Improve the road for cyclists and foot traffic please
From "The Future of Blue River Road"
Go to the project
As someone that rides bikes all over the city, Blue River road is an essential artery for cyclists and commuters going north or south on the east side of town. The "closed" portion of the road is one of my favorite sections in the city to ride because of the lack of cars and the beauty of the surrounding nature. It is depressing to see how much trash gets dumped back there and it seems likely more trash would end up there if cars could more easily access it.
According to Strava, one section of trail directly parallel to the closed portion of the road after Chestnut Ave, has been ridden over 22,000 times since 2009. I'm confident the number is even higher since not every cyclist uses Strava to track their rides. This doesn't even include the number of cyclists using the closed portion of the road itself.
I can see how neighbors might view the closed road as a problem and think no one is using it but to dump trash etc. but the data is clear: thousands of people are already using this road on their bikes to get outside, go to work, or enjoy the surrounding trail network.
I think the most beneficial and cost effective option is continue to make it safer and more accessible to bikes and pedestrians.