail in Brighton's Ken Mitchell Lakes Open Space and Park on the north end. This project will allow trail users to travel from Brighton south through Denver to Castle Rock entirely on the CFRT. Ultimately, the project will connect to the planned CFRT segment that will run north to Fort Lupton and St. Vrain State Park near Longmont.
Power Trail sponsored by the City of Fort Collins - $350,000 grant
This project - a 1.33-mile extension of the Power Trail south of Harmony Road to Trilby Road - will connect to the City of Fort Collins' 16.7-mile trail system and numerous parks and natural areas. The City will also construct an underpass of the railroad at Keenland Drive in 2008 and will complete the trail north to Harmony Road in 2009. Finally, the City will complete the Power Trail in 2009 - and the north/south section of the Front Range Trail in Fort Collins - by building a crusher fine path from Trilby Road to County Road #32.
East Plum Creek/Phase 3 sponsored by the Town of Castle Rock - $230,627 grant
Currently constructing 2 miles of East Plum Creek Trail Phase 3, the Town of Castle Rock will expand Phase 3 to add a 1-mile trail section that runs across private property recently acquired by the Town. With the acquisition of the 106-acre property, the Town secures the core of nearly 500 acres of Town-owned and future public land dedicated open space of the East Plum Creek riparian corridor and the "crossroads" of the CFRT.
Great Outdoors Colorado is the result of a citizens' initiative passed by Colorado voters in 1992. GOCO receives approximately $53 million annually from Lottery proceeds, and directs those funds to projects that protect and enhance Colorado's parks, wildlife, trails, rivers and open space.
The Process
GOCO's Local Government Staff and State Parks' State Trails Staff collaborated to write the Colorado Front Range Trail Grant Application, and announced the grant cycle on January 1, 2008. Cycle announcement were distributed to municipalities, counties and park and recreation special districts for applications to construct and/or plan new segments of the CFRT, to enhance existing trail links of the CFRT and/or to acquire land for eventual development of segments of the CFRT. Interested applicants were required to contact State Trails' staff to receive the grant application and to schedule a mandatory site visit. By the March 3, 2008 deadline, State Trails' staff had received eight, eligible applications requesting a total of $3,646,873 dollars.
GOCO's Local Government and State Trails' Staffs worked together to establish the review process, with State Trails' staff responsible for the management of the program. Prior to the receipt of applications, both staffs conducted joint site visits to all the submitted proposal venues.
Following the receipt of the applications, State Trails' staff contacted three outside reviewers. The reviewers were informed that they had approximately three weeks to read and score the grant applications. Peer reviewers evaluated the proposals using the same scoring guidelines as those used by GOCO's and State Trails' staffs.
The applications were scored with a possible total score of 100 points using the following criteria:
Criteria Possible Points
Characteristics and Significance 10
Need and Urgency 10
Users 10
Trail Planning and Design 10
Public Involvement 10
Environment 25
Matching Funds 10
Partnerships 10
Youth and Volunteers 5
Total 100