Bikes in the Park?

On February 10, 2010, the Park & Recreation committee held a public meeting to consider a proposal to ban bicycle ridding in the Park.

Four people appeared and offered information about dog/bicycle accidents, the degree to which they have occurred nd public access by cyclists. A parallel discussion occurred about the problems with cyclists on the trail.

The committee asked questions about these and discussed it among themselves. One member was opposed to any restrictions and one questioned the wording of a proposed sign. One member pointed out that to completely prohibit bicycles would require action by the City Council. One member seemed to believe that the circum Park walkway was not really part of the Dog Park.

Christine Sansome, Park and Rec director, had prepared a sign that said:

NO BICYCLE RIDDING IN THE DOG PARK and contained a picture of a bicycle with a circle and slash.

The committee decided to have signs placed at the Dog Park entrances that said:

PLEASE WALK YOUR BICYCLE IN THE DOG PARK.

It was not clear what the difference was between the two signs. Such signs will be placed in the near future.

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As received, comments will be posted here.
Use the > Comments link below to send them for posting.
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David Block
The Mill Valley Park and Recreation Department will be taking up a possible ban on bike riding in the Dog Park on
Wednesday, February 10 at 7:30 pm at MV City Hall.
Bike riders have been making increasing forays into the Dog Park and now several dogs have been hit by bike riders
in the Dog Park.
Please show up to voice your support for banning bike riding in the Dog Park!!
Please distribute this.
David Block
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Marcello Herschler's note to Park and Rec

To: Parks & Recreation Commission
From: Marcelo M. Hirschler
Date: February 6, 2010
I am a resident of Mill Valley and my dog Annie and I (as well as my recently deceased dog Holly) have been avid and enthusiastic users of the Mill Valley Dog Park for about 10 years. We often come twice a day and we love it.
I have never had any difficulty with a biker coming through the park and bothering me or my dogs. We do see bikers occasionally (usually children, often accompanying parents with dogs) and they are happy users of this wonderful public park. This park is a public park and it is a place where we all go to relax and forget the troubles associated with our everyday lives. It affords us all the opportunity to observe nature, play with dogs and children (in my case grandchildren only, and very occasionally, unfortunately) and view the magnificent display that nature offers us in this great area we all live in.
The Mill Valley Dog Park should never become a place for rifts or for animosity. The proposed ban on bikes would bring about such problems. We should strive to have Mill Valley continue to be a place where we can all get along and not a place where one group of residents is trying to oppose activities by others.
I strongly oppose the ban and I hope we can all get along and continue enjoying what nature, and Mill Valley Parks and Recreation, has been able to give us.
I believe that any proposed ban on the use of bikes would be completely counter productive as, among other problems, it would decrease the use of the park by children and it would cause a discussion as to whether our friends in wheelchairs are entitled to use the park (they emphatically should be). Such a ban would also be almost impossible to enforce without having a resident law-enforcement officer continually present (or have local vigilantes), both of which would be completely undesirable.
If a biker happens to cause trouble, there are enough normal mechanisms in place to handle that. Such a person would probably ignore the ban anyway.
I understand that my opinion is likely not to be supported by some of my friends in the Dog Park, but I feel that it is my duty to present to the commission some of the thoughts of an avid Mill Valley Dog Park user, who has dogs and no children or bikes.
Yours sincerely
Marcelo M. Hirschler
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Carl Bidleman

I agree with Marcello. I've used the park with my dogs for 18 years and have never had a seriously difficult encounter with a cyclist. A ban on bikes doesn't make sense. Bikes and dogs successfully share many Marin Open Space fire roads. Restrictions should be a last resort.

Carl Bidleman
Mill Valley
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