🚵 A years-old South Boulder trail fight is back

Good Wednesday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by the City of Boulder’s free Climate Resilient Landscape Showcase Garden Tour on Aug. 22. Register to explore water-wise gardens, pollinator habitats and more across Boulder.

Before we get into the news, we’re asking for your help so we can better serve you. Election season is underway, with four candidates running for Boulder mayor, 11 running for city council so far and several consequential ballot measures headed to voters.

Please take our short survey by Aug. 26 to tell us which issues matter most to you and submit questions for the candidates. We’ll include selected reader questions in our candidate questionnaire, which every mayoral and city council candidate will be asked to complete and thousands of Boulder voters will read.

Leading today: Boulder is again considering a mountain bike connection between Shanahan Ridge and Doudy Draw. Cyclists say it would provide a safer alternative to riding on busy roads. Opponents warn it could damage sensitive habitat and disrupt pedestrian-only trails. A public questionnaire is open through the end of August. Brooke Stephenson reports.

And in BRL Opinion: Terri Brncic argues Boulder should fully account for the cost of its Alpine-Balsam redevelopment before asking voters to approve a $400 million bond measure this fall.

Plus more, Below the Fold:

BoulderCAST: The 90s return before storm chances improve.
Transportation fee: Property owners begin paying in 2027.
CitySafe: Text one word for local police and fire updates.
Waste grants: Up to $30,000 for ideas that keep materials out of landfills.
Pine beetles: Check your trees as activity climbs.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

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Boulder considers opening South Boulder trails to bikes, reviving a 15-year fight

Cyclists say a connection to Doudy Draw would offer a safer alternative to busy roads. Opponents warn that allowing bikes on pedestrian-only trails could damage sensitive habitat and create conflicts with hikers. Continue reading…

Help shape Boulder Reporting Lab’s 2026 election coverage

What issues matter most to you this election? What questions do you want candidates to answer? Take BRL’s quick survey to help guide our coverage. Continue reading…

Heat builds as storms stay stingy

Boulder is in store for a pretty classic mid-August Wednesday after last evening’s weak front slipped through. Expect highs in the upper 80s with partly to mostly sunny skies and just a tiny chance of an isolated late‑day sprinkle drifting off the Foothills.

A stubborn, stationary ridge over the Southwest will remain our main weather driver through the extended period. That means temperatures climb back into the low to mid‑90s tomorrow and Friday, with isolated rain chances basically limited to the higher terrain — eastern Boulder County will stay mostly or totally dry.

Better monsoon moisture starts sneaking back toward the Front Range this weekend, though we’ll still be fighting the suppressive influence of that ridge. Even so, daily storm chances will slowly tick upward Saturday into next week, and highs should top out close to 90 degrees most days.

— BoulderCAST

Boulder property owners will begin paying a new transportation fee in 2027

Boulder plans to begin collecting its new transportation maintenance fee in 2027. The fee is intended to provide a steady source of funding as revenue from city sales taxes levels off.

The fee was approved by city council in 2025, with funds to be used for repairs and maintenance of bridges, roads, sidewalks and other transportation infrastructure. Property owners will be charged based on the estimated number of trips generated by their type of building, a measure intended to reflect how much they use the transportation system. The fee will apply to residential properties, including detached and multifamily homes. Fees for nonresidential properties, such as offices, industrial buildings and warehouses, will increase based on their size.

Rates for different building types were determined using local and national data on the number of trips properties generate. An annual fee calculator is available on the city’s website. Certain entities, including Boulder Valley School District schools and federal laboratories, will be exempt but encouraged to make voluntary payments. Read more on BRL.

Residents can opt in for public safety text notifications

The City of Boulder is launching CitySafe, a new text notification service covering Boulder police and Fire-Rescue activity. The service is available to anyone who lives, works or spends time in Boulder.

To sign up, text CITYSAFE to 888777. The service will send some of the public safety information currently posted on the city’s social media accounts, including updates about traffic incidents, structure fires and police activity.

The notifications do not replace emergency alerts, which remain the fastest source of information during an emergency. CitySafe is intended for people who want more frequent updates about routine public safety activity.

Boulder County offers grants of up to $30,000 for waste-reduction projects

Applications are open for the county’s 2027 Circular Economy Fund, which supports projects designed to reduce waste.

Eligible projects must help keep materials out of landfills through recycling, composting, reuse or sustainable product design. Funding is available in three categories: consumer behavior, material collection and processing, and manufacturing and design. The Circular Economy Fund is supported by the county’s Sustainability Tax.

Selected applicants will receive between $1,000 and $30,000. Local governments, nonprofits, school districts, individual schools, private businesses and community groups in Boulder County, Broomfield and Erie may apply. Applications are due Sept. 30.

Mountain pine beetle activity increases, prompting warning to landowners

Mountain pine beetles are in their summer flight season, and Boulder County is urging landowners to inspect their pine trees closely this month.

The beetles are native to Colorado, but drought stress and overly dense forests can make trees more vulnerable to damaging infestations. Officials say beetle activity has increased in 2026 but has not reached epidemic levels. Elevated activity is expected to continue through 2027.

Signs of infestation include pitch tubes, boring dust, fading needles and increased woodpecker activity. A forestry professional or arborist should examine trees suspected of being infested. Landowners should remove and dispose of infested trees when advised and should not transport infested firewood. Maintaining healthy, diverse forests is the best defense against beetle attacks.

Boulder County community forestry sort yards will not accept beetle-infested logs or chunk wood through Sept. 15, though small branches will still be accepted.

Commentaries are opinion pieces from community members and newsmakers. They reflect the views of the authors, not BRL. Want to submit one? Here’s how.

Terri Brncic: Boulder can’t say what Alpine-Balsam will cost. Why trust it with $400 million more?

The city is asking voters to approve its largest-ever bond measure. First, it should provide a clear accounting of what its Alpine-Balsam redevelopment will cost and how it is being financed. Continue reading…

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