Mountain bikers want to ride at night

Sarah Fulton

A local mountain-biking organization that installed and improved trails at Walking Purchase Park in Salisbury Township is seeking permission to ride the trails at night.

Two officers and a member of Valley Mountain Bikers approached the township commissioners Thursday to request permission to ride the trails after dark until 10 p.m., saying they would agree to always use headlights. The township currently allows night activities at the park off Constitution Drive by special permit.

Bikers Scott Stortz, Eric Rigler, Doug Pinkerton and their club members would like to ride after dark because the sun sets early in wintertime, curbing their daylight hours for riding the trails.

Cyclists were pedaling the rolling terrain after dark up until two years ago when township police caught wind of the activities.

Police Chief Allen Stiles said if a biker were injured on the trails at night, it would be difficult for emergency personnel to locate and rescue him. Also, he said there's illegal activity at Walking Purchase Park and the bikers could be victimized. He said cars have been abandoned and burned there and drug deals occur there, leading to many arrests.

"There's some people who frequent the park down there at night that you don't want to be in the dark with," Commissioner President James Brown said.

Commissioners Robert Martucci and Joanne Ackerman are also concerned, from a safety standpoint, with extracting an injured bicyclist in the dark.

"You're dealing with a terrain, you're dealing with unscrupulous people and we have no equipment to go in and get you," Ackerman said.

Valley Mountain Bikers built the trail system in Walking Purchase Park beginning in 2004, creating more than 10 miles of trail. What used to be ravaged paths illegally created by all-terrain vehicles and four-wheelers are now handcrafted mountain biking trails. The club maintains them and removes downed trees. Fifty riders are interested in biking after dark.

"We're very, very impressed with the work you've done," Brown said. "It's not that we don't want you to go out and do this, because you enjoy your sport."

Constitution Drive resident John Eberhard is in favor of the nighttime riding. He said he would rather have mountain biking taking place after dark than illegal activity or groups of teenagers hanging out.

"It provides a little bit more security in the area so that there are legitimate uses" of the park, Eberhard said.

"If you chase them off, you're going to have the ATVs and four-wheel-drives coming back."

Pinkerton said the biking club is "probably the best, cost-free patrol system you can ask for."
Eberhard said local Boy Scouts have camped at the park in the past and fishermen and hunters use the land after dark.

Township Manager Randy Soriano said he is concerned about the liability of the township's granting approval to use the land in such a way. He said even using the land for biking during the day carries liability.

Commissioner Norma Cusick asked Soriano to look into the matter and the history of the park and its permitted uses and to make a recommendation to the board. No action was taken on the request Thursday.

--

Source: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-salisbury-park-biking-20101019,0,3092985.story

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites