Olympia Bike Park

Olympia Bike Park Planning Meeting Feb 20th!

2010-02-09T21:13:00.001-08:00

Olympia Bike Park Preliminary Design Meeting. 3pm, Feb. 20th 2010 Tumwater Library.
Olympia will soon be taking public comment on park use and facilities for the new park on the site of the old Briggs Nursery off of the Henderson Blvd. and Yelm Highway. The preliminary plan from the landscape architect and some parks staff proposes a ball field without lights, a small skate site along with a walking path, bathrooms, garden and play ground.

Tumwater already has three soccer fields and four baseball fields just one mile away. This area with access to multiple bus routes, neighborhood connections, proximity to schools, the YMCA, and small forested area would be an ideal opportunity for cycling, running and skateboarding.

I see this as a perfect spot for a slightly smaller concrete street plaza for skate/BMX, a dirt jump area and some mountain bike/freeride oriented stuff, space for bike polo, and maybe a hill that would make cyclocross practice and racing possible in town.

My hope at this meeting is to
A. Prioritize the features each cycling discipline would like to see.
B. Create a rough design of a bike park in this area
C. Define some accessible funding options over the next two to three years
D. Discus the best strategy to alter the direction this park has already been envisioned by parks and city staff without alienating anyone.

Redmond riders make headway.

2010-01-21T01:33:00.000-08:00

Riders in Redmond are on the way to a bike park.
My worry is that the project was spurred by BMX riders and the contractor hired to do the work is Mountain Bike focused in the work they do. I just hope he really listens to the riders and lets em have a shovel in hand when it comes time to shape transitions and distance between lip and landing. I have seen to many professionally built skate parks hated by the end users.
http://redmondcity.blogspot.com/2009/12/city-council-approves-funding-for-bmx.html

A little non BMX winter motivation

2009-12-22T03:03:00.000-08:00

A little non BMX winter motivation. Look for a possible late Jan or early Feb mountain/BMX/Fixed film fest at either Capitol Theater or Evergreen College.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tymGFtRqg-c

2009-11-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know who is in this vid but I figured I would spread it around a little. RIP AmTrack Jumps.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=25016601

East Coast

2009-11-21T06:15:00.001-08:00

East Coast

EastCoastDestruction from penna610 on Vimeo.

The past relived for a day.

2009-11-17T04:15:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have seen this already. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OCvrhvCRaA&feature=player_embedded

Two videos to check out.

2009-10-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

Flatland: Chad Johnston of S&M who rides brakeless and pegless which means every move could be adapted to modern street and park riding....well almost
http://vimeo.com/5852702

Street:New rider for United Tom Sanders. NICE!
http://vimeo.com/7264935

Olympia Street Jam

2009-10-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

First I want to say thank you to Deschutes River Cyclery/Tumwater, Joyride Bikes/Lacey, Oldtown Bikes/Olympia, and The Bike Stand/Olympia who really pulled through with parts, and gift cards for the riders who participated in the event. A special thanks to Grindstaff Trophies in Tumwater for making awards at the last minute for us.

BMX is as subdivided in it's riding disciplines and maybe more so than other cycling. Occasionally you will find a freestyle rider at the dirt jumps, a weekend BMX race, or even practicing a flandland trick in a parking lot but really "Freestyle" is about melding all the disciplines of BMX into one to concur riding curbs, ledges, skateparks, and just about any object you can think of around town.

On Saturday October 3rd I held a little event for the local freestyle riders. We met at the Olympia Farmers Market at noon. The ride started with 10 riders and grew to 25 as we moved around. The basic ideal was to ride from one favorite riding spot around town to the other. The format was really loose but Freestyle is all about disorganization, and doing what comes freely. When it became time to move on to the next spot a vote of who won, meaning did the coolest trick at that spot, was taken and we would move on to the next location.

We ended up making a large loop from the market past the marina up to the east side neighborhood, post office area, capitol, down town and back to the Port of Olympia water front park. The event came to a close as the sun was starting to set. When it came time to hand out awards the Street King Medals went to Morgan Chance, Robin Slootmaker, Dolton Holt, and Rance Hutchinson for the best tricks. A nice surprise of the day for me was that prizes by a vote of the riders went to the riders most in need of parts for their bikes before the top riders got anything.

