(Photos: Gabriel Tiller)
The long-awaited pump track and other major upgrades at Gateway Green are finally open. After weeks of anticipation and vague promises about an opening date, BikePortland got official word of the “soft opening” from Portland Parks and Recreation on Wednesday.
Crews began the $5.75 million Phase 2 build-out back in March and volunteer work parties organized by Northwest Trail Alliance have helped bring the changes to fruition. When Gateway Green opened in June 2017 it was still largely undeveloped. There were no paved surfaces, no restrooms, no water, no ADA access, no official entrance, and limited riding opportunities.
The new construction has added many exciting features: There’s an entrance off the I-205 path that welcomes visitors to a grassy play and picnic area, a new adaptive cycling/ADA trail loop, improved singletrack options, a major new downhill flow/jump line built into the hill on the southern end, a new pump track, and more.
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(Photo: Gabriel Tiller)
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With winter rain making much of the unpaved sections off-limits (riding muddy/saturated trails is a big no-no!), all attention was on the new asphalt pump track. With a holiday weekend upon us and the official blessing from Parks, a healthy crowd turned out on Thanksgiving Day.
Portlander and Oregon Timber Trail Alliance Director Gabriel Tiller was there and shared these photos with us. It’s great to see so many people enjoying this new park! Huge thanks to Portland Parks, NW Trail Alliance, Friends of Gateway Green and all the volunteers who worked to make this a reality.
Head on over and give the pump track a try. The park is located off the I-205 path just north of the Gateway Transit Center MAX Station. You can access it from the north via Maywood Park or the south via the Gateway Shopping Center. Stay tuned for more coverage.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Jonathan Maus is BikePortland’s editor, publisher and founder. Contact him at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.
Impressive helmets on the kids!
Looks like fun! Have always wanted to try one. May have to take a detour home one of these days and check it out 🙂
Stopped by on a road ride yesterday and the park was buzzing with people. Tons of smiles. Can’t wait to ride it, especially the new dual slalom jumplines!
Yayyyy! So good. Thanks to all that made this happen.
We stopped by and it was so much fun. One request for everyone else, please where your mask or stay away from the park. It isn’t fair to everyone else there.
Where subscibers are terrified of nothing
Outdoor transmission is extremely rare. Feel free to wear a mask if it makes you feel safer but small groups outdoors like this are not causing the spread of the virus. Simon Yates, a professional cyclist was symptomatic and tested positive in the Giro after developing a fever. He rode in a closely packed field of cyclists for HOURS. There was extensive testing every week and no outbreaks in the peloton. INDOOR gatherings of people outside your bubble are what is driving the pandemic. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-a-summer-of-covid-19-taught-scientists-about-indoor-vs-outdoor-transmission/
Outdoor transmission is less common and it is not the driver for the current big spike in disease numbers but it is not zero regardless of the Simon Yates anecdote. Mask wearing likely makes risk even smaller but still not zero. Distancing is still needed even with a mask. More importantly mask wearing while in public places normalizes the wearing of masks. This makes it more likely that people will wear masks in more settings. More masks on more people in more places will mean less disease. Please wear a mask whenever you are in public. Think of it as marketing.
All the science says that it is viral concentration and exposure time that drives infection. Dynamic outdoor activities have very small exposure times and extremely low concentration of the virus. Indoor areas with poor ventilation build the concentration of the virus in the air and people tend to be in those indoor places for longer periods of time. That is why church services, bars, gatherings in homes, care homes, prisons, and food processors have high rates of transmission. Anytime I’m going to the grocery store or any other indoor place I mask up with N95 or KN95 and spend a minimum time shopping. There have been gravel bike and cyclocross events in places like Utah (Belgian Waffle Ride for example) that also have not seen covid spread. In Portland at least I see nearly 100% mask use for indoor public locations. There is no downside to wearing a mask outdoors where the crowds are relatively small. That said I don’t see that the current available data supports outdoor transmission in dynamic activities like this where the crowd density is relatively low. Covid is a real disease and is much more deadly, particularly for people over 65 or with certain pre-existing conditions, than the flu and I completely support efforts to stop the spread. I just think we need to concentrate those efforts on the most risky and likely paths of transmission.
At the risk of worsening topic drift, I agree with what Jon said except one item. If there was an expected increase in mask wearing associated with decreased emphasis on mask wearing in low risk situation I would fully agree. I suspect that just the opposite is true. When people see someone wearing a mask outdoors and far away from anyone I expect it increases mask wearing in all situations.
It would be nice if people could accurately assess risk and do the right thing for the good of everyone but I suspect that you are correct that blanket mask rules even when they are in very low situations might be the only way for society as a whole to gain the upper hand on this pandemic that we have managed to totally screw up as a country.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/S-F-Mayor-London-Breed-had-her-own-French-15767506.php
I rode by today and there were so many people parked in Maywood Park and the park was very crowded with a lot of folks not wearing masks. The city should probably be limiting the number of people using it at any one time.
I rode by late this afternoon and was impressed by how many were there. I hope the Friends Of Gateway Green gets lots of support and that the Halsey 205 under-crossing happens eventually.
I was hoping they would just pave the construction road they built along the tracks. It’s already graded and compacted…
Regarding the dirt trails: how do we know whether or not they are open? It hasn’t rained in a few days, and will be staying dry all week.
