Archive for the ‘Trail Access’ Category

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Friends of the Angeles Formation Meetings

Monday, April 18th, 2011

The Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation (NFF) are planning to host several meetings with existing and potential supporters of the Angeles National Forest to determine public interest in forming a Friends of the Angeles organization. The meetings will be held during the last week of April in three locations. A CORBA representative will be attending, and we hope to see other mountain bikers and multi-use trail advocates attend as well.

During the course of each meeting, there will be talk about the challenges the Angeles National Forest faces–particularly in light of the Station Fire–and how a Friends group could help. There will be a discussion of what form such a group might take, what supportive activities it might take on, and the steps involved in creating the organization.

All users of the Angeles National Forest to attend one of these sensing sessions, both to provide input and also to hear what others have to say. These meetings will provide an opportunity for us to share what we are already doing as “friends” of the Angeles, and how our efforts may be helped by an official Friends organization.

The information gathered at the meetings will be used to shape a Friends group that truly meets the needs and passions of all who care about the well-being of the Angeles National Forest.

Other similar groups can be found in the Inyo National Forest (Friends of the Inyo) and the San Bernadino National Forest (San Bernadino National Forest Association). The National Park Service has a web page with information on how to start a Friends group at http://www.nps.gov/partnership/friends_groups.htm.

If you have questions about the meeting, call Kathy Peterson, the partnership coordinator for the forest at 626-437-5789.

Meetings will be held:

Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Angeles National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 701 N. Santa Anita Ave, Arcadia, CA 91006.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 6:30 pm. – 8:30 pm
Big Pines Information Center, Angeles Crest Highway (Hwy 2), Wrightwood, CA 92397.

Thursday, April 28, 2011, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center, 1990 North San Gabriel Canyon Road (Hwy 39), Azusa, CA 91702

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Urgent Meeting Regarding MTB Access in Palos Verdes

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Palos Verdes Nature Preserve State Of The Preserve Workshop
Saturday, April 30, 2011 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes will be collecting public input at this workshop to prepare recommendations for amendments to the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve Trails Plan. This will include trail use changes and the Filiorum Reserve. The City Council will then consider the recommendations later this summer.

In the past, opponents of off-road bicycling have turned out in large numbers, so it is crucial for lots of cyclists to attend. This is a great opportunity for those who otherwise feel intimidated by public speaking to voice their opinions. Typically, small groups sit at table to discuss topics. No public speaking is needed. See below for more information.

Do you want more trails to ride? Do you want to ride trails in the newly created Filiorum Reserve? CORBA PV will be posting recommendations and suggestions soon.

Please join our mailing list to keep posted on the latest information. info@mtbpv.org.

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Franklin Canyon Fundraiser

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Reposted from an email sent to CORBA by Ellen Scott. For more information email epaulascott@gmail.com. For additional details click here for a previous article on this blog.

Okay Friends and Preservers of the Hastain Trail in Franklin Canyon!

We are officially ready to fund raise and the kick off for this event is Saturday, April 9th from 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. It’s a picnic breakfast, brunch, lunch fund raiser in the meadow by the ranch house in Franklin Canyon.  Bring your own food and/or bring food to share, whatever you like.  Picnic and then hike or hike and then picnic. Come early if it looks like it will be a hot day, come late if it’s cool. Bring your happy selves and your guitar or your harpsichord and your checkbook.  If you can’t make it, send your check with someone who can.  Make it out to Stephen Jones.  His credentials and information follow.
Land Use Attorney Stephen Jones has consulted with us pro bono to this point and is ready to proceed as we have a strong case for ‘Implied Dedication to Public Use.’  (Thank you to those who have come forward with information regarding use of the Hastain Trail from the mid 1960’s to 1972.)  Stephen Jones will continue to work for us at half his normal rate and comes highly recommended.
Mr. Jones’s current information is as follows;
Stephen L. Jones (St. Bar No. 71383)
Overton, Lyman & Prince, LLP
500 South Grand Ave., 19th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Background:    Presently involved in major easement dispute in Malibu
1999-2000  Represented Benedict Canyon Homeowners in defeating
an oversized project.
1976-1983  Atty. with Latham and Watkins  (Land Use and Real Estate
Litigation)
1976 JD from University of Michigan
1967-1969  Member of the Institute of Advanced Studies
1967 PHD in Mathematics from University of Wisconsin
Fun Information:  Stephen Jones has been a U.S. Chess Master since 1962.  He was
the U.S. Senior Chess Champion in 2002 and has held
miscellaneous titles in between.
Pertinent quote: Don Loze of the Benedict Canyon Homeowners Association referred to
Mr. Jones as, “…the best Land Use Attorney in the city… an expert
litigator.”

