by Norman La Force, Chair, East Bay Public Lands Committee
The East Bay Regional Park District is testing out new trail management approaches in response to ever-increasing usage, plans to open up new parks, and demands from specific user groups, most especially mountain bike advocates, for expanded access. The Sierra Club is following this process closely and continues to advocate to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and environmentally sustainable experience for all.
A major issue for the Sierra Club and many of our partner conservation, hiking, and equestrian organizations is that the Park District now consistently designs new trails that combine all park users — hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers — on the same narrow trails. This is not a problem on fire roads and wider trails, but we have heard concerns from many of our members, as well as advocates for disabled park users, that this narrow mixed-use trail approach risks increasing conflict between different user groups in a way that isn’t good for anyone. It’s important to note that once a trail has been open to all users, it’s extremely hard to limit its uses down the line.
This concern applies to the Park District’s proposed trail design for the new Roddy Ranch park in eastern Contra Costa County. This former golf course is set to become the entrance to thousands of new acres of open space in the future Deer Valley Regional Preserve, and will also provide close-to-home outdoor access for residents of Antioch, Brentwood, and Oakley. We’re excited about this new park, and have proposed three minor but important changes to the proposed trails plan to ensure safe and enjoyable experiences for all, including:
- Adding a five-foot mowed shoulder to the narrow trails to ensure passing room for bikes moving faster than hikers or equestrians;
- Dedicating one trail as a pedestrian-only nature trail for seniors and families with young children; and
- Restoring native oaks as appropriate to support wildlife and provide shade for park users.
Eight organizations sent a letter to the Park District supporting these recommendations for Roddy Ranch, which were endorsed by hundreds of individuals who signed our petition. The Park District Board responded by making it clear to their staff that they want to review the trail design before it is finalized. Thank you to everyone who signed our petition. Your voices were heard.
At Briones Regional Park, the Park District is trying to make up for years of lax enforcement that allowed for the proliferation of rogue trails, primarily created by mountain bikers. Ten years ago there were 16 miles of rogue trails in Briones; Today there are over 32 miles. These trails have resulted in fragmentation of habitat and impacts on wildlife.
The Park District has proposed a pilot project at Briones to test new trail management techniques, centered around the Alhambra Creek Staging Area in Martinez. The current draft pilot involves opening up a number of rogue trails primarily for mountain-bike use, while closing off or restoring other rogue trails, though the District has not yet provided details on the budget or timeline for that restoration work. The Park District also plans to test day-of use restrictions by user group, to see if having dedicated hiker/equestrian and mountain biking days within the Pilot Zone creates a more positive experience for trail users in this popular area of the park. We are currently taking a close look at this proposed pilot project with other park user groups, and have strongly advocated with the Park District that members of the public (especially regular Briones trail users) need an opportunity to provide feedback on the design of this pilot project if it is to guide future trail planning.
We continue to believe that there is a place for everyone in East Bay Parks — whether on foot, atop a horse, in a wheelchair, or pedaling a bicycle or adaptive bicycle. With proper planning and engagement, we can design our parks and trails to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, while protecting our environment. However, the Board needs to continue to hear from the public that mixing all trail users on the same narrow trails is just a recipe for conflict between different types of trail users – which benefits no one.