Night Riding Pilot Program Staff Proposal

From: Wakefield A Model for Night Mountain Bike Riding

ACTION
Night Riding Pilot Program Staff Proposal

ISSUE:

Approval of a pilot program to allow night riding on designated trails at Wakefield Park.

RECOMMENDATION:

The Park Authority Director recommends the Park Authority Board approve the eight-month pilot program for night riding at Wakefield Park on designated days and times with the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) providing support through Mountain Bike Patrols.

TIMING:

Immediate in order to permit the evaluation period to include the upcoming fall and winter seasons when need is the greatest.

BACKGROUND:

Night riding has been occurring at Wakefield Park and Lake Accotink Park as an advertised, organized ride of the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiast (MORE) for, by our best records, the last ten years. It is unknown how many other independent night riders' use these two parks but staff feels the numbers are at least the same, if not greater than the organized rides. There are no known organized night rides in any other parks but staff is aware of random use at Riverbend and Lake Fairfax Parks. Although the activity has been recognized by staff at the Wakefield and Lake Accotink Parks as an activity that occurs, it has not been addressed as an issue until this time

On August 11, 2003 staff met with MORE, EX2Adventures, and Potomac Velo Club to address a variety of issues with bike races that occur at Wakefield on a permitted basis consistent with the Wakefield Trails Management Plan. At that time, staff notified the groups that night riding technically violated the hours of operation of parks since non-lit facilities close at dusk.

In October 2003, MORE submitted a proposal to allow night riding. The proposal emphasized the positives of night riding such as, less vagrancy and other illicit activities when there is an authorized presence and a positive, healthy activity for families and county residents. Additionally, they feel that night riding would be meeting the needs of a busy urban population, that there are fewer user conflicts because there are fewer users present at this time, and that there is a good history of safe riding in these areas (Attachment 1).

Between November 2003 and May 2004, a staff work team met to discuss the proposal and the need for night riding as a recreational service. All were in agreement that night riding could be an accepted activity in certain active parks such as Wakefield, but were reluctant to extend this activity to passive/conservation areas such as Lake Accotink. In addition, staff researched other jurisdictions' methods of handling night riding activities and considered ways to make night riding a revenue activity (Attachments 4 & 5).

Based on this review, staff recommends the implementation of a pilot program at Wakefield Park for night riding beginning October 11, 2004 through May 31, 2005. Night riding would be allowed at Wakefield Park on Mondays, Tuesday and Thursday night, in the evenings, from dusk until 10:30pm. Night riding would be prohibited at all other times. All vehicles would be required to be off park grounds by the posted 11:00pm closing of lighted facilities. Appropriate signage would be posted regarding the pilot program and the affected evenings.

Throughout the pilot time table staff will evaluate the program. Upon completion of the pilot staff will, after careful review, continue to allow night riding, modify the rules governing night riding, or terminate night riding in the park. Furthermore, the pilot program may be discontinued or modified at any point during the pilot time table. Complete details of the pilot program are listed in Attachment 3.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no fiscal impact for the night riding trial.

ENCLOSED DOCUMENTS:

Attachment 1 - MORE Night Riding Request
Attachment 2 - Night Riding Pros and Cons
Attachment 3 - Night Riding Proposal
Attachment 4 - What Other Jurisdictions Are Doing
Attachment 5 - Night Riding Revenue Opportunities

STAFF:

Michael A. Kane, Director
Timothy K. White, Deputy Director
Charles Bittenbring, Director, Park Services Division
Cindy Messinger, Director, Resource Management Division
Cindy Walsh, Manager, RECenter Operations
Bill Hellwig, Manager, Audrey Moore RECenter
Richard Maple, Manager, Area 2, Park Operations
Todd Bolton, Natural Resource Protection, Resource Management Division
John Rutherford, Heritage Resource Specialist, Cultural Resource Protection
Jenny Pate, Park Planning Branch, Planning & Development

NIGHT RIDING BOARD PRESENTATION 10/06/04

Introduction

My presentation is a on a proposal to allow night mountain biking in Wakefield Park. When this proposal was introduced, months ago, one of the first questions that I heard from Winnie is why? Why do we want to allow this activity in our parks?

