The City of San Luis Obispo will soon begin construction of a pilot public bike park at Laguna Lake Park, City of SLO Parks and Recreation Director Greg Avakian said at a community informational meeting on Wednesday.
Avakian said this three-acre, all-level bike park will provide outdoor recreation opportunities for community members and families. The project will serve as a pilot park until a proposed development and budget for a permanent park are approved.
“By providing a safe space for entry-level riders to build their confidence and complex obstacles to challenge more advanced riders, this park will appeal to all levels in the mountain biking community,” Avakian said. “Our hope is that the SLO community will embrace this pilot program and motivate the city to take action in developing a professionally installed, long-term bike park.”
The first phase of construction, which will focus on creating a strider track and a ½ mile mountain bike loop, is targeted primarily towards beginner riders, Avakian said. The Parks and Recreation Ranger staff are responsible for the design. Construction is expected to begin in April and will be carried out primarily by Ranger staff and volunteers from the community.
“The volunteers will really be the backbone of the first phase of this project, so we need your help,” Parks and Recreation Ranger Niels Grether said.
The following stages of this pilot program are dependent on the success of the first phase, though Avakian said he hopes construction for future phases will begin in mid-late summer. Although the features of future phases are not yet finalized, potential features may include a jump line, a dual slalom and an all-ages pump track. Amenities such as bathrooms, nighttime lighting and seating areas will be developed in future phases as well, according to Avakian.
Nearly 100 community members gathered to hear the proposal and provide input about the pilot program at the informational meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the SLO Public Library community room.
One attendee at this meeting was Kathryn Hicks, an avid mountain biker and Program Lead for Little Bellas, a national nonprofit mountain bike organization dedicated to empowering women and young girls through cycling. Hicks said this project is particularly exciting for novice riders because of San Luis Obispo’s lack of easier terrain.
“San Luis Obispo is a really hard place to learn how to mountain bike,” Hicks said. “Due to the loose, rocky terrain in this area, we really don’t have a lot of beginner trails, so the investment in this facility by our Parks and Recreation Department will be an amazing opportunity for newer riders to learn how to ride in a safe, fun environment and work their way up those advanced trails.”