Speak Up About Forest Park Mountain Biking!

[vibramhead]

On April 20, Portland Parks & Rec is holding an Open House to receive public input on proposals to expand single-track mountain biking in Forest Park. The event will be at the Holiday Inn Express, 2333 NW Vaughn, from 5:30-7:30. See http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/ind ... cid_294133.

A citizen advisory committee, appointed by Commissioner Nick Fish, has been meeting for months to discuss the issue. Unfortunately, Mr. Fish framed the committee's charge as "how to meet bikers' unmet needs for single-track riding opportunities in Forest Park," making it pretty clear that he'd already decided that there was "need", and the committee's job was to figure out how to expand biking in the park. This is a park that already provides bikers with 28 miles of riding opportunities, where the hiking trails are already crowded with runners and walkers, where the city spends virtually no money on maintenance or law enforcement, and where rogue mountain bikers routinely ride illegally on hiking trails and carve new illegal trails.

It's predicted that a million more people will be living in the Portland metro area by 2040, and, since Forest Park isn't getting any bigger, it makes no sense to jam more user groups onto the limited trail network. Mountain bikers have ample riding opportunities elsewhere, including Powell Butte, and several thousand acres of commercial timberland just to the north of Forest Park, off Rocky Point road, which Longview Fiber Co. allows them to create their own single-track on.

While there are some good people on the committee, including Marcy Houle (author of One City's Wilderness), representatives from Forest Park Conservancy and Portland Audubon, there is nobody on the committee who represents the hiking community specifically. However, the committee includes many advocates for the mountain biking community.

If you believe it's a bad idea to allow mountain bikes to share narrow, winding hiking trails with hikers, please go to the open house and make your views known.

[BCJ]

I'm going to try to make it to the open house, but it doesn't look like we'll be on the same side of the issue. I use FP for trail running and mountain biking and really do think there are plenty of opportunities to expand the use of bikes there without impacting the walkers/runners too much.

[Jane]

Thank you vibramhead, for bringing this important event and issues to our attention. Here was the previous thread and discussion on this topic:

http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... tain+bikes

[Charley]

Well, I don't think the sky is falling. Forest Park is a pretty big park, and there's plenty of room for people to ride some trails there. If they manage to make it work in places like Minneapolis, Austin Texas, Washington DC, and Portland itself (a small amount of mileage in Powell Butte Park), then I don't see why Forest Park wouldn't work out similarly. We've all got to share. I'm planning on being at that meeting too!

[200,000']

As an avid road biker and somebody who uses the north end of Forest Park alot, one would think 28 miles of existing MB riding trails within the park would be enough. Expanding mountain biking within Forest Park is just going to result in more conflicts between the user groups. This is EXACTLY like when snowmobile expanded onto XC ski trails.

Should the WildWood Trail should be paved so skateboarders and skaters can have a place too? And what other group should we shoehorn in?

It's a simple fact, you can't accomadate all uses/user groups, especially in park that was specifically created for quiet, walking recreation.

[Paul]

I'm glad there is interest in making some good singletrack within the park, as long as they keep them off the hiking trails. Riding Leaf Erikson, dodging kids and dogs is NOT fun.

[Jane]

reminder bump for the meeting Tuesday:

When: 5:30-7:30 PM, Tuesday, April 20

Where: Holiday Inn Express, 2333 NW Vaughn

[anna in boots]

As an avid road biker and somebody who uses the north end of Forest Park alot, one would think 28 miles of existing MB riding trails within the park would be enough. Expanding mountain biking within Forest Park is just going to result in more conflicts between the user groups. This is EXACTLY like when snowmobile expanded onto XC ski trails.

Should the WildWood Trail should be paved so skateboarders and skaters can have a place too? And what other group should we shoehorn in?

It's a simple fact, you can't accomadate all uses/user groups, especially in park that was specifically created for quiet, walking recreation.

Nicely said, 200,000'. Agreed.

anna in boots

[Charley]

Should we ban bikes from the National Forest trails? If not, why ban them on trails in urban areas? If I can share a trail while hiking around Bend, why not around Portland? I've never been bothered by a cyclist riding a shared trail, and unless there's some kind of clear statistical evidence that shows sharing is dangerous, why not share?

Is the Tillamook State Forest calling in helicopters every week to airlift out mangled hikers? What about Powell Butte? Catherine Creek? Nestor Peak? Three Corner Rock? The Riverside Trail up the Clackamas? William Sullivan says that this last one is a great one to take kids on- maybe he didn't hear about the risk of death by outdoor enthusiast!

Where's all the carnage I'm supposed to be worried about? This meme of the dangerous cyclist is just that: an idea bandied about by hikers unwilling to share. Painting cyclists as radical and fearsome, out of control enviro-destroyers has been an effective tactic for opponents for years, but it's a lowly and shameful rhetorical tactic only.
Show me the statistical evidence! I'm tired of being accused of risking hikers' lives.

Also, regarding the idea that we'll have to allow skateboarders and "paving the Wildwood Trail": they haven't asked, and if they do, we'll have the opportunity to say no at that time. It's kind of like saying gay marriage will lead to men marrying animals, or that if we open up the Bull Run to hikers, Portland's water will suddenly be dangerous to drink. If you've got a problem with cyclists, deal with them, and don't create a "guilt by association" parallel.
Thank you. . .

[Charley]

Also, on a related note: people seem to get pretty exercised about allowing a person to ride a bike on a trail, but where's the same level of energy and angriness when it comes to clear cutting a 40 mile long, highway wide easement for an LNG pipeline over the PCT and the Clackamas River, destroying remaining tracts of old growth in the process? Why don't people get as worked up about the Palomar pipeline? Why is banning someone from riding a bike on a trail a bigger priority?