Laguna Lake Park will soon be the site of a new public bike park.
In an area that’s enclosed with plenty of space for all types of bike skill levels, the new pilot bike park is part of a city effort to add another outlet for the community.
The City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Director, Greg Avakian, wants to implement the park as a pilot program so that over time, they can get a professionally installed long-term bike park.
“The idea of a pilot program allows us to experiment a little bit with some of the amenities and sizing of this temporary park and then go to our leadership in the city and have some community support behind that,” Avakian said.
Executive Director of Bike SLO County, Rick Ellison, explained that this isn’t the first move the city has made in regards to making biking more accessible and safe.
“The key thing is that the city has put infrastructure improvements to make it safe. It's safe for someone who's eight or 80,” Ellison said.
But in this case, the bike park will be designed to provide recreational opportunities for kids learning the basics of trail riding.
“This is really an opportunity for young kids and novice riders to build that confidence through like a loop trail," Avakian explained.
“They can all do that in a safe and confined area at Laguna Lake," Ellison added.
The construction and opening of the pilot park is set for spring and it's to be used until the proposed development of a permanent park is approved.
Meanwhile, organizations like the Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers Group are in full support of bike parks throughout the city and even the county.
In a written statement, CCCMB President Christie O’Hara, said, “I'm always in favor of increased biking opportunities, especially when they are off-road and away from traffic. A bike park is a great investment and can require very low maintenance, especially when you have large volunteer groups willing to help.”
O'Hara and the CCCMB have been in talks with San Luis Obispo County about establishing another professionally-made bike park at the El Chorro Regional Park in San Luis Obispo.
“Bike parks are a thing and we wanted to be a part of that as well and support our community,” Avakian stated.
The City of San Luis Obispo invites community members to a meeting on March 13 at the SLO Library Community Room for input and learning opportunities about the pilot bike park program. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.