I believe everything but the new, dual slalom jumplines is open. I saw people riding the singletrack in and around the woods, the old skills jump area, and the jumpline with the wood senders.
Doesn’t even need to be paved. Just leave it ungated it’s a great way to connect to NE 92nd.
If it’s not gated, then how do you keep the motos and dirt bikes out?
Asking for info: what exactly is the difference between an e-bike, a moto, and a dirt bike?
A few hundred pounds and noise.
I know where you’re going with that… but at this point I’m talking about gas-powered motorcyles and dirt bikes that have the power to really tear the place up. Check out the concept of “roost” from debris sprayed up by a motorized rear wheel. The majority of E-bikes aren’t there…yet. Gateway Green used to be a moto hang out spot a long time ago. I’ve seen moto tracks in there during construction.
Saw my first motorcycle there this afternoon. Looked to be small 50-90 cc off road motorcycles. I did notice minor damage to track as they were still a bit soft from previous rains. They rode the single track loops in the wooded area. I hope this is not a trend that grows. There were 2 and they left north bound on 205 MUP through Maywood to Prescott where I loss sight of them.
I rode in via “construction “ road. It’s muddy with large potholes filled with water. Some gravel would be nice. The gate is closed but you can go around the fence if you carry/lift your bike. Would certainly keep out motorized vehicles. The fence ends against a fairly steep dirt slope.
Bobcycle (and everyone else),
Please do not access the park via this road. It is for authorized service/construction vehicles only and it is on Union-Pacific Railroad right of way. You could be prosecuted for trespassing and UPRR might get mad enough to revoke City of Portland permit for access. So please, only use the I-205 path to access the park. Thanks.
Doesn’t help when cars are driving in on a crowded day, whoever have access to that gate.
And the fact that people camp on said land undisturbed for months.
But yes maybe a sign of no trespassing would help too.
Where are people driving in from? Are they getting on the I-205 MUP somewhere?
Good point. BP wrote in April 2019 that the under-crossing project would begin construction in 2021 and follow this path. Any updates? https://bikeportland.org/2019/04/02/pbot-moves-forward-with-i-205-path-undercrossing-project-297875
So the plan illustration on the article from October showed two large wooden wallrides. Anybody know if these are still going to be added at a later date?
There’s also a missing banked turn, with a wall ride, in the concept rendering. It would be the first turn if you’re going counterclockwise from the NW corner. I’m guessing they didn’t have room for that one? Fun track, can only hope it inspires more in the city!
Looks cool! Just be careful when it’s not so busy as there is lots of drug activity in the area. Last time I was there I saw someone “shooting up” out in the open a few feet from the bike trail. Huge homeless camp adjacent to it. I personally would not let kids go there alone. I doubt there will be any law enforcement patrols as Portlanders thinks public safety is racist and we have cut the police budget. Remember the new Portland motto: “THE CITY THAT ENABLES”. Stay safe and ride on!
Is there an OFFICIAL flow or direction for the black asphalt / red striped pump track? It seems fairly random to me. No arrows. Didn’t see any sign posted explaining rules or mandatory riding direction. Do the red stripes serve as an indicator? Did I miss something?
Had an overgrown adult brat / stink bug barking at my kid (and everyone else for that matter) “You’re going the wrong way!” “Whose kid is this?” “Blah, blah, blah!”
Everyone else seemed to be riding any / all directions & combinations of routes… and coexisting just fine riding around each other.
I told my kid as long as they were taking turns in the line-up to nevermind the grump & have fun. Bums me out that an “adult” acts like a spoiled brat in front of children.
We had fun anyway & will be going back again… and again… and again!
Glad you had fun despite that angry dude. As far as I know, pump tracks don’t have a specific direction. The entire point is to inspire creative lines, that’s why there are no rules. The only rule is to be cool to others and wait your turn.
As for the red line, I think that’s just a visual aid to let you know where the top edge is.
Hard for people to know the etiquette when it’s brand new to the park and Portland. It’s built to be fairly open with a multitude of lines & possibilities, like a skate park, but could use a designated “direction” for when it’s crowded. It can be ridden as a big loop that curves & hairpins through the middle. Might make sense to have a “line” that follows that path to keep the flow going smoothly. Show up & it’s empty and you’re free to go wherever and as big as you want. Old man/get off my pump track lawn hours will likely have to be early morning.
I have a feeling the pump track is going to be packed all winter, since many of the trails will be too muddy to ride.
It would be great if we had pump tracks like this all over the city. There is clearly very strong demand for it.
I hesitate to post this, as I wasn’t there to see what happened, but sometimes kids (and adults) need a little guidance. You have to be aware of your surroundings… and most young kids are definitely not! If it’s busy and everyone is generally going in one direction, it really helps to go with the flow and not against it. Don’t drop in right as someone is approaching with speed and momentum. Especially not head on. I say this as someone who is still dealing with a 20+ year old injury caused by a mid air decision to eat dirt instead of land on a kid who appeared out of nowhere. I’m also a parent with a kid who occasionally gets in the way. No judgement, just be smart and be safe, there is room for everyone.
I checked it out on Friday and enjoyed the single-track additions. It was also somehow much more dry than the sunnier “flow” course on the hill. Must be drainage differences. Couldn’t even get on the pump track as there were way too many people. Wish this would have happened years ago, but glad it finally did