MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. — The City of Manitou Springs has temporarily closed the storied Manitou Incline to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
The city says due to the large number of visitors on the incline, social distancing requirements and proper mask usage cannot be properly enforced. Averaging 1,000 visitors a day, the City of Manitou Springs says it is in the best interest of the public’s health and well-being, to temporarily close the incline.
"Reduction in the transmission of COVID-19 to ensure the safety of our residents, employees, and visitors is the City of Manitou Springs’ number one priority," said a release from the City of Manitou Springs.
"The first responders who address emergencies on the Incline, are among the public’s most important assets during the COVID-19 crisis," said the city. "The City of Manitou Springs has closed the Incline to protect these first responders from placing themselves in an unsafe position."
> Above video originally aired in 2017.
“We have been made aware of enforcement issues in regard to the City of Manitou’s decision to close the Manitou Incline," said City of Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers. "While the City of Colorado Springs manages the Incline, the bottom portion of the Incline is within the jurisdiction of the City of Manitou and subject to any emergency orders it may issue. Manitou has made a decision to enact an emergency closure of the Incline within its city limits. They have the legal authority to do so, and the City of Colorado Springs encourages all residents to comply with Manitou’s temporary emergency order."
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