- 12.16.2009
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Loch Raven Mountain Bike Access Public Meeting
Click Here to Watch the Second Part of the Meeting
The Outcome
We’re going to get our MTB access back. It is just going to be a matter of time. There is a public hearing scheduled for February at City Hall where we will all get to voice our opinions. We need to go to that meeting and show up in numbers. Our letter writing made such waves that the Mayor’s Office came into the meeting with IMBA and MORE already understanding that we needed to change these laws (and fast). The Mayor is even a proponent for night riding. Most of us expected her support as many know Sheila Dixon is a cyclist herself.
IMBA and MORE each feel very confident that we will get a good majority of the single track back. They convinced the city that we can help with erosion, not make it worse. Also, they convinced the city to instruct the park rangers to stop harassing mountain bikers. We will no longer be ticketed for riding Loch Raven but instead educated if we happen to run into a ranger. Night riding is 100% out of the question at this time, however, and will more than likely result in ticketing for anyone caught. The single track is still open to hikers across the board.
What You Can Do
- Write a letter to the Mayor’s office explaining your feelings on Loch Raven. Make it a personal letter, not a form letter. They got a lot of form letters and mentioned it. Personal letters – especially if you live in the City, will hit home.
- If you do live in the city, and/or own a business, contact the local community organization and/or CDC and have the president write a letter on your behalf. This type of letter will represent hundreds of people and will carry weight with the City,
- Go to the hearing in Feb. Stay tuned to this site and SaveTheRaven.com for the date.
- If you do ride the single track, and come across a ranger, BE NICE! They are only following the rules for their job and we need to stay on everyone’s good side as mountain bikers to get past this thing.
Sal Ruibal
12.17.2009
This is a good start. MORE and IMBA have the skills to create great, fun trails that protect the watershed. That’s been proven over and over on my local trails in Virginia. I saw in the Sun that the water dept. spokesman said IMBA would “ride over George Washington’s grave.” If he had done some research, he would have learned that IMBA/MORE rerouted the ad hoc trail system at Wakefield Park in Virginia to preserve a native American burial ground and provide a well-drained, year-round trail system (with a great race course for local events) with the COOPERATION of Fairfax County Park officials. This also means the local MTB community has to find funding. If someone in Baltimore will start such a fund, I’ll be glad to chip in. Loch Raven, Patapsco, Lee Park and other Baltimore trail systems are used by DC area riders. We’ve got your back.
Fakis
12.17.2009
NIce. Really appreciate the support and couldn’t agree with you more (on all fronts) Sal. During the meeting, we agreed that we are all willing to pay an annual fee to ride trails at Loch Raven (and anywhere, really). I think we all agree it makes sense and your case study is a good one for the Baltimore City to know about. I encourage you to reach out by email if you have the time – even just by cutting and pasting what you wrote here. As for the the DPW spokes person – his name is Kurt Kocher and I wrote him specifically about that comment. You can see my communication with him at the link below (and also find his email):
http://www.spokeapparel.com/2009/featured/save-loch-raven-reservoir-watershed
If you are interested in writing Baltimore City, here is who you can write and include in the email: Mary Pat Clarke at marypat.clarke@baltimorecity.gov Mayor Dixon at mayor@baltimorecity.gov and Stephanie Rawlings-Blake at councilpresident@baltimorecity.gov