Manitou Springs city council voted on March 17th, 2020 to close the Manitou Incline due to health concerns with covid-19. It has remained closed since then.
With the state going from Stay at Home orders to Safer at Home on April 27th, many Incline users were hoping to be able to climb again. During a Manitou Springs council work session on the evening of April 28th, Deputy City Manager, Roy Chaney, presented 2 options for re-opening the Incline.
The options Chaney presented were to open the Incline with a phased approach or keep the Incline close until an active management plan is in place. The phased approach would be based on the state’s Stay at Home Order, Safer at Home and Protect Our Neighbors guidelines.
The suggestions for the Safer at Home phase included 6 foot markings at the base to demonstrate the required 6 feet of social distance, having social distancing ambassadors and allowing uphill traffic only. They also included the idea of asking people to only use the Incline on certain days or hours based on last name.
After the presentation there was also a discussion of having the port-a-potty company also provide hand washing stations due to concerns about people not being able to wash their hands. These would be placed both at the free shuttle drop off and at the Incline base.
The council decided with little discussion that their were many issues to be considered. They will spend the next month working with the city administration to work through questions. The will discuss the Incline again at the May 26th city council meeting.
You can email the Manitou Springs city council your thoughts. Please keep your comments respectful and constructive. Let them know what the Incline means to you and how you support Manitou Springs businesses. You can find e-mail addresses for Manitou Springs officials here.