Unfortunately we didn't have a working camera until the end. Here is a link to some riding from Garrett Reynolds who won three NORA Cups this year (BMX version of the Emmy or Oscar) to give you an ideal of what Freestyle is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjyGiRrWfgY

P.S. Garrett Reynolds is good but Olympia has some riders that can give him a run for his money.

Oympia BMX contest

2009-09-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

We already have a street contest set up for the first weekend of Oct. Starting at farmers market in OLy at noon.
Now the new news!
Keep an eye out for TWO contest in Oct. Not just one. We may get one at the Yager skate park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Second weekend of Oct!!!!!!!!!! Working on the details with Oly parks and rec.

Cleanup at the park. Now that we are all

2009-09-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Cleanup at the park. Now that we are allowed in we have to work to keep our right to the park.

Park cleanning party of one.

2009-09-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

Park cleanning party of one.

Tomorrows City Council Meeting

2009-07-14T00:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrows presentation of the proposed parks plan to the city council has been postponed due to other issues the council wants to look at.

I will still be making comments during the public comments time about the needs of riders in the area particularly pertaining to youth cycling/BMX and the need for youth alternative sports as a whole to have a remodel and expansion of the Yauger skate court.

Anyone who had planned to come out please do as we don't know when the presentation will be rescheduled and an opportunity to speak up will come before the parks plan is finalized. Having as many BMX riders and even skaters as we had at the Yager Park meeting here will help get the importance of this issue across to the council. For any of you who can that can convince your parents to com out and say something about the importance of what you do please do.

So 6:30 PM to sign in to say anything
7 PM meeting open and public comment
900 Plum Street SE, Olympia (Across from McDonald's)
Round building in the center.

Meeting reminder and change.

2009-06-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Meeting reminder and change.
Today 4PM Olympia Skate Court
BMX/Freestyle MTB focus
1. Bikes WILL be allowed. We will be talking about times and days that will work for everyone and how to deal with garbage, graffiti, and attitude toward park staff.
2. We will be talking about Needed action in the next month from riders to make bike features (jumps, track, whatever) happen.

Parks department is having a public meeting

2009-06-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

The parks department is having a public meeting at the Yauger Skate Park this Friday at 4PM with the intention of opening talks about bikes and how they can meet the needs of riders.

The format is the carrot and the stick.

The carrot being Parks want to talk to you about building some sort of bike park. They want to get input as to what type of park will fill the needs the best. Skaters will be present also. I'm hoping we can avoid bikes vs. skate argument and make the point that the best solution is a larger properly designed park that offers opportunities for both bike and skate of all types with dirt area.

The Stick being Parks will now begin to enforce the $75 tickets for riding in the skate park. The reason this meeting has come up so suddenly is a flood of calls to parks and 911 from skaters every time a bike shows up on a busy day at the park.

Come out and voice what you want in parks for bikes, no mater what you ride.

If you can not make the meeting email Mr. Rogers below and voice your concerns and most importantly ideals for solving the bike vs board as well as graffiti at the park.

Terry V. Rodgers, Associate Director

Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department
trodgers@ci.olympia.wa.us

WOW!

2009-06-16T12:41:00.001-07:00

Amazing integration of brakeless front wheel nose wheelies and hang fives on street and park.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid18776338001?bclid=21634947001&bctid=25721355001

Action needed!

2009-06-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday July 14th the Olympia Parks Department will be making a presentation to the city council about the current point of the new parks plan. The plan includes some provision for off road cycling called BMX which is being used to loosely define all off road cycling regardless of wheel size, tread pattern or number of gears. The plan at this point also includes some seed money to start a project in a yet to be determined location. This is not just for BMX, mountain bikes and even hard packed recreational cycling trails are affected by this parks plan.

What can you do?

The city council meetings allow 30 minutes at the start (7PM at 900 Plum Street) for the public to make comments. It would be really great whether you ride 20 inch wheels or 29 inch wheels if you could show up at 6:30 and sign up to say just a few words to support cycling recreation.

It's easy!