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Solving the Speed Dilemma

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

By Mark Langton

Opponents to bicycles on singletrack trails give plenty of reasons why they feel bikes shouldn’t be there. And there is one that is actually legitimate; bicyclists sometimes go too fast, and some trail users feel their safety is threatened. It’s a simple fix; slow down when you see other trail users, or if you suspect there may be trail users in close proximity. Ideally, slow to their speed and make the encounter a pleasant one–like you’re passing a friend. If you do this, opponents will have nothing to complain about and might even enjoy the encounter!

Consider that in recent weeks several comments have been made on blogs and in local news papers, particularly in reference to the Yearling and Lookout Trails in Malibu Creek State Park, and State Park’s considering opening them to bicycle use. From this recent Malibu Times article comes this quote from Agoura Hills resident and equestrian Ruth Gerson:

“The problem with multiuse trails [is others have to] default to mountain bikers because the bikes are so fast–the pedestrians and equestrians have been hit,” she said.

While safety should obviously be of the utmost concern, there is little evidence that supports allegations that pedestrians and equestrians are being hit by bicyclists frequently or consistently. In fact, in the more than 24 years of CORBA’s existence, there are few documented accounts of bicyclists colliding with other trail users.

As riders, we understand that there are some bicyclists who have the skills to ride at a higher rate of speed while under complete control. However, if the speed creates a hazardous situation for other trail users, then that speed is not justified. If the simple act of slowing down for blind corners and in the presence of other trail users could eliminate the argument for not allowing bicycles on trails, wouldn’t you do it?

I look at it as belonging to a community, enjoying the outdoors together, albeit via different modes of travel. We should extend the kind of courtesy to each other on the trail as we would to our family members.

Danusa Bennett-Taber, Jim Hasenaur, and Steve Messer contributed to this article.

 

 

 

 

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Local Trail Users Fight with Developer over Hastain Trail

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Nestled in the hills between Beverly Hills and Studio City is a section of Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy land frequented for many years by hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers. The Hastain Trail, which leads up to the ridge between Franklin and Coldwater canyons has been in use for more than 40 years. Recently the trail was blocked by a fence, and sections of the pristine ridge were bulldozed.

There has been an outcry from trail users against the development. While the trail does pass through private land, apparently neither the previous nor the current landowners had ever made attempts to prevent or dissuade the use of the trail until the fence was erected earlier this year.

Even more frustrating is that the MRCA had the funds to purchase the private parcels at their appraised value and preserve this last remaining open space in 2005. Hadid, the current owner, paid more than their appraised value, something the MRCA is unable to do.

Save Franklin Canyon Protest

The Save Franklin Canyon protest

According to an article in the Los Angeles Daily News the developer had begun grading with an expired permit. Another in-depth article appeared today in the Studio City Patch listing the expired permits. We refer CORBA news readers to those two articles for a more complete coverage of the situation.

The loss of more open space and a very popular trail in the middle of our urban landscape is something that affects us all. Ellen Scott, a local hiker, has begun a grass roots effort to salvage the Hastain Trail, perhaps through legal action, or perhaps through negotiation with the developer. It appears there may be grounds for a prescriptive easement, or some other form of compromise between the developer and the trail users, though Hadid has thus far avoided negotiations.

The  group held a protest last Saturday, March 19, 2011, in which local hikers and mountain bikers carried placards expressing “Save Franklin Canyon,” and “We Need This Canyon.”

For more information or to get involved in the efforts to salvage this popular trail, visit the group’s web site at http://SaveFranklinCanyon.com.

