Oakland Mountain Bikers Fight Effort To Close Urban Singletrack Gem

IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 5
December 1999

By Eric Muhler, President
Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay

Another Bay Area closure threat has spurred action by the Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay (BTCEB) in Oakland, California. Angry letters from city residents who desire a "humanity-free habitat" have convinced the city to review their bike-legal policy in Joaquin Miller Park, which is connected with the Dimond Canyon Open Space. Both venues are within the city limits and administered by the Oakland Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.

The park boasts a network of bike-legal, multi-use, singletrack of more than 14 miles.

BTCEB met with the park supervisor and learned that he was concerned about a group of mountain bikers who were riding unmarked, illegal trails in one area of the park. To address this problem BTCEP created a set of explanatory signs that will mark these routes and tell cyclists that they are off-limits. BTCEP is also starting a bike patrol with the Oakland Police Rangers. The first function of the patrol will be to educate riders about where they can ride legally.

BTCEB also initiated a letter writing campaign to city officials. The letter writing instructions are on their web site at www.btceastbay.org.

Finally, BTCEB is preparing for a city council meeting about the issue. A large turnout of responsible, tax-paying, residents who ride and hike these trails will hopefully influence the public officials who must review the policy.

This is not the first time BTCEB has had to battle for trail access. BTCEB fended off a threat to close the park for bikes and horses in 1989. By forming a coalition with the equestrian group that maintained an arena in the park, BTCEB convinced the park's administrators that hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders could share the trails and get along. This has worked very well for the past decade.

BTCEB has performed monthly trailwork in Joaquin Miller for five years., completing more than 2,500 hours of maintenance on the park's trails. BTCEB recently secured permits and funding of $5000, from PowerBar D.I.R.T. grants and California Trials and Greenways Foundation, and put in 462 volunteer hours, to build a new singletrack that connected two existing trails in the Dimond Canyon.