Author: pacman

Greetings from PaCMan! To PaCMan is to Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou. Perhaps no one in our community does just that—walking and taking transit that is, more than Craig Burbank. We interviewed Craig during the pandemic back in 2020 about his ultra-walking exploits and thought a check-in was long overdue. We caught up with him recently at the MAC community space for a chat. Have an active transportation story to share with the community? Reach out to @pacmanitou to direct message us.

How long have you been living in Manitou Springs and why did you choose to live here?

I moved to Manitou in March 2017 after retiring from Walmart where I used to work and live in the Woodland Park area. Since I am an ultra-endurance athlete, I love the close proximity to trail’s, mountain hikes, and access to transit and other shuttle services such as Rocky Mountain Ride—which is a great way to get back to Manitou after hiking Pikes Peak.

It’s worth noting that I’ve been living car-free now for over 31 years after giving up my car back in August 1993. I also credit my good health to an active lifestyle and am fortunate to have the time to spend time in our great outdoors and fresh Colorado air. Interestingly enough, in Sept 2024, AAA posted that the average cost of new car ownership costs someone in the U.S. $12,297 annually. I largely credit my good health and youthful appearance to an active lifestyle (in my early 70’s).

What are the pros/cons of walking and taking the bus in Manitou?

Time management is required and some planning as well. I often grocery shop about 4-5 times a week, which also accounts for a portion of my training. Most of my errands are for groceries where I prefer to walk to places approximately 8 miles away such as Costco and Trader Joe’s where I can find good deals. I use a mid-sized backpack to make these journeys and find that carrying an extra small tote bag also helps to pack most groceries home. I also use Mountain Metro Transit (MMT) routes #3 and #19 mostly for the return trip.

Planning also includes figuring out if a monthly bus pass vs. a punch card, where you still need transfer slips, is more feasible. For me, a monthly bus pass saves me money and time since I skip the need for transfer slips which takes time when onboarding.

Another part of the planning process is figuring out which bus route(s) to use. I suggest looking up the MMT system map which shows you which routes overlap.

It would be nice to have signalized pedestrian crossings where the timing prioritized pedestrians. Many times, I must wait for one or even two light cycles before I can cross at an intersection. This is largely the case when walking/training in Colorado Springs where the poor timing at signalized intersections add time to my training efforts. I now mainly focus training expeditions in Woodland Park where there are fewer signalized crossings and good shuttle service such as the Rambling Express where I can catch a ride home if the weather goes south.

The pros include getting some training time in while walking errands, which keeps me fit. I’ve also been lucky to see many moonlit hikes, sunrises, mountain lions, and other otherwise stealthy wildlife sightings during my excursions on foot.

What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your walking and transit experiences in Manitou? 

Having benches at bus stops is nice, but having weather-protected bus shelters would be a huge improvement. Most bus headways are not brief, so having a proper shelter to protect people from the elements would be great. Many times, bus users who are elderly have physical challenges and are waiting in hot or inclement weather, to include wind chill is hardship and proper shelters would help to keep people comfortable while waiting for the bus.

Making signalized pedestrian crossings that activate sooner at intersections would help elevate the experience outside of cars. Woodland Park has good, signalized pedestrian crossing timing when you push the button.

Bus Rapid Transit service would also be nice for the more heavily used routes.

What advice would you give someone who would like to give active transportation in Manitou a try but does not have much time?

Half of the challenge is figuring out the bus system and which buses to take. Go online for the most current system map.

What do you think would increase more active transportation use in Manitou? 

Offering hard copy master bus system maps might help to promote more transit use since it can be intimidating to figure out the bus system.

What other form(s) of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like? 

I also carpool with a friend or neighbor from time to time when it’s convenient. Getting a lift when it’s raining hard, or when the wind gusts are strong makes the journey more pleasant and a bonus is having the opportunity to visit with friends.

Greetings from Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou (PaCMan)! We’d like to take a moment to thank the Pikes Peak Bulletin for sharing these important perspectives with the community. We also thank community members who have stepped forward to share their active transportation stories this year and beyond. We cannot create safe, accessible, and convenient walking and rolling experiences in our community without your help. We’d now like to introduce Bruce Barron, who is currently the president of the Pikes Peak Road Runners, a former Regional Transportation Planner in the Pittsburgh area, and uses a bicycle to visit Manitou Springs. Bruce strongly understands that building more lanes/roads will not solve traffic congestion. Instead, he encourages everyone to utilize shuttles in Manitou and to use modalities other than cars. We hope his story inspires you. 

How long have you been working in and visiting Manitou Springs as a volunteer and working with the Pikes Peak Road Runners? 

I have been on the board of the Pikes Peak Road Runners, the main running organization for the Colorado Springs area for four years. My wife and I have been full-time residents here for five years, but we began spending summers in Colorado Springs in 2013. I have been a frequent cyclist in Manitou Springs throughout that time. We greatly appreciate Manitou Springs’ status as a superior running race destination. The Pikes Peak Road Runners provide volunteer recruitment assistance to Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc., the nonprofit that manages the Barr Trail Mountain Race in July and the Pikes Peak Ascent and marathon in September.

How often do you work in and visit Manitou by bicycle?

I live near the Garden of the Gods, and my second car is a bike. So nearly every trip I make into Manitou Springs—occasionally for meetings, but mostly for workouts on the Intemann Trail, Barr Trail, Ute Trail, or Manitou Incline—is by bicycle. Typically, I’m on a bike in Manitou Springs once or twice per week, except in winter since I have learned the hard way not to do running workouts on ice.

What are the pros/cons of cycling to and getting around Manitou?

Biking in Manitou is a pleasure for several reasons. Bicycles still get free parking. I can put my bike on the free shuttle bus when traveling to the Barr Trail or Incline and have it waiting for me when I come down. On busy summer days, I can carefully squeeze between moving and parked traffic and usually travel down Manitou Avenue faster than the cars. The main drawback is the lack of reserved lane space for bicycles in the downtown area and on Ruxton Avenue, but the traffic is generally slow enough not to pose a problem. I can remember when Colorado Avenue leaving Manitou was four lanes of fast-moving vehicle traffic with no bike lanes, so I’m not complaining.

What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your cycling and shuttle experiences in Manitou? 

The main improvement I’d like to see is an escalator for uphill bikes on Ruxton. Since that’s not feasible, I’ll suggest something much less expensive. I think that improved signage showing bicyclists the pathway from Fields Park toward downtown Manitou (between Manitou Avenue and El Paso Boulevard), along with “shared roadway” or “watch for bikes” signs in the downtown area, might make the city more attractive to bicyclists.

What do you think would increase more active transportation use in Manitou? 

I can only guess because I don’t have survey data. But perhaps greater awareness of how hard it is to drive or park a car on busy days, combined with a well-promoted and highly visible rent-a-bike (or e-bike) station on the edge of town, dedicated bike parking areas, and a perceived safe bike route into downtown, could persuade significant numbers of people to exchange their car for a bike. Manitou will never feel as bikeable as Vancouver, because the streets are too few and too crowded, but it’s possible to make biking into and out of town feel like an enjoyable experience.

What other form(s) of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like? 

Although I can still bike up Ruxton without ruining my day, I am grateful for Manitou Springs’ support of the #33 shuttle bus that enables me to begin a tough running workout with slightly fresher legs.