Item 3A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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was also a runner and ran on the Ridgeline Trail more than he rode his bicycle because only three miles of trail were accessible to mountain bikes. He preferred to ride 15 to 20 miles and to get to a trail of that length one had to drive toward Oakridge, a minimum of 40 minutes. He would rather not spend the time and gas to do so. If there were more trails locally he would not burn as much fossil fuel and he would also spend more money on post-ride activities such as dining out in Eugene. He said the Ribbon Trail would expand the local network, though not by a great amount, and it would tie to the future Arlie property expansion of the Ridgeline Trail system, Moon Mountain, and other trails and would fulfill the council-endorsed Ridgeline Open Space Vision and Action Plan. He believed that opening the Ribbon Trail would make the "all important connection" between the river and the Ridgeline without driving and without having to ride on streets. He had run the Ribbon Trail on the previous day and observed many features, including good sightlines that would make it a "perfect shared-use trail." He stressed that mountain biking was a clean mode of recreation and transportation; it should be encouraged, not discouraged. Paul Timm , 2995 Maranta Street, supported having a true multi-use trail system benefiting the metro area. He quoted language from the Ridgeline Area Open Space and Vision Plan, in the Comprehensive Plan highlight Section B, which emphasized the need for a more inter-connected and accessible park system. He opined that the area was a "wonderful place," with lots of green and open space, and interesting topography. He believed that there was an enormous potential for lots of parks, but there were few connectors. He noted that the plan he cited included a route that extended from the Mt. Pisgah area all the way to Fern Ridge Reservoir. He said that within the plan there were 18 connector trails that were specifically described that would facilitate users to get from neighborhoods to trails. He cited another direct quote which indicated a focus on expansion of opportunities for mountain bikers. He declared that the infrastructure for bicycles on the street ranked high nationally, but the off-road opportunities barely existed. Paul Adkins , 180 North Polk Street, stated that he had four young children. He said he was financially challenged and they had gotten rid of their car. He also noted that his family raised chickens and had a big garden. He wanted to emphasize the value of the Ribbon Trail to biking. He saw it as a critical and key connection for human-powered transportation. He felt that it did a great job of safely bridging the gap between the town and the Ridgeline Trail. He pointed out that allowing bike travel on the Ribbon Trail would get bicycles off 30th Avenue, which posed hazards due to the cars travelling at high speeds. He and his family wanted to go mountain biking but did not have a way to get to the mountain biking trails. He averred that millions of dollars were going out of the state for gasoline and if everyone went car-free this money would remain within the state. He considered safety to be a big issue and noted that he was a bicycle safety instructor. He saw opening the trail as a symbolic project with a high return; it would help to reduce childhood obesity and give people a way to relieve stress without having to leave the community. John Herberg , 2940 Alder Street, Ward 2, urged the council to do what they could to reverse the decision to ban bicyclists from the Ribbon Trail. He felt limiting the trail to only hiking would exclude a lot of people from using it. He echoed concerns about childhood obesity. He believed that a good way to change this was to get kids outdoors. He related that studies indicated that youth that spent time outdoors were in better physical and mental health. He likened excluding young people from biking on the Ribbon Trail to excluding them from better health. He explained that he was the lead organizer for a mountain bike group for youth. He said over the past few years they had taken a number of youth to the mountain bike trails by Oakridge. He acknowledged that hiking and backpacking were great experiences, but youth were interested in faster activities in his experience. Matt Denberg , 2032 Kimberly Drive, Ward 2, said he lived one-quarter mile south of the Ribbon Trail. He said the Parks and Open Space staff had indicated safety and maintenance were reasons for closing the trail to cyclists. He averred that they had no data and had merely said anecdotally that there had been a couple of complaints over the years; there had been no collisions of which they were aware. He said a study conducted in 2002, in a New Zealand national park, had found that perceptions improved between hikers and bikers with exposure. He believed that if everyone would be respectful and polite there would be no problems. Regarding trail impacts, he had seen studies that showed that there was no difference between hikers and bikers. He asked the council to reopen the Ribbon Trail to mountain bikers. MINUTES—Eugene City Council May 24, 2010 Page 5 Regular Meeting