Santa Clara County Parks (SCCP) is at a critical point in trail decisions – speak up now to lend your voice to future trails!
We’ve been keeping a pulse on opportunities for bike-optimized trails and resources in Santa Clara County for years, and NOW is the time for action. For this Action Alert, we’re collaborating with our friends over at Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewards (SCMTS) to make the largest unified impact we can. Every voice can help make an everlasting impact on local trail access!
The Opportunity:
SCCP staff have recently completed a Mountain Bike Feasibility Study. In response, SVMTB published a survey to gather our community’s input. SCCP staff will be presenting the results of the survey and key development recommendations to the Parks & Recreation Commission on Wednesday, April 1. Initial opportunities include mountain bike-only trails, skill parks, new pump tracks, and improved multi-use trail standards. If you want to see new trail development in Santa Clara County, NOW is the time to speak up by writing a letter of public comment.
How to Take Action:
Please write a letter to the Commission to help drive home the survey results. Multiple letters will help amplify our voices and prompt the Commission to meet the community’s need for modern, diverse mountain bike trail experiences.
Visit this link if you would like to use SCMTS’s pre-populated form which can be customized.
Email your comments to: bnc@cob.sccgov.org
Subject Line: April 1 Parks & Rec Commission – MTB Feasibility Study
Deadline: Submit as soon as possible (it may take one business day for documents to be posted to the agenda).
Key Themes for Your Comments:
To maximize our impact, we suggest keeping your comments focused on these themes to ensure our message is unified. Please remain respectful, praise SCCP for their work, and mention why you appreciate our local parks. Check out SVMTB’s Public Meetings Guide here.
1. Explore Opportunities for MTB-Only Trails & Resources
- SVMTB’s recent survey identifies a strong need for mountain bike/downhill-only singletrack (18-24”) trails with a variety of experiences, most notably flowy sections, technical features, and rock or other wooden skill features. Please prioritize these experiences.
- Add Pump Tracks: These serve cyclists, skateboarders, scooters, and skaters on a small footprint. Their closed-loop, paved design is ideal for urban parks and is very low maintenance. They can easily replace dilapidated or underused park features to breathe new life into local spaces.
2. Revisit Bike-Oriented Opportunities in Sanborn County Park + Mount Madonna’s “Summit Zone”
- Sanborn County Park: Most of the trails in the Sanborn Trail Plans from 2007 and 2019 are not yet implemented and could be built to provide more different bike trail experiences (narrow widths, more defined experiences/character).
- Mount Madonna: The 2017 master plan identified the unused “summit zone” for active recreation. This is a prime area for a bicycle-focused trail network. SCMTS has submitted proposals for a mountain bike specific trail system in the “summit zone” multiple times. Please revisit these proposals and escalate the solution they outline. The proposed “summit zone” trail system would meet a strong, unmet demand for these trail experiences in the Greater Bay Area. The development of a “summit zone” mountain bike-specific trail system would fulfill explicit recommendations and strategies laid out in the Santa Clara County General Plan, the Countywide Trails Master Plan, and the Mount Madonna County Park Master Plan (2017).
3. Modernize Multi-Use Trail Standards
- Remove the standard 4+ foot width requirement: Not all trails that allow bikes need to be 4+ feet wide. In many cases, narrower trails with short shoulders for passing are safer and suitable for a wide range of users.
- Safety: Wide gravel trails often lack traction and can be dangerous for mountain bikers. We urge the county to consult with experts on singletrack (18-24”) options that have worked well for neighboring communities.