You sign up on a sheet by the front door and when your name is called to speak you walk up to the podium state your name, Olympia address, and how much you really enjoy (insert BMX, Mountain Biking, Cyclocross, Flatland, Road Racing, Bike Trails, or whatever) and really support the efforts of the parks department to recognize the need for a space to ride. Or something to that effect.
If you nervous just look at the podium or star at Joe Hyer's hawaiian shirt. If you really don't want to say anything come and show support in a way that makes it obvious your a cyclist.

It would be really great to have the bike rack full, a bike chained to every pole holding up the round walk way cover, or every person in the seating area holding a helmet to let the council see how big this issue is to us.

What if I can't make that meeting?

The city council meets every Tuesday at 7pm. Make any meeting between now and then to voice your desire for a place to ride in town.

Joseph (Jody) Ott
Mountain Bike Captain
Capital Bicycling Club
Olympia WA
soulbikes@gmail.com
www.capitalbicycleclub.org

2009-06-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

80 to 95 advancement in Flatland depended on newer better parts (pegs, brakes, hubs,etc.)

95 to 2008 The brake less movement reversed allot of that dependence and brought it all back to skill.

2008 Chad Johnston busts out this video bringing it all back to skill alone! NO BRAKES!!!!! NO PEGS!!! NO B.S.!!!!!
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kbkQEBfoQU

Battle Ground WA

2009-05-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been to this park, GO!
Bikes are not only allowed but many of the area riders were the catalyst that help make this park happen.

http://www.bgwa.com/fair_grounds_park.htm

Driving Directions:

Traveling South on I-5:
Take exit 14 to Ridgefield/Battle Ground
Left over freeway
Left as road turns into S. 5th St.
Right onto NE 10th Ave (Heading South)
Left onto WA-502 - (follow this road for about 4 miles)
Left onto NE Fairgrounds Ave.
Park is on your left.

Traveling North on I-5:
Take exit 9 to Battle Ground
Continue North onto HWY- 502
Right onto NE 219th St./ HWY - 502 (follow this road for about 4 miles)
Left onto NE Fairgrounds Ave.
Park is on your left.

This rocks!

2009-04-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/04/1_million_might_get_bike_park.html

P.S. Some bike riders have been involved in the new parks plan process in Redmond!

It's like a flue! Bike Park mania!

Been a while.

2009-04-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well things are sort of at a slow point now.

Keep in mind that BMX will be defined as off road cycling so as not to leave out any particular wheel size for off road use.

A few weeks ago the Olympia Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee sat down to look at the money parks would have during the next twenty years and what the public feedback on the parks plan looked like and prioritized. A draft was done for the time period 2008 to 2019 the first four years not much money was available so it will be starting Wildwood Glen, O'Conner, and Mission Creek Parks, West Bay Trail Start, Teen Center, Off Leash Dog Park, Artesian Well, community gardens, BMX park Development....

Wait! What was that last part????

BMX Park Development!!!!!????

Yes because dirt, wood and shovels are cheaper than say several tones of concrete it made it into the initial priority list of the long term budget.

Phase two is for this whole big plan to go to City Council in a study session to see if thy want to make any changes. I went to the Council meting last week to urge them to help ensure it goes through.

I am now on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee so among all the other parks projects I will be working on I can help to try and keep the small funding line item for BMX in.

What can you as BMX, Mountain, Cyclocross, Unicycle, and other forms off off road cyclist do to help right now??

Email the City Council
Doug Mah, Mayor dmah@ci.olympia.wa.us
Jeff Kingsbury, Mayor Pro Tem jkingsbu@ci.olympia.wa.us (Very supportive of the project)
Joan Machlis jmachlis@ci.olympia.wa.us
Karen Messmer, kmessmer@ci.olympia.wa.us (Cyclist and former Vice President of the Capitol Bicycling Club)
Joe Hyer, jhyer@ci.olympia.wa.us (Cyclist and owner of The Bike Stand)
Craig Ottavelli cottavel@ci.olympia.wa.us (Very supportive of the project)
Rhenda Iris Strub rstrub@ci.olympia.wa.us (Very supportive of the project)

They are busy people so keep it short.

