March 19, 2008
After the recent disappointment of the Portuguese Bend meeting, mountain bikers in Palos Verdes really needed a positive outcome. It came late Tuesday night at the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council meeting.
Some speakers claimed that bikes destroy habitat and endanger other users, and therefore should not be allowed on trails at the Forrestal Reserve.
Fortunately, factual data in the city-ordered Forrestal Monitoring Report supported our claims that bikes present no more problems than other users. In fact, the report stated that there has not been a single complaint against bikers.
As a result, the trails plan at Forrestal remains intact with the exception of Cristo Que Viento, which was changed to pedestrian. Bikers seldom use this trail because it’s incredibly steep and goes into Rolling Hills.
It appears that the City Council is beginning to grasp the needs of the entire community in this complex issue. Some councilmen asked detailed questions from mountain bike speakers. One questioned whether CORBA-PV could fulfill its promise to help educate local bikers. Yes, we can! Now It is up to everyone who rides in Palos Verdes to ride responsibly and continue to volunteer for trail work. These are the keys to more trail access for bikes.
After being disappointed at last meeting’s results for Portuguese Bend, we feel rejuvenated. We owe a big thanks to the eight resolute bikers who came to the meeting. You rose from the ashes to fight again. You are all heroes here! Thank you.
