For years, cyclists have used a dirt road at Boulder Reservoir as a key east-west connection around the lake. Then, one day in June, the city placed a rock in the middle of it.
A few weeks later, the city replaced it with a larger one — a boulder — and posted a sign explaining that it was restricting access because the route is a dam maintenance road, “not an official trail.”
The boulder sits next to an existing gate blocking the road to cars. Cyclists can still ride around it through a narrow opening.
According to the city’s posted notice, cyclists entering from the east often ride into the boat trailer parking lots at high speed, creating safety issues for themselves, boaters and motorists. The notice also cites increased use by “large groups of cyclists arriving simultaneously and a notable increase in e-bikes.” City spokesperson Kate Hernandez said officials have observed “near-conflicts” in the area…