Just state that you are a (BMX, Mountainbike, Cyclocrross, whatever) cyclist and support the BMX Park Development line item and funding in the current drafted Olympia Parks plan and would appreciate the support of passing that item through the process for the cycling community young and old.

Maybe a couple of lines about your excitement for the project and Olympia parks in general.

Doing this will help point out that people really want this and keep in the minds of the council when the parks budget comes up for vote in June.

Finally we will need people to show at the Tue Council Meeting in June (I'll post when) to support the vote for the Parks Budget.

After that it's planning time.

Great article in The Bicycle Paper.

2009-04-08T14:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.bicyclepaper.com/articles/2009/04/mountain_bike_organizations_get_constructive_in_the_face_of_adversity

The light is starting to show in the tunnel.

2009-04-03T22:46:00.000-07:00

OK. Sorry for those who tried to email Johnathan Turlove and could not with that email address. The proposed spending plan being forwarded from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to the City Council budget study session includes seed money to build the beginnings of a park. I'll keep everyone up to date on when your letters and comments will be needed. With the right contact info next time.

Attn needed

2009-04-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Olympia Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee is going through a Prioritizing exorcise tonight .

This is to set priorities for parks money for the next 5 years.

It would be great if riders could come at 5:50 and sign up for the public comments. The more riders voicing a need for cycling recreation opportunities. All cyclist not just mountain or road the more likely it is that we will get moved up from about 40th on the priority list.

A simple My name is Sam I live in Olympia (or I live in ??? but shop in Olympia supporting parks through taxes) and I ride (Insert style of riding here) and I would like to see more opportunities for (Insert style of riding here) riding in city parks.

You can be as simple as you want or as detailed as you want.

This is the last time I will be able to go to a Parks meeting and speak from the public for the public as next month I will be behind the desk helping to make the suggestions to the city council.

6:00 PM at the Olympia Center in Rm. 102

If you can not make it type an email and send it to Johnathan Turlove ( jturlove@ci.olympia.
wa) us asking that your comments be entered into the record for the prioritizing meeting.

Some catalog publicity for Seattle's Park.

2009-03-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

http://vimeo.com/3768778

Bike Park Meeting Update

2009-03-16T00:41:00.000-07:00

Stage one
Between the Tumwater and the Olympia meetings we had a good turnout that was very helpful in getting a better ideal of the concerns of some area riders, location ideals, and funding possibilities. I will be continuing to carry the bike park questioners with me just about every place I go to gather more input. The age of riders I have gotten questioners from runs from 13 to 58 now.

Amongst some of the great ideals was one for doing bike demonstration shows at community events to bring greater attention to the needs of off road cyclist. I am working with Olympia Parks, Capitol Theater, Olympic Outfitters, Alpine Experience, The Bike Stand, and local riders to do just that at Spring Arts Walk April 24th & 25th and the Outdoor Life Festival in Marathon Park May 2nd and 3rd. We will if all works out have stunts and ramps for both a BMX and Mountain Bike presentation with a table that will provide stickers of support, information fliers, and a petition for inclusion of mountain, BMX and other recreational bike use in future parks planning.

Common things mentioned in the comments section of the questioner by both BMX and mountain riders were a desire for a park to have separate beginner, intermediate and expert areas, rails, ledges, wallrides, lights, halfpipe or a bowl, a practice jump with foam pit, and water fountains.

Stage Two
Over the next few weeks I will be working with a landscape architect student to do some layouts and drawings that could be inserted into any park setting. This will become part of a comprehensive manual I will be drafting addressing planning, building standards, signage and liability coverage issues for a bike park. I will be borrowing from the Whistler Municipality Trail Building Standards, Evergreen Bicycle Alliance, American Bicycle Association as well as others. My hope is to create a guide book for developing a bike park that could be applied not just to city and county municipalities but maybe to build more challenging trails on state and federal land. As part of this I could use help going out to some of the dirt jump areas to take pictures and measurements to start writing and developing some building standards for today's dirt jumps that the ABA does not cover in there guidelines for BMX track construction. One a draft manual is published I plan to have another series of meetings sometime in late May early June for input so that the manual is edited by rider.

Greenlake Skatepark 7pm Wednesday night.

