[slocaus]

A friend at CORBA just sent me this:

Opponents to Mountain Biking Could Block New Proposed Trail Access for Bicyclists in the Santa Monica Mountains

Full information here

On March 2 California State Parks will hold a public meeting to inform interested parties about a new proposal to allow bicycles on two trails currently closed to bikes in Malibu Creek State Park. Opponents of trail access for bicyclists have already circled the wagons and plan on being at the meeting to denounce the proposal and try to block access to bicycles on the Yearling and Lookout Trails. These trails would create a significant connector for bicyclists between Paramount Ranch and the western boundary of Malibu Creek State Park. We need mountain bikers to show up in force and let the land managers know that mountain bikers deserve access to more trails for better connectivity and less congestion.

This could be a landmark decision, setting a precedent that would open even more trails to bicyclists, much of it single track, in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

 

[Kanga]

Thanks for posting it here! I was just logging on to do it.

So far we have about 250 signatures since we opened the petition this afternoon. We'd like to get at least a thousand before Monday. I know there are more than a thousand mountain bikers who ride/have ridden/would ride in the Santa Monica mountains. This is something of a test case, testing the State's new "Change in Use" program, so it's implications could affect decisions all over California's State Parks.

Thanks!

 

[slocaus]

My pleasure. I was one of the group that did the pilot feedback by going through the Change of Use program at the California Trails and Greenways Conference last year. We are just about to implement it at the Montana de Oro State Park in portion that is closed to bikes. Good luck!

Say hi to Jim if you see him.

Also, here is a ride we did last year after the conference, hikers, bikes, horses, on narrow three foot single track. Maybe you can use them to show that trails can be shared if you want to cooperate with other trail lovers.

 

[Kanga]

Thanks everyone. We just passed 500 signatures. The petition will remain open until the trails are actually opened to us, but I'll be taking all the signatures we have so far to tomorrow's meeting. As more are gathered we'll add the additional signatures and present them at future meetings, as there will be more public hearings as the State Parks steps through the process of converting the trails to multi-use.

One of our biggest challenges is getting mountain bikers to show up to public meetings. I know you all have lives, and I'd rather be riding than sitting in meetings and being ear-bashed by equestrians. Today there were 30 equestrians and 3 mountain bikers (all CORBA volunteers) at the LA Bike Plan hearing (Story is up on CORBA's web site under news). Tomorrow we expect similar numbers at the State Parks meeting.

If petitions make it easier for everyone to get involved and contribute, we plan to use them more frequently. Our next petitions will be for the Glendale Bike Park and a Calabasas Bike Park... coming soon!

Thanks for getting involved, and keep the signatures coming. If everyone who has signed asks a friend or spouse to sign, we can double those numbers.

Petition is at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/malibu_creek_change_in_use/

 

[Econoline]

How did this meeting go? Any updates?