Mountain biking has a high popularity in the Northern Virginia Regional area. This is evidenced by both the use of the trails at Wakefield Park and the general use of the trail system in the Northern Virginia Regional area. Nationwide 3% of the population rides mountain bikes. While in Fairfax County 9.8% of the population has ridden mountain bikes in the last year (this data comes from our needs assessment). Fairfax County mountain bike participation rates are 3 times larger than the national average.

As a comparison to this 9.8% figure, 6.8% of Fairfax County residents have played basketball in the last year and 6.5% have played soccer in the last year. One can see mountain biking is a significant activity in our parks.

As daylight becomes less available, as it is now, this segment of our population can not enjoy their sport without the availability of night riding. To participate in their sport, riders put a helmet light on, similar to coal miners light and a light on their handle bars and brave the night.

Another contributing factor in making the decision to approve night riding is the involvement and support of the local mountain bike in helping to maintain the trail systems within our parks. With the great demands on our Area Crews, these local organizations provide the principal source of effort for maintenance of the Wakefield Trail system that serves walkers, runners and bikers.

History

Although staff at the Wakefield and Lake Accotink Parks have been aware that the activity occurs, neither park has viewed it as a problem. There have been few, if any, reported problems with night riding. As a matter of fact, we have felt having adult activity in the parks serves as a deterrent to crime and other illegal activities.

I was asked to chair a team that would evaluate night riding as an accepted recreational activity. On this team were representatives from natural resource protection, cultural resource protection, park operations/area management, our trail planner, and the managers of Lake Accotink and Wakefield Parks.

How We Developed the Proposal

One of the first compromises made was to take Lake Accotink off the table. We felt there was an arguably distinct difference between Wakefield and Lake Accotink. Lake Accotink is more of a passive park, whereas Wakefield is home to the RECenter, lighted facilities that stay open until 11:00 pm, such as the ball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a multi use court and the skate park; it is a very active park.

All staff on the team agreed that night riding could be an accepted activity in active parks such as Wakefield.

We did a national and local survey of what other parks are doing.

We solicited input from local mountain bike clubs and other mountain bike users.

We reviewed the potential of attaching a fee for this use.

In the end we just felt we should keep it simple. The work team prepared and revised several drafts that were then taken to the Directors Leadership Team for further review and revisions. What you see here is what staff feels a workable compromise that has been accepted by the entire team.

Proposal (Attachment #3)

Recommendation:

Night riding would be allowed at Wakefield Park beginning October 15, 2004 through May 31, 2005 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the evenings from dusk until 10:30pm. All vehicles would be required to be off park grounds by the posted 11:00pm closing of lighted facilities.

Pilot Program Defined:

Night riding will be allowed on all Wakefield Park designated trails. These trails have been defined in the 1999 trails plan and are marked with either a yellow, blue, or orange blazing on brown carsonite post. Night riding will be allowed on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights from dusk until 10:30pm. Appropriate signage would be posted regarding the pilot program and the affected evenings. All vehicles must be off park grounds by the posted 11pm closing of lighted facilities. Night riding activities will be monitored by expanding our existing Park Monitor Program. A bike patrol, staffed by MORE volunteers, will monitor night riding activities and report to FCPA or FCPD if necessary.

Evaluation:

One month prior to the conclusion of the trial period, representatives from MORE and the Park Authority will meet to evaluate the program. The evaluation will be based on the following:

The number of park users benefiting from the program. MORE will provide these numbers based on their observations during their bike patrol.
Responses from the night riding participants on the experience of the ride. Staff would develop a questionnaire to be distributed to night rider participants.
Review of any accident or incident reports during the designated pilot time table.
Review of any complaints received regarding the program.
Review of how complaints were handled by staff and bike patrol volunteers.
Review of trail impact. For example, were trails used while too wet? Was there any appreciable difference in wear to the trail surface? Note: A baseline of trail width and depth needs to be established and an annual review done to monitor this element. One does not exist at this time.

Extension:

Based on the results of the evaluation, the Park Authority has the following options:

Extend the program for another year with MORE continuing its volunteer bike patrol.
Allow the program to continue on the designated days and times as open ride days without the need for a bike patrol.
Continue the current program at Wakefield Park and expand the program to other sites.
Stop all night riding on Park Authority property.