2009-03-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Green Lake skate park 7pm Wednesday night, empty other than me. The city has spent over $500,000 plus state grants of Seattle city tax money on several parks in the past four years. Bikes are not allowed in any. The Green Lake dirt jumps sit 50 feet away. The BMX riders have to ride the one and only Seattle city condoned but not funded and unofficial BMX area looking at a $600,000 plus park they can not ride. Now some of the blame here goes to the bike community for not being organized enough to go to the original park planning meetings to be heard. However some of the blame and issue falls on the city. They have designed and built knowingly or not a park amenity that has multiple uses and excluded some tax payers from it's use. It's like building a ball field and saying only baseball is allowed because the size of a softball will damage the grass to much when it hits the ground. The skateboarding organized community that worked and made this park happen left bikes out of the public input, funding, and design process possibly by accident or on purpose. It doesn't mater either way a public facility has been built to the exclusion of a specific portion of the public that helped pay for it and continue to pay in tax levies.

Bike/Skate Park Meeting Saturday, March 7th 3pm to 5pm

2009-03-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 7th 3pm to 5pm Tumwater Library
Just a reminder that The Capital Bicycling Club is having a meeting this Saturday at the Tumwater Library meeting room (7023 New Market Street Tumwater, WA 98501-6563).

The Agenda is as follows:
Opening
Joseph Ott will present some information contained in the Tumwater Parks and Recreation Plan on "Skateboard courts and challenge courses" and the proposed location of a Skate/BMX/Bike park that is proposed in the long term plan.

Presentation of Capital Bicycling Club prepared examples of how this Skate/BMX/Bike park could be developed and look like.

Attendees will be asked to fill out information forms on the interest of a Skate/BMX/Bike park while participating in small group discussions about what you would like to see in a park, ideals for financing, and opinions on importance of use.

Each group will let the room know some short points about the group discussions and a follow up room discussion will follow.

Upon closing a drawing for the door prize will happen.

If you have any input you would like to give on the agenda or the meeting feel free to email me and don't forget to check the Blog: http://olybikepark.blogspot.com/

River Valley BMX

2009-03-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

RIVERSIDE PARK AND RIVER VALLEY BMX NEEDS YOUR HELP!

PIERCE COUNTY PARKS MAY HAVE TO CLOSE RIVERSIDE PARK AND RIVER VALLEY BMX, DO TO PALS REQUIREMENTS!

WE ARE NOT ASKING PEIRCE COUNTY FOR ANY MONEY OR HELP TO RE-OPEN RIVERSIDE PARK OR RIVER VALLEY BMX!

PIERCE COUNTY IS HOLDING A PUBLIC MEETING! PLEASE COME SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TO KEEP RIVERSIDE PARK AND RIVER VALLEY BMX OPEN! BRING THE KIDS, BRING EVERYONE!

THIS MEETING IS DO OR DIE FOR BMX IN PIERCE COUNTY!
Public Meeting
March 9th at 6:00 PM
Lakewood Community Center
9112 Lakewood Drive SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 798-4176

IF YOU CAN ATTEND THE MEETING OR CAN NOT ATTEND THE MEETING PLEASE WRITE LETTERS AND EMAILS SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT, PLEASE ADDRESS THEM TO PIERCE COUNTY AND EMAIL THEM TO US AT MARK@RIVERVALLEYBMXRACING.COM

ALSO PLEASE EMAIL AND SEND LETTERS TO AS MANY OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE LISTED BELOW TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! THE MORE EMAILS AND LETTERS THE BETTER!

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU GET AN EMAIL TO SHAWN BUNNEY, LISTED BELOW, WE NEED HIS HELP!!!!

Kathryn Kravit-Smith, Pierce County Parks - Director
Phone: (253)798-4007 | Email: kkravit@co.pierce.wa.us

Kent Baskett, Superintendent of Parks
Phone: (253)798-4092 | Email: kbasket@co.pierce.wa.us

Skip Ferrucci, Resource Stewardship Superintendent
Phone: (253)798-4009 | Email: skip.ferrucci@ co.pierce.wa.us

Janel Krilich, Business Manager
Phone: (253)798-4008 | Email: jkrilic@co.pierce.wa.us

Pat McCarthy - Pierce County - Executive
phone: (253) 798-6602 | email:pmccart@co.pierce. wa.us

Shawn Bunney - Pierce County Counicalman - Disrtict 1
sbunney@co.pierce.wa.us

2009-03-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

Some video of Stowe Mountain bike Park, France. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDyDxuIbP9k

Access Buzz!