 

 

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Posted in Los Angeles, Trail Access | Comments Closed

“Change in Trail Use” Meeting Sees Big Turnout

Friday, March 4th, 2011

Karl Knapp addresses the audience. Photo by: Michael McClure

On Wednesday night the Angeles District of the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) hosted a public meeting regarding a recently submitted Change in Trail Use proposal for Lookout and Yearling Trails in Malibu Creek State Park. Approximately 125 people packed the Administration Center’s conference room, where Angeles District Acting Superintendent Craig Sap and  CDPR Roads and Trails Operations Manager Karl Knapp explained the process and answered questions. Sap concluded this segment of the meeting by saying that anyone is welcome to call or email him with questions and concerns (818-880-0396, csap@parks.ca.gov).

In an earlier blog we discussed the Change in Trail Use (CTU) process which included the CDPR flow chart (see link at the end of this story). No significant additional information came out of this meeting, except perhaps the clarification by CDPR that CORBA did not request the rerouting of a couple of sections of the Yearling and Lookout Trails. In fact it was already the State’s intention to realign portions of the trails due to instability, prior to the Change in Trail Use evaluation. Key points of the CTU proposal were that the process is still ongoing and will need California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approval; since modifications in the trail have been recommended, a Project Evaluation Form will need to be submitted; and funding is still needed.

After the discussion by Sap and Knapp, attendees were asked to gather at tables to ask questions and submit comments to agency representatives, including Angeles District Topanga Sector Superintendent Lynette Brody and National Park Service (Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area) Trails Planner Melanie Beck. During this part of the meeting, CORBA hand-delivered the results of our online petition with 550 signatures to State Parks officials.

We will post any new developments as we learn of them.

A more detailed account (with photos) of the meeting can be found here (the comments and opinions are solely those of the author, Michael McClure).

State Parks has provided us with a blank Trail Use Change package. The first page of this package is a flow chart of the entire process, and the other pages are the Trail Use Change Survey that is completed while evaluating the trail.

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Posted in Advocacy, Santa Monica Mountains, Trail Access | 1 Comment »

LA Bike Plan Passes Unanimously

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Today the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed the Los Angeles Bike Plan. It is no longer a draft document.

Everyone’s goal at the March 1, 2011 Council session was to do whatever necessary to get the plan passed today. Councilman LaBonge needed to give his equestrian constituents something they could live with so that the plan could move forward. The result was an amendment (underlined) to policy 3.3.5:

Continue the existing off-road bicycle trail and analyze and explore opportunities for additional off-road bicycle facilities and continue to abide by LAMC section 63.44 B16. Any proposal to consider the use of mountain bikes on City park trails must first be thoroughly reviewed and analyzed by the Board of Recreation & Parks and its staff.

This simply puts in writing what will have to happen anyway before any changes to bike access to City Parks could be made. It was enough to placate the equestrian community, and did not really change anything. It was enough of a deal to get the Plan passed.

(more…)

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LA County Draft Trails Manual Public Hearing

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

LA County Draft Trails ManualOn February 28, 2011, about 50 people gathered in the beautiful Birch Room at Descanso Gardens in La Canada. We were there to review and comment upon the most recent draft of the Los Angeles County Trails Manual. But let’s back up a bit…

Last July, CORBA board members met with LA County Planning and Sapphos Environmental (the contractor developing the Trails Manual for the County), in a Mountain Biker only public forum. At that meeting only three CORBA board members attended, the County representatives, and nobody else. The Equestrian-only meeting had many more participants, as did the Hiker-only meeting. Since this document will not set any policy regarding trail designations, Sapphos deemed it more productive to hold separate meetings with each user group. Each group gave their input on what they’d like to see covered in the trails manual, and their special concerns.

At that time in July 2010 there was only one section of the trails manual available for review: the section concerning trail design standards. Most of the standards in that preliminary section were adapted from IMBA’s Trail Solutions book, and other reputable multi-use trail construction texts. It was to be a technical document on building and designing trails, with no influence on the contentious issues around trail user groups and trail designations.

