The Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) hope ongoing meetings with the Parks Department will move them closer to realizing their ultimate dream, a public bike park within Portland city limits. The group has be working hard to make this dream come true. They’ve attended countless meetings, drafted a 10 page proposal, and amassed over 550 signatures of support (sign the petition). They could really use our support to move the process along:
“We are still waiting for the Parks and Recreation Department to acknowledge that there is a “legitimate need” for a Bike Park in Portland. A potential site has been located but nothing is confirmed as yet. More information will be forthcoming later as we start to get some positive responses from Parks and Recreation. To ensure more action…we must show there are enough people who want to see this proposal become a reality. So, rally the troops and get everyone you know to sign.”
I am 100% behind this proposal. It would not only ease current tensions (described in this Oregonian article) and trail use conflicts but it seems like a natural move for America’s “Best Cycling City” (Seattle has already seen the light). The cost (around $200,000) would be absorbed mostly by private donations, sponsorship and grants from the International Mountain Biking Association.
Let’s make this happen! Whatever type of bike your ride, please show your support for this proposal by signing the petition or by emailing your thoughts to Parks Commissioner Dan Saltzman.
I am one of those Mtn Bikers that built in washington park. First of all we respect all the hikers of the park when we ride up there. The area we built in was a homeless camp! Full of trash and needles! We picked up this trash that the parks department was to lazy to go in and remove. We didn’t cause any damage to the fragile area IE; “English Ivy” the invasive plant that has killed everything.They want to accuse us of damaging the area, they went in with a excavator and leveled the whole area to bare dirt! Killing everything, including small trees! Just to remove a few jumps. Yes we made a few jumps in the area, just give us a place to ride our mountain bikes and we won’t be on the trails. There is a huge section in the park that is not being used period. Give it to the mountain bikers to use, this will solve the problems of mtn bikers using the trails to access the jumps. Just like the skate parks the parks department have built for the skateboarders.The excuse the parks department uses is “enviormentally sensative area”, it’s english ivy and homeless camps with tons of garbage. These “kids” are out at least doing something posative, getting exercise and staying out of trouble. Lets support a area for them to continue to do something posative!
Hey there ceder. This is the other “Cedar”. The jumps in Washington Park had been there for as long as I can remember. They were sketchy at best and they were always illegal. As you may know, that was the location that I originally proposed for the Bike Park. Unfortunately, the city squashed that idea pretty quick. However, they are listening to us and we are working together to find a location that is not in an “environmentaly sensitive area”.
You could help out by getting more people to sign the petition. Once we get approval for the project, you can grab your shovel and come help build in the new “sanctioned” area.
Keep your eye on the PUMP site for updates.
I have another meeting with Parks and Rec. next week. Don’t worry, we will have our Bike Park soon!
If you haven’t already, you should sign this petition regardless of whether or not you ride a mountain bike. I state this for a couple reasons:
1) Our fair city (“Best Cycling City in the USA”) has very little to offer mountain bikers. We have two alternatives: Forest Park and Powell Butte. Both of which do not offer enough of the types of terrain most mountain bikers strive for.
2) We all like to stress the environmental aspects of riding a bike – If a mountain biker can ride or take max to the trailhead you have limited unnecessary trips by car. (vs. loading a bike on your roof rack & driving 1+ hours to the nearest trailhead.
3) This is not justification, just realization: Similar to the skateboarding movement of the 90s, mountain bikers will continue to ‘poach’ illegal trails until there is a facility for them.
4) A dedicated mountain bike park is actually safer for all of the non bikers, etc as they know where to stay away from.
5) As Ceder stated above, the mountain bikers will keep the area clean. Look at the Burnside skate park as an example. Who do you think ended up advocating to allow the skaters to stay? It was the businesses that realized that with the skaters their, crime, drug use, vandalism, etc. went down in the area.
6) One step closer to Platinum status (though technically this is not one of the items)
7) Tourism & Economy – Many bike related industries (including mountain bike) call the metro area home – A bike park would be a great testing ground. In addition, another thing Portland can tout when recruiting new workers as well as tourists. “See the opera and head out on your mountain bike to ride some of the sickest terrain in the area, all within a few short minutes of your downtown hotel”.
8) Seattle is getting one…