2009-03-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

It seems the past two weeks have been a flurry of online debate, arguments, and even down right fights about mountain bike access.

The Tiger Mountain Update is Back post on BBTC Yahoo's page generated more than 37 post back and fourth just on access issues predominantly about one riding spot in Western WA. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/bbtcmembers/message/42473

Lots of drama over the River Valley BMX Track and a new federal flood zoning that will close the track. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/WaBMXnews/?yguid=293134491

Don't forget to attend the meeting this Saturday 3pm to 5pm at the Tumwater Library to talk about the possibility of a skate/bike park in Tumwater.

Tumwater Update

2009-02-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

Thursday the 12th I stopped at Tumwater City hall and had a nice conversation with Chuck Denney, Tumwater Parks and Recreation Director, about a bike park. Last year when Tumwater rewrote the long term parks and recreation plan they included a general plan for a combination BMX and skate park. Mr. Denney has visited the Dart dirt jumps on several occasions and had taken the initiative to find out if a general need for a bike park existed during the plan revision and included the ideal of a bike area into the skate park plans. He was exited that someone would take on the work of gathering data on potential users and bring riders together on forming a basic ideal of what the park needs and would look like. He indicated that out of the budget for the next couple of years that baseball, football, and soccer fields takes priority financially unless it can be shown that support is stronger for a bike and skate park. I'm hoping to use the CBC resources and cycling communities energy to show that support exist and to help find additional funding and professional design help. Tumwater has already chosen a site for a skate and bike park that oddly enough is where the Tumwater jumps were 10 years ago under the power lines across from Z St SE. Although the terrain is not right for wooded mountain bike use it will be great for a regional size Bike and skate park as it already has road front sidewalk improvements, room for a parking lot and access to water and sewage for building bathrooms. I have found other plots of land in Tumwater that are city owned that would make great short loop mountain bike trails and if support is shown the city is more than willing to listen.

Olympia Update.

2009-02-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Monday the 9th I had a meeting with city of Olympia Parks and Recreation Department. Johnathan Turlove set up the meeting for me. The purpose was for me to answer questions that Olympia had about what would a bike park look like? Who would use it? How would it be maintained? We went threw many scenarios ranging from an ABA or NBL track to a mountain bike freeride area to cyclocross or velodrome type riding. The city intern gave me advise on what type of information the club needs to gather to show the viability of a bike park, how to work within the guidelines of a city feasibility plan. They also let me know what needs to happen to get a bike park ideal integrated into the current review and issuing of Olympia's long term parks plan. Over all it was a very productive meeting. Olympia Parks knows a desire from many groups exist for more bike related facilities and activities and want to respond. It's up to us to provide the information and help need to make it happen.

Upcoming meetings

2009-02-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

Attend a meeting:
Saturday, March 7th 3pm to 5pm Tumwater Library

Saturday March 14th 3pm to 5pm Olympia Library

Informational meeting and work shop on the topic of a bicycle park in the Olympia area. Come and learn what is going on in the process and give your input.

Meeting with Oly Parks.

2009-02-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

Woooo Hooo! I have a meeting with Olympia Parks to talk about from both ends what would be needed to get a park going.

links and Videos that show what is possible.

2009-01-31T10:14:00.000-08:00

Great article about Bike Parks in The New York Times!

2009-01-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/04/27/travel/escapes/27adventurer.html?scp=9&sq=bike%20park&st=cse

Possible Locations?

2009-01-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

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.

Why can't Chambers Lake Park become a large scale BMX/Bike Park?

2009-01-25T21:35:00.001-08:00

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.

For now email me as much detail on what you would like. Maybe even with sketches or pictures and help support something small for this or another Yelm Highway area park.

Interim Use and Management Plan Public Input Workshop

2009-01-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

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