Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times 

Residents who cannot attend committee meetings will now be able to follow the City of Grand Junction’s committees online.

As part of its efforts to increase transparency and community access to information, the city has begun recording all committee and advisory board meetings. The recordings are publicly available through the city’s Agenda and Minutes page on their website and on the city’s agenda and minutes portal on the City of Grand Junction mobile app.

At the start of the Urban Trails Committee meeting on Sept. 10, Mobility Coordinator Henry Brown explained the new process.

“Our meetings have always been public, and anybody’s welcome to come and join us in person,” Brown said. “But to be consistent with some of the practices that City Council themselves follow, there is interest in having that be more than a ‘day of’ opportunity for people.”

When asked whether the recordings would replace meeting minutes, Brown said recordings will not replace them, and he will need to follow up on the issue.

Trail Grant Support

The first and only action item for the meeting concerned a grant application. Public Works Director Trent Prall walked the committee through a draft support letter for a Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Trails Program grant.

The $250,000 request would help complete the Riverfront Trail between 27 1/2 Road and 29 Road, as part of a more than $2 million project with contributions also expected from One Riverfront and the county.

Committee members voiced support, with one noting residents frequently ask when the missing section will be finished. The committee moved to accept the letter and submit it to support the grant application.

Wayfinding Map Review

Next, Brown presented the city’s bicycle wayfinding map, which is distributed online, in Ride Magazine and at community events.

The city’s website states: “In 2020, the City, in partnership with the Urban Trails Committee, facilitated creative uses of right-of-ways and multi-modal access to economic centers by installing 300 wayfinding signs to help guide bicyclists around the community.”

Grand Junction’s wayfinding map uses color-coded routes to guide cyclists across the city. For example, the Maroon Route begins where the Riverfront Trail meets Seventh Street and continues north through the city, crossing Patterson Road and finishing on Horizon Drive at Grand Junction Regional Airport. 

During the meeting, Brown noted any changes will also require updates to physical signage around the city. When committee members suggested exploring options for adding overlays to better show existing infrastructure, Brown explained there is a QR code on the wayfinding map that opens to a much more detailed map.

“This links to the Web map that shows all the infrastructure in the city,” he said.

Education Mini Grants

Brown introduced the committee to a city-funded education mini-grant program designed to increase bicycle safety instruction.

Brown said he is a certified league instructor.

“You may recall that both Carissa and I got our certifications as league cycling instructors just under a year ago as well as seven other people in our community that are certified instructors,” he said.

Brown brought up the interest form on the screen and told the committee, “For any nonprofits local here in the community, they can feel free to fill out this interest form, and we will be in touch with them about how we can help facilitate the course that they may be interested to offer.”

Brown said the grants will provide nonprofits with funds to hire certified instructors to deliver safety courses.

“This would be primarily focused on giving an organization the resources to hire or pay for the time of people who are certified trainers to come in and teach alongside or on behalf of that organization,” he said.

According to the League of American Bicyclists letter on the City of Grand Junction website, instructors typically receive $25 to $75 per hour.

During the meeting as both a city employee who gave the appearance of helping administer the mini grants and a private instructor who may then be able to be paid to instruct by the same nonprofit organizations when receiving those grants, Brown did not indicate whether he is recused from the selection process or whether he avoids participating in paid training sessions funded through the program.

The city of Grand Junction responded to an inquiry about the potential of this being a conflict of interest, stating, “Organizations have the opportunity to host Smart Cycling classes taught by certified instructors, helping riders of all ages build confidence, stay safe, and enjoy biking as a healthy way to get around. Nonprofits that meet certain requirements may also be eligible for a mini-grant to offset costs.

“In November 2024, the City of Grand Junction facilitated a public education class with the League Cycling Instructor Seminar. Participants learned and practiced tools for teaching “learn to ride” and road safety to specific user groups, including youth, new or experienced adult riders, and drivers. Seven regional instructors were certified, including City and County staff, and members of the public.

“If the city’s Mobility Planner is requested by an organization to provide instruction of a Smart Cycling Class as a certified instructor, he would not receive compensation.”

When asked if that means that Brown would be able to provide instruction for smart cycling classes only as a private volunteer outside of his role at the city, or if he would be doing so as part of his job as a city employee, Coleman responded that Brown was currently on paid time off and she would reach out for further clarification and provide it the following week.

This article will be updated as further clarification from the city of Grand Junction becomes available. 

When asked about the structure of the courses, Brown said the full curriculum can be delivered in a single day or spread across multiple shorter sessions.

“There are definitely opportunities to tailor it as desired,” he said. 

Walk Audit Findings

The committee reviewed results from summer walk audits that measured pedestrian comfort on different corridors. Some routes scored well, like the north side of Wellington Avenue to Seventh Street, where 100 percent of participants agreed the sidewalks met low-stress standards. Others rated poorly, including the east side of 26 1/2 Road across Horizon Drive, which scored 0 percent due to narrow sidewalks with a retaining wall at the back of the walk.

Brown said he is at the point of taking recommendations from the committee who participated in the walk audits to move forward. Recommendations included adding audible signals at crossings and continuing to recommend City Council members attend walk audits.

Updates

The last part of the meeting was updates.

For the Bike Month update Brown said city leadership indicated to him the city will not participate in a program called a “Week Without Driving,” but it still will have Bike to Work Day on Sept. 26 and host a dinner rather than a burrito breakfast as in past years.

Brown said for Senate Bill 25-030 the city is being asked by the regional transportation office to compile a list of missing active transportation facilities that have regional significance.

“We are paying close attention to this bill and supporting the regional staff as we can to get those lists together,” he said.

According to the state of Colorado’s website, active transportation is any human-scale and typically human-powered mode of transportation, such as walking, running, bicycling, in-line skating or using an electric bicycle, kick scooter or electric scooter, skateboard, wheelchair or other personal-assistive mobility device.

Prall provided updates on several city projects, including Fourth and Fifth Street reconfiguration downtown. He noted Grand Junction City Council voted on Aug. 20 to revert both streets south of Grand Avenue to two lanes, and he said, “There will be no bike lanes south of Grand Avenue.”

As a final update, Brown said the city will not be hiring to replace a Mobility Division position that was lost.

“I learned over the weekend when I was out of office that the city is no longer going to be pursuing an Americore fellow for the Mobility Division, despite the fact that that was adopted funding in the 2025 budget year. We have a less than desirable sales tax outlook for this year or lower than was budgeted for, so this was something that was determined to be a cut by city leadership. … For now, it will continue to just be me supporting the mobility division, and we will not be expecting to have a replacement for Carissa, as if anybody could really fill her shoes.”

Listen to it Yourself

The full recording of the Sept. 10 Urban Trails Committee meeting can be viewed on the city’s Agendas and Minutes page at www.gjcity.org/129/Agendas-Minutes.