Manitou Incline concerns expressed
After one of the busiest summers in the town’s history, leaders are weighing options for dealing with concerns relating to the popular Manitou Incline trail.
It’s a situation that KRDO NewsChannel 13 has followed since residents and merchants began voicing concern about increased traffic congestion, a lack of parking, loitering, panhandling and more pedestrians visiting the Incline.
According to one report, annual Incline use has increased from 70,000 people in 2013 to more than 300,000 this year.
Critics say the Incline was not intended to handle such heavy usage, and there needs to be more on-scene management and enforcement of rules, such as closing the Incline overnight and keeping dogs off the trail.
The idea of charging a fee to use the Incline — one that has been discussed before — should become a greater consideration, according to some local leaders and Incline users, to pay for repairs and a staff to enforce rules.
After a meeting earlier this week, support groups Incline Friends and Friends of Ruxton Canyon set several priorities. They include reducing congestion and noise on Ruxton Avenue leading to the Incline by revising current parking and reviewing conditional use permits for businesses in the area.
Another priority for the groups is developing a management plan for the Incline, including the possibility of fees, regulating use by time and visits per day, educational/enforcement patrols, hours of operation and hiring outside management.
However, Incline Friends posted late Thursday morning on its Facebook page that there is no current plan to charge a fee. The group says it posted the statement to clear up misinformation on the matter.
Three of the town’s mayoral candidates mentioned improving the Incline situation as a priority.
Several local hikers said they’re open to the idea of a user fee, it it’s reasonable, and there’s a choice between paying per visit or with an annual pass.
But some visiting hikers were more generous, saying they’d be willing to pay between $10 and $20 to use the Incline.
“It’s very unique, said Annie Nolte-Henning, of Minnesota. “You can’t find it anywhere else. I think it’s a very good investment on tourism dollars.”
Colorado Springs is responsible for Incline maintenance. Chris Lieber, of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said a user fee is possible in the future, but only after needed safety improvements on two-thirds of the trail are finished.