The County’s stated policy and goal is to accommodate all user groups on all trails possible. It is a multi-use, bike-friendly policy that works. We were informed at that time that there would be another round of public hearings as the manual was developed, based on the input from user groups at these meetings. The Manual is being developed with a grant from Supervisor Antonovich’s 5th district, in which the vast majority of the County’s trails can be found. The County has never had any offical trail standards, and many of the older trails are not really sustainable by today’s standards. However, this document would NOT be applied retroactively to existing trails, but will serve as the reference for all new trails that come before the County. It is likely that many of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County will also adopt this manual for their own standards once it is ratified by the County Board of Supervisors.

Fast forward to the February 28, 2011 public hearing. Steve Messer, and CORBA member/local cycling promotor and activist Dorothy Wong attended the meeting, along with about 40 local equestrians and hikers. For a welcome change from other meetings in which CORBA has been involved, the biggest issues raised were not contentious user conflicts, but rather, design standards pertaining to potentially flawed trail designs and citations from outdated Equestrian studies and facility designs.

(more…)

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Posted in Los Angeles, Palos Verdes, San Gabriel Mountains, Trail Access | Comments Closed

Mountain Bike Component of LA Bike Plan In Jeopardy!

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Anyone interested in riding their bicycle off-pavement in any Los Angeles City Park needs to be at the Los Angeles City Council Meeting this Tuesday March 1.

According to sources close to the City Council, the mountain bike feasibility study is about to get stripped out of the bike plan. City Council member Tom LaBonge wants to introduce last minute motion to send the Bicycle Plan back to the Transportation Committee for “revision” (read removal?) before passing the plan by full council.

If you can’t attend the meeting then we encourage you to call La Bonge’s office at (213) 485-3337 or email at councilmember.labonge@lacity.org to share your opinion on LA Bike Plan.

Also make sure to let your city Councilperson know too. This is your city! This is your community! Get involved or lose opportunities to ride dirt in LA. Click here to find your City Councilperson.

Here are few talking points:

1.  Mountain bicyclists have participated in good faith in the entire planning process.
2   The draft plan requires the city to “analyze and explore  opportunities for additional off-road bicycle facilities.”
3.  It requires the city to look at the experience and practices of other cities and of neighboring open space land managers.
4.  It requires an inventory of city dirt roads and trails.
5.  It calls on the city to “evaluate and address multiple user groups’ needs in the City’s limited public park land.”
6.  Mountain biking is a safe, sustainable, health promoting activity.
7.  Among the three purposes of the bike plan are:  Increase the number and type of bicyclists in the city and Make the City of Los Angeles a Bike Friendly community.  The studies of mountain biking on trails are totally appropriate with those goals.
8.  To pull this language now is unwarranted.
9.  The plan has been vetted.  The time to pass it as drafted is NOW.

 

 

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Opponents to Mountain Biking Could Block New Proposed Trail Access for Bicyclists in the Santa Monica Mountains

Friday, February 25th, 2011

On March 2 California State Parks will hold a public meeting to inform interested parties about a new proposal to allow bicycles on two trails currently closed to bikes in Malibu Creek State Park. Opponents of trail access for bicyclists have already circled the wagons and plan on being at the meeting to denounce the proposal and try to block access to bicycles on the Yearling and Lookout Trails. These trails would create a significant connector for bicyclists between Paramount Ranch and the western boundary of Malibu Creek State Park. We need mountain bikers to show up in force and let the land managers know that mountain bikers deserve access to more trails for better connectivity and less congestion.

This could be a landmark decision, setting a precedent that would open even more trails to bicyclists, much of it single track, in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Talking points for those wishing to make public comments:

  • Opening Yearling and Lookout trails to bicycles would create off-pavement connectivity to Paramount Ranch/Agoura Hills
  • More trails open to bicycles means reduced congestion on other trails and an improved trail experience for all users.
  • Access from the northwestern boundary of Malibu Creek State Park could reduce parking congestion at the intersection of Mulholland Highway and Las Virgenes Road.

For more information on this trail access situation, go to our blog article.

Please sign our petition by March 2 so we can show the land managers we have a large constituency of mountain bikers who want more trail access!

Meeting Date and Time (click here for details and agenda)

March 2, 2011, 6 – 7:30 pm

Malibu Creek State Park Administration Center, 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas. Parking fee will be waived for those attending the meeting. View a Google Map of the location with driving directions.

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