A list of BMX tracks in WA.
http://www.ababmx.com/index.php?page=default/tracks&search=Washington
I wouldn't mind adding Olympia to that list.
Seattle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-sfPuRyASw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2RVj7lLtKg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c68asgOmno
Bellingham, WA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMP6d4Msqkg
Chandlar Park, AZ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyYlippFczs
Austin TX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DknsFHSUbig
Canada
Burnaby, BC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6f_lpZoN18
Toronto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BB1BMLzTK8&feature=PlayList&p=5D88C372B3E199EE&playnext=1&index=49
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWcSrQqc78k
South America
Columbia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfRlZd4K91o&feature=related
Caracas, Venezuela
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIttfXMslqM&feature=related
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Possible Locations?
One of the big factors in trying to develop a bike park or bike features within an existing park is space. Olympia as about 13 undeveloped parks that have been acquired in the past two years. Several factors become important considerations when looking for a spot.
Accessibility. Being on a major bus route will be important. A large number of the regular users would be between the ages or 12 to 22 just like the Yager Park Skate Court. Those under 18 are likely to ride to the park or take the bus.
Facilities. Having the site close to restrooms and a water source will be important. Many of the riders will spend several hours riding in the area and may need access to restrooms and drinking water.
Openness and High Park Use Traffic. Location the bike features in a park with a fair amount of park user traffic and visibility will keep those using the features of their best behavior as well as eliminate the possibility of young users being harassed or harmed.
Given these criteria, I can think of one park that has not been developed as of yet and will have other activities that will appeal to the typical young user of a bike park.
Ward Lake
Ward Lake is a parcel that the city acquired off of Yelm Highway and plans to develop into a fresh water swimming access park. The park is approximately 10 acres and I feel would be an ideal host for a bike park area.
Attached is a photo of the property and possible bike related use. Keep in mind that the suggestions on the photo are just that. I have no ideal how far along the city is with it's planning on this park.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Why can't Chambers Lake Park become a large scale BMX/Bike Park?
I received an email in response to my update asking a very good question regarding the Chambers Lake Park interim use development.
"Is there a legitimate reason why "This particular park ….. could host some bike activity other than single track trails."?
We have a deficit of areas to ride off road and a 46 acre park that might have walking trails might also have riding trails. There may well be many users on the east side of Olympia who don't want to travel to Capital Forest or Evergreen to ride off road. With little in the way of other options missing this opportunity to put in a several mile single track circuit along side of walking trails seems to diminish riding in this area. BMX riding is great and single track through a park could still be part of this development."
Several reasons make this a park not appropriate for a large bike park to include anything more than a 100X100 dirt jump park.
The first being that the park is 46 acres however when the city obtained it a covenant was set in the deed limiting most of the park to conservation efforts. Only 9 acres can be developed into a recreational area . The 9 acres that can be worked with is mostly flat open field that was farm land once but has a chunk taking up most of the wooded area in that 9 acres designated wetlands.
The area really needs an off leash dog park. The money does not exist to develop that here yet but it is in the plans and I agree that the develop able property being mostly flat and open would suit that purpose better.
The park may also get some non traditional youth recreation opportunities like a sand pile, rock climbs and such other than the usual swings and slide.
Their is no parking beyond 9 spaces and any development to happen here at first can not generate more than 20 car trips a day to the site. To put anything larger than a small set of jumps here for the neighborhood youth would generate more car traffic and require several hundreds of thousand of dollars of road front improvements for sidewalks, sewer and more. No bus service within a 1/2 mile of the park also means that users will be riding the Chehalis Western Trail to access the site.
I feel that all this makes the ideal bike related use for the park the already planned 8 foot wide pedestrian/Bike path that will eventually one day circle the lake and a small jump park for the youth of the area to replace Amtrak and other recently lost areas around Yelm Highway.
We will find a spot and funding for something bigger in Oly, Lacey, Tumwater or close in county properties with some patience.
Interim Use and Management Plan Public Input Workshop
On Friday I attended the Chambers Lake Park Interim Use and Management Plan Public Input Workshop hosted by Jonathon Turlove and Dave Okerlund, Associate Planners for Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation and other City of Oly Park Staff.
Good news: The city of Olympia is going to soon have a new great park starting to grow alongside the Chehalis Western Trail with wooded walking trails, wetland interpretive areas, a dog park and more as the site gains funding.
The Bad news: NONE The city will soon have a great new park!
During the round table discussions I brought up the ideal of a small BMX or bike skills challenge area in the park to replace the recently lost Amtrak, Royal Oaks, and other Lacey jumps. I expected Jack Horton (bike rider, trail advocate and dog owner) to be the only one at the table to agree with the ideal. To my surprise all six members at the table liked it. When we talked of our ideals as a whole most everyone in the room liked the ideal. One gentleman had objections to bikes in this particular park due to the jumps kids have been building on the trail in his local neighborhood park.
After the meeting I took a second and talked to him about how supporting a park or several small parks in the area with bike jumps and other challenges would cut down and possibly eliminate all the commando building that is an issue to him. He agreed that was a good ideal and would in the future support such a thing in a park that seemed appropriate for it.
