by Andy Jansky

(original article published in The League of American Bicyclists Spring 2014 newsletter)

While people like to divide themselves into types of cycling - road, cross, commuter, mountain,

fatties - in truth many of us are like chameleons and will adapt to any saddle. In Portland,

Oregon, it's common for people to pedal to work, go for a road ride on Saturday, and hit the

trails on Sunday. Unfortunately, when it comes to mountain bike access, local advocates have

been working to improve conditions for 25 years, but have faced a power block that doesn't

believe in bikes on dirt. Fortunately, this all started to change recently through key support

provided from the League.

 

In 2013, the League was working on its interim status report to the city for maintaining its

celebrated Platinum status. Our group, Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA) prepared a basic set of

recommendations to create a more inviting environment for mountain biking. This included "Ride

to Where you Ride" - the idea that you should be able ride your bike from home, along a safe

bike route or path to a green space, go for a mountain bike ride, all without touching a car. We

identified how the city should complete at least one project that was identified as part of Forest

Park Single-track Advisory Committee. And we set a goal of creating 20 new miles of single

track trail by the year 2020 within the city limits.

Fast forward to 2015. While the advocacy seed had been planted, NWTA worked hard but still

faced significant challenged. The Forest Park project was killed, and while the "Ride to Where

you Ride" message took root outside of Portland, it hasn't gained traction here. And most

recently, the city suspended the public process and excluded mountain bikes from an area that

included such access as a traditional and customary use before the land was purchased by the

city.

Closing access to a traditional use at a park is such a strong step that NWTA served notice of

Intent to Appeal the closure - a big step for our group. Through these challenging times we

have been strongly supported by our parent organization, the International Mountain Bicycling

Association, and the League, who provided a follow-up letter to our Mayor. The mountain bike movement in Portland is learning from older, successful bike advocacy groups. We're developing a strong network and establishing credibility. Since 2013, NWTA has more than tripled our membership. That means more kids, more families, more skilled and responsible riders - with less trail access.

Despite the continued challenges, we're focused on helping the city turn things around. We're

advocating for the funding of a citywide Mountain Bike Master Plan and we're on the path to get

the plan funded - thanks in part to support from the League.

ANDY JANSKY is a Professional Engineer and the Advocacy Chair for the Northwest Trail Alliance.  He can be reached at andyj@nw-trail.org.