The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current, January 01, 2018, Page 8, Image 8

8 • The Southwest Portland Post
FEATURES
January 2018
Off-Road Cycling Plan may lead to future developments at Gabriel Park
By Jack Rubinger
The Southwest Portland Post
Gabriel Park in Multnomah is one
of the 16 Portland parks that are “fi-
nalists” for one of the new bike parks
being planned by the Portland Bureau
of Parks and Recreation, as part of
its Off-Road Cycling Master Plan.
Portland has taken a piecemeal ap-
proach to addressing the need for off-
road cycling facilities across the City.
The Plan establishes the role of the
city and its public spaces in meeting
off-road cycling needs and provides
a comprehensive framework for suc-
cessfully meeting community needs.
The Plan defines off-road cycling
and develops a baseline understand-
ing of who does, or would like to,
ride off-road in the city now and in
the future.
According to city planners, people
of all ages participate in off-road cy-
cling. In Oregon, total adult participa-
tion is split roughly evenly between
people 18-29 years old, 30-39, 40-49,
and 50 or older.
While limited local data is available
for youth participation, the National
Outdoor Recreation survey indicates
that road, mountain, and BMX biking
rank as the most popular outdoor
activity for young between ages of
6 and 17.
In 2017, city planners conducted
virtual open houses, which featured
an on-line map soliciting input on
candidate sites, held seven public
open houses, held in various loca-
tions across the city and led multiple
one-on-one listening sessions with
cyclists.
Bike parks, such as pump tracks,
jump parks, and skill trails, are dedi-
cated places for people of all riding
abilities to practice their riding skills
and have fun.
They can be built on a portion of
a property, or around the perimeter.
For this master plan, bike parks were
only being considered for developed
parks, not in natural areas.
Northwest Trail Alliance believes
that Gabriel Park could be a good
place for off-road cycling use as
outlined by the plan. Many alliance
members live in the neighborhood
and would love to see this park in-
corporate features where they could
ride with their families.
“Nothing gets built in this city
without a plan. It’s great to see the re-
sources and the effort to getting such
a high profile plan in place. However,
lots of plans sit on shelves and do
very little. We’d like to see the public
Gateway Green bike park in East Portland. (Photos by Bike Portland)
and political support to dedicate some
money to get trails on the ground and
some mountain bike parks built,” said
Alex Criss from Rose City Bicycles.
Off-road cycling and mountain bik-
ing have been growing in popularity
since the 1970s.
Many factors have led to this popu-
larity. The ability to access and experi-
ence nature, spend time with friends
and family while riding and having
a low impact on the environment are
some of the leading reasons.
The State of Oregon has identified
off-road cycling as more popular in
Oregon than skateboarding, tennis
or golf.
“The Off-road Cycling Master Plan
recommends a medium-sized bike
park at Gabriel Park. That’s great.
We’re all for building jumps, pump
tracks, and easy trails to help create
fun and safe access for riding bikes on
dirt,” said Criss.
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