Jonathan Turlove and other park staff voiced to me that the parks department has already heard from other voices about the need for a Bike/BMX facility in the area and are willing to listen. Neither Jonathan or other park staff have any experience in sighting, designing, funding, implementing or maintaining such a thing other than the Yager skate park. I however do.
This particular park could only support a small dirt jump area but it could host some bike activity other than single track trails.
Chambers Lake Information: http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us/cityservices/par/parks/Chambers+Lake+Park.htm
I will be holding another meeting for input on City Bike Park ideals in March most likely in one of the Lacey Library Meeting Rooms. Until that time email me your ideals for funding, design and location.
Some stuff to get your mind working below.
Beijing Olympic Track: http://stpetersbmx.com/myPictures/Olympic_Track_Main.jpg
Non traditional tracks:
http://sopa.clients.squiz.net/__data/assets/image/0005/17969/mountainx_track_layout_large.jpg
http://www.prm.nau.edu/prm423/images/bmx_design2.jpg
http://www.prm.nau.edu/prm423/images/bmx_design1.jpg
Dirt Jump Parks:
http://www.fatbmx.com/uploads2/user_Bart/2006_05/wk22/Helm_trials.jpg
http://actionsportsgroup.net/blog/bike/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/dirt-jump-park-at-highbridge.jpg
http://www.leelikesbikes.com/Stories/042805b/CivicField.jpg
http://www.mfcmtb.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/pump2.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/57/202720873_7bbf070d62.jpg
Features that include all types of off road riders:
http://www.hoots.ca/images/uploads/multiple-ride-lines.jpg
http://www.fttrc.org/photos/beaconpix/simonsm.jpg
http://www.folsom.ca.us/images/Departments/ParksAndRec/BikeTrail/Overhead.JPG
Helpfull bike links:
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/parks/Trails/cw-trail.htm
Joseph (Jody) Ott
Mountain Bike Captain
Capital Bicycling Club
Olympia WA
soulbikes@gmail.com
Good news: The city of Olympia is going to soon have a new great park starting to grow alongside the Chehalis Western Trail with wooded walking trails, wetland interpretive areas, a dog park and more as the site gains funding.
The Bad news: NONE The city will soon have a great new park!
During the round table discussions I brought up the ideal of a small BMX or bike skills challenge area in the park to replace the recently lost Amtrak, Royal Oaks, and other Lacey jumps. I expected Jack Horton (bike rider, trail advocate and dog owner) to be the only one at the table to agree with the ideal. To my surprise all six members at the table liked it. When we talked of our ideals as a whole most everyone in the room liked the ideal. One gentleman had objections to bikes in this particular park due to the jumps kids have been building on the trail in his local neighborhood park.
After the meeting I took a second and talked to him about how supporting a park or several small parks in the area with bike jumps and other challenges would cut down and possibly eliminate all the commando building that is an issue to him. He agreed that was a good ideal and would in the future support such a thing in a park that seemed appropriate for it.
Jonathan Turlove and other park staff voiced to me that the parks department has already heard from other voices about the need for a Bike/BMX facility in the area and are willing to listen. Neither Jonathan or other park staff have any experience in sighting, designing, funding, implementing or maintaining such a thing other than the Yager skate park. I however do.
This particular park could only support a small dirt jump area but it could host some bike activity other than single track trails.
Chambers Lake Information: http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us/cityservices/par/parks/Chambers+Lake+Park.htm
I will be holding another meeting for input on City Bike Park ideals in March most likely in one of the Lacey Library Meeting Rooms. Until that time email me your ideals for funding, design and location.
Some stuff to get your mind working below.
Beijing Olympic Track: http://stpetersbmx.com/myPictures/Olympic_Track_Main.jpg
Non traditional tracks:
http://sopa.clients.squiz.net/__data/assets/image/0005/17969/mountainx_track_layout_large.jpg
http://www.prm.nau.edu/prm423/images/bmx_design2.jpg
http://www.prm.nau.edu/prm423/images/bmx_design1.jpg
Dirt Jump Parks:
http://www.fatbmx.com/uploads2/user_Bart/2006_05/wk22/Helm_trials.jpg
http://actionsportsgroup.net/blog/bike/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/dirt-jump-park-at-highbridge.jpg
http://www.leelikesbikes.com/Stories/042805b/CivicField.jpg
http://www.mfcmtb.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/pump2.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/57/202720873_7bbf070d62.jpg
Features that include all types of off road riders:
http://www.hoots.ca/images/uploads/multiple-ride-lines.jpg
http://www.fttrc.org/photos/beaconpix/simonsm.jpg
http://www.folsom.ca.us/images/Departments/ParksAndRec/BikeTrail/Overhead.JPG
Helpfull bike links:
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/parks/Trails/cw-trail.htm
Joseph (Jody) Ott
Mountain Bike Captain
Capital Bicycling Club
Olympia WA
soulbikes@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
