GROC Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists

Along with many of your fellow GROC members and other supporters of opening Monroe County Parks to mountain biking/shared trail use, I attended the Parks Advisory Committee meeting this afternoon.  Tom Robinson of EDR, the engineering firm consulted by the county to develop the plan, gave an outline of the latest draft of the Ellison Park Area Master Plan.  He described various updates to Ellison Park, Bay Park East (recently renamed Abraham Lincoln Park) and Devil’s Cove.  But, more relevant to the issue of shared trail use are the plans for Bay Park West and Tryon Park.

Bay Park West

• “Possibly new shared-use trails.”  Later, in response to a question from an opponent to mtn biking, Tom said that the proposed trails will be new and designed specifically as shared-use and intermediate riding level.
• He made the point that this park gets little use currently

Tryon Park

• Goal to partner with trail users, including GROC, to develop shared-use trails which, of course, includes “off-road cycling”
• Improve parking and trail access—some specifics were mentioned
• Habitat enhancements
• Probable acquisition of more contiguous land
• “Workshops and training” to be supported (to enhance trail building and maintenance, I assumed)
• Investigate ways to create a safe crossing point at Empire Blvd
• Decommission a facility in the park (water treatment?)
• Shorten the proposed trial period to 18 months
• Develop some beginner trails
• Signage for the trails, including difficulty levels

Advances in the current plan, and improvement in our situation:

• Bay Park West was added as an additional site, although probably to be developed slowly.  This also could provide an opportunity for GROC to work cooperatively with other trail users to develop and maintain a new trail system.  This could do a lot to break down barriers
• The trial period being shortened is a positive response to our discussions with the decision makers.  We need to be able to help them develop the metrics and methodology for the monitoring and assessment of the “trial”, and have access to the findings and issues as they may arise.
• The next step is for each of the MCPAC members to analyze the current draft, then to vote on it at their meeting next month.  The proposal will then be sent up to the County Executive’s office, which will then send their request for approval of the Master Plan to the County Legislature.  Larry Staub, the Parks’ Director, seemed adamant that there is no need for any additional public input meetings.
  

Sincerely,
Mark Rosenzweig, Secretary of GROC and member of Advocacy Committee

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