The Lyons to Boulder Regional Trail (LYBO) is a proposed 13-mile soft surface, multi-use trail that will connect the City of Boulder trail system with the Town of Lyons. It is included in the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan, Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, and the Boulder County Regional Trails Priorities Plan.
Throughout 2009, county transportation and open space planners worked diligently to identify a trail alignment that would provide for the best recreational and scenic experience for trail users, taking into account the breadth of neighborhood, environmental, cost, management, and agricultural concerns and challenges of constructing a trail through this area. County staff spent numerous hours meeting with residents, talking with property owners, poring over public easement records and evaluating a wide range of options for constructing a trail in the Lyons to Boulder corridor.
All of the proposed alignment options include the use of substantial parts of the rights of way along the Boulder Feeder Canal, a residential and irrigation water ditch owned and managed by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. At this time, Northern Water has made it clear that permission from them to use the Feeder Canal for any part of the LYBO trail is unlikely to be forthcoming. Therefore, construction of the Lyons to Boulder trail is not feasible at this time. As a result, the County has temporarily suspended planning efforts for the Lyons to Boulder Regional Trail.
A message from the Board of County Commissioners on the proposed Lyons to Boulder Regional Trail – Friday, September 18, 2009.