(Photo © J. Maus)
As we hinted at yesterday, City Commissioner Nick Fish and Portland Parks and Recreation Director Zari Santner have released their much-anticipated set of actions they’ll take to address off-road cycling in Forest Park.
The decision includes no new or improved access to existing singletrack trails and no commitment to build new ones.
In their announcement today, Commissioner Fish and Director Santner wrote, “Further restoration and maintenance work is needed in the park before recreational use can be expanded.” With that being said, they have committed to move forward with the following within the next year:
- The design and implementation of a new vegetation monitoring program
- Development of a new outreach and education plan to increase knowledge of trail etiquette and safety
“My interest is not in studying this to death, it’s seeing what we can actually do… I am committed to finding ways to significantly expand our current inventory of single track trails.”
— Commissioner Nick Fish in February 2010
Within the next two years, Portland Parks will:
- Expand the Recreation User Study
- Secure funding to develop, implement and complete a wildlife study
- Work with partners to improve one to two fire lanes or utility corridors that are currently open to cyclists (“The bureau will work with partners to improve the cycling experience on existing fire lanes, including adding switchbacks, re-greening the lanes, and enhancing existing loops.”)
- Proceed with permitting applications for additional trail recommendations based on the outcome of completed studies
Missing from these lists are shared or outright access to existing singletrack trails or construction of new ones — which is something Commissioner Fish promised to off-road cycling advocates at the outset of this process one year ago. Fish told OPB today that Portland is “not ready” for new bike trails in Forest Park. That statement comes despite the fact that two recent surveys show that a majority of people want new trails and improved bike access.
The “actions” announced by Commissioner Fish put the completion of studies front and center. These decisions are in stark contrast to what Fish said back in February:
“My interest is not in studying this to death, it’s seeing what we can actually do… I am committed to finding ways to significantly expand our current inventory of single track trails.”
In a prepared statement in today’s announcement, Commissioner Fish said:
“We recognize that off-road cycling is a popular recreational sport. People who enjoy singletrack riding also care about the environment and are committed to being good stewards of our natural areas… The decisions we reached are based upon what we agreed is best for Portland’s largest natural area.”
“We agree” actually means what Commissioner Fish, Director Santner, and those who opposed improved bicycling in the park agreed to. There are many people in Portland who understand that it is possible to improve bike access by sharing existing trails and creating new ones, without harming the ecology of the park.
In an effort to make this disappointing news a bit easier to swallow, today’s announcement also included “a commitment to expanding off-road cycling access throughout the Portland metropolitan area.” Here’s a list of those commitments as expressed by Parks Director Zari Santner (emphasis mine):
- With the support of Mayor Sam Adams, PP&R will take the lead role in managing Gateway Green and prioritizing singletrack cycling in this new park [More on that here]
- PP&R will work in partnership with the NW Trail Alliance to construct two new temporary skills parks.
- With the support of Commissioner Randy Leonard, PP&R and the Portland Water Bureau will improve the recreational experience for pedestrians, equestrians, and bikers, while also increasing natural area protections at Powell Butte Natural Area
- The City will continue to work with Metro and Intertwine partners to provide more single track cycling opportunities in the Portland region
These other efforts are certainly appreciated, but this entire process was based around improving bicycling opportunities in Forest Park. There is currently only 1/3 of a mile of singletrack trail that is open to bikes in the entire, 5,000 acre park.
I’ll have more on this story, including an interview with Commissioner Fish, later today.
For more background on this issue, browse our extensive coverage here.