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CC Minutes - 05/24/10 Meeting
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CC Minutes - 05/24/10 Meeting
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City Council Minutes
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5/24/2010
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Alan C. Bennett, 85761 Allbritain Lane, stated that he lived near the Mount Baldy trailhead. He had been a <br />member of the Disciples of Dirt Mountain Bike Club for 17 years. He noted that he had helped build the first <br />section of the Baldy Trail to Spring Boulevard in the mid- 1990s. He considered himself to be a passionate <br />mountain biker. He was also a runner and ran on the Ridgeline Trail more than he rode his bicycle because only <br />three miles of trail were accessible to mountain bikes. He preferred to ride 15 to 20 miles and to get to a trail of <br />that length one had to drive toward Oakridge, a minimum of 40 minutes. He would rather not spend the time and <br />gas to do so. If there were more trails locally he would not burn as much fossil fuel and he would also spend more <br />money on post -ride activities such as dining out in Eugene. He said the Ribbon Trail would expand the local <br />network, though not by a great amount, and it would tie to the future Arlie property expansion of the Ridgeline <br />Trail system, Moon Mountain, and other trails and would fulfill the council- endorsed Ridgeline Open Space Vision <br />and Action Plan. He believed that opening the Ribbon Trail would make the "all important connection" between <br />the river and the Ridgeline without driving and without having to ride on streets. He had run the Ribbon Trail on <br />the previous day and observed many features, including good sightlines that would make it a "perfect shared -use <br />trail." He stressed that mountain biking was a clean mode of recreation and transportation; it should be <br />encouraged, not discouraged. <br />Paul Timm, 2995 Maranta Street, supported having a true multi -use trail system benefiting the metro area. He <br />quoted language from the Ridgeline Area Open Space and Vision Plan, in the Comprehensive Plan highlight <br />Section B, which emphasized the need for a more inter - connected and accessible park system. He opined that the <br />area was a "wonderful place," with lots of green and open space, and interesting topography. He believed that <br />there was an enormous potential for lots of parks, but there were few connectors. He noted that the plan he cited <br />included a route that extended from the Mt. Pisgah area all the way to Fern Ridge Reservoir. He said that within <br />the plan there were 18 connector trails that were specifically described that would facilitate users to get from <br />neighborhoods to trails. He cited another direct quote which indicated a focus on expansion of opportunities for <br />mountain bikers. He declared that the infrastructure for bicycles on the street ranked high nationally, but the off - <br />road opportunities barely existed. <br />Paul Adkins, 180 North Polk Street, stated that he had four young children. He said he was financially challenged <br />and they had gotten rid of their car. He also noted that his family raised chickens and had a big garden. He wanted <br />to emphasize the value of the Ribbon Trail to biking. He saw it as a critical and key connection for human - <br />powered transportation. He felt that it did a great job of safely bridging the gap between the town and the <br />Ridgeline Trail. He pointed out that allowing bike travel on the Ribbon Trail would get bicycles off 30th Avenue, <br />which posed hazards due to the cars travelling at high speeds. He and his family wanted to go mountain biking but <br />did not have a way to get to the mountain biking trails. He averred that millions of dollars were going out of the <br />state for gasoline and if everyone went car -free this money would remain within the state. He considered safety to <br />be a big issue and noted that he was a bicycle safety instructor. He saw opening the trail as a symbolic project with <br />a high return; it would help to reduce childhood obesity and give people a way to relieve stress without having to <br />leave the community. <br />John Herberg, 2940 Alder Street, Ward 2, urged the council to do what they could to reverse the decision to ban <br />bicyclists from the Ribbon Trail. He felt limiting the trail to only hiking would exclude a lot of people from using <br />it. He echoed concerns about childhood obesity. He believed that a good way to change this was to get kids <br />outdoors. He related that studies indicated that youth that spent time outdoors were in better physical and mental <br />health. He likened excluding young people from biking on the Ribbon Trail to excluding them from better health. <br />He explained that he was the lead organizer for a mountain bike group for youth. He said over the past few years <br />they had taken a number of youth to the mountain bike trails by Oakridge. He acknowledged that hiking and <br />backpacking were great experiences, but youth were interested in faster activities in his experience. <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council May 24, 2010 Page 5 <br />Regular Meeting <br />
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