I am a San Francisco native and volunteer trail builder with the “Mount Sutro Stewards.” I am always looking for places to ride, especially when short winter days keep me in SF. Supporting accessible recreation areas is good urban planning and is a smart departure from the bad old days when we assumed that folk needed cars and highways to get away from the urban congestion, while causing, ironically, more sprawl with use of said cars and highways. As a non-car owner, legal bike trail facilities that are a drive away from SF are not an option available to me.
I am also a volunteer bike mechanic at the SF Bike Kitchen, a community bike shop that serves people of limited means. A lot of people in the forgotten SE corner of San Francisco are riding mountain bikes, and access to trails and facilities in that neighborhood would bring healthy recreation to a part of town that residents often feel is forgotten by city hall.
Trail facilities have already transformed wealthier communities like Marin County, allowing people outside of the science community a first hand look at the diversity of Bay Area open spaces. What an insult to poor people that the only facilities in the area are for horse riding (the trails are legal for horses and hikers only) and golfers? How many equestrians live in Sunnydale, the excelcior or Bayview? What message is the city sending to poor people when we dote over dog walkers in Alamo Square but not nature enthusiasts in the ghetto who don’t play golf or ride horses?
Another reason to favor bike access to road-less areas of McLaren park? This area is not blessed with good bus connections and it is a REALLY bad place to lock up one’s bike to have a walk.
Male 38. 94116. 3/4/2010 10:20:11
San Francisco's First Bike Park 