To the general biking public, it may have seemed like this whole MBP thing had stalled out. I’ve been out riding and can’t count the times someone’s asked “What’s up with the bike park?” My answer: A lot. These things never move as quickly as you think, or in the ways you think they’re gonna move. There’s quite the checklist of players that all have an important stake in how this thing goes, and if this thing goes. And not just cyclists. In fact, more non-cylists, and by a landslide. Neighboring communities will be affected and need their say. Naturalists want to insure we’re taking mother nature into account. Youth programs are a key ingredient to the success of this bike park. Scores of groups, organizations, and neighbors need to be a part of the process.
That’s why we’ve gone a bit dark lately. It’s not real sexy to talk about meeting with neighborhood groups, or sitting down with SFRPD to talk about potential boundaries of the park, if we need an EIR or Soil testing, or have to remove the asphalt, or cap it with soil, and how we’re going to get the money to do all of it. So, we’ve spared you the unsexy bits, and are inviting you to the beginning of the culmination of all the meetings, and community outreach, and emails, and phone calls that have been out of the view of most of you. If you are a part of a community group we’ve met with, thank you for your time and support. If not, now’s the time to become a part of the MBP Community Design Process!!!
On Saturday June 18th, SFUR and SFRPD will be hosting the first McLaren Bike Park Community Design Meeting. We’ll meet at the Crocker Amazon Clubhouse at 1:00pm, then take a short bike ride over to the proposed bike park location on Sunnydale Avenue near the entrance to Glen Eagles Golf Course. We’ll return to the Clubhouse for our meeting start at 2:00. We’ll finish up between 3:30 and 4:00. The site visit will help inform the meeting, so if you can make it, awesome. If not, hopefully you can make it to the meeting.
We’ve been jockeying dates to hold this meeting for quite some time, but the recent support letters from SFRPD General Manager Phil Ginsburg and District 11 Supervisor (and now Mayoral candidate) John Avalos, have given us the political capital we’ve needed to start this process. We don’t have a green light on the Park itself… yet. That will most likely come in the Commission meeting on September 22nd when we present the final bike park design.
To work with us through the Community Design Process, SFUR has retained Alpine Bike Parks of Whistler, BC. Alpine’s most recent project is Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, Colorado, set to open June 11th, just one week before our first community meeting. Look for another Alpine specific story here shortly.
SF Urban Riders wants to give a big thanks to everyone in the McLaren Community. There are too many groups and individuals to list. We also want to thank SF Recreation and Parks Department for their openness and partnership in the development of this project.
MBP shirts will be for sale for $20 cash. All proceeds to go to Bike Park Design. Available in Red and Black. Three layer screenprint on American Apparel Triblend high-quality short sleeve shirts. Adult and kids sizes available.
Thank you for your time and support!!!
San Francisco's First Bike Park 
Thanks for the update! Very exciting.
Alas, I can not make it to this community meeting, but hope to make the next one. Would like to purchase a shirt or two though. How can I do that? Will they be for sale at the meeting? If yes, then maybe my family can swing by the meeting for a bit and buy one.
Kindly,
Birgit
Hey Birgit. We will be selling shirts at the meeting. Black and Red and we have kids sizes! Sorry you can’t make it. It should be a fun and interesting day. Thanks!
Dustin