Thank you very much to all who attended Wednesday's MROSD public meeting on the proposed trail closures. The turnout was excellent: more than 150 people attended the meeting. Of the 69 people who spoke publicly, 58 were against the proposal, 9 were for it, and 2 were not clear on which side they stood. Despite the clear fact that we were fighting an uphill battle and despite the frustrations that cyclists felt, everyone generally presented himself or herself very well and did an excellent job at portraying cyclists and other multi-use supporters as intelligent and reasonable. The press was in attendance: there were clearly reporters in attendance from Channel 2, Channel 11, KCBS, and the Mercury News, and Thursday I spoke to the Chronicle and several other media outlets.

The overall outcome of the vote was not surprising; the board voted 7-0 in favor of the closures. However, a few amendments were made to the proposal:

1. The sections regarding bicycle access to the Ridge Trail were strengthened to eliminate the need to account for adjoining jurisdiction’s access policies. This should prevent San Mateo County bicycle prohibitions from holding up MROSD opening of sections of the trail to bikes. All directors generally supported this.
   
   
2. Access to the current sections of the Ridge Trail in Windy Hill and Russian Ridge that are closed to bikes without alternative was forwarded to the trails committee for further action. Directors Little and Hanko initiated this proposal, with strong recommendations that this be acted on quickly in the time frame of the proposed closures. Staff raised concerns about potential legal complications in the Windy Hill area, but it appears that either these trails themselves or trail alternatives will be opened to cyclists.
   
   
3. Director Little requested that the possibility of bicycle-only trails be examined by the trails committee.
   
   
4. Director Hanko requested that pamphlets for bicycles and for hikers be created to educate all users on the access changes.
   
   

Director Crowder proposed an amendment to add that the East Bay policy of limiting cyclists to trails eight feet or wider be used as a targeted goal for future trails. This motion died without a second.

All who participated in this process by attending meetings, writing letters, and working to spread the word on this issue are to be congratulated. Though we did not win the overall battle here, we were able to influence its outcome. More importantly, we made a clear showing of the size and the breadth of our support and demonstrated that we aren't all the stereotypes that are often depicted. The media and public notice that we received was excellent, and key for our ongoing work to not only prevent closures, but open more trails to cyclists.

So, what next?

ROMP will continue to work with MROSD to make sure that the amendments concerning the Ridge Trail are implemented and that Director Little's request for the examination of bicycle-only trails is fairly reviewed. Although some cyclists may view working with the district as unfavorable, that is not the case. Positive changes in access for cyclists are dependent on strong relationships between the cycling community, other user communities, and the land management agencies, and ROMP will continue to strive to build such relationships while firmly advocating multi-use.

Furthermore, our work on this issue has implications beyond MROSD-managed lands. Many other access issues are now before us, from the south end of our region at Coyote Lake to the north end at San Bruno Mountain. Between these two areas, Santa Clara County will also soon begin planning further access changes in its park system. With the base that we have built here in the view of the public, we are now better able to advocate for cyclists on these other issues.

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped with these actions. Though we did not win on this issue, we have greatly improved our position for the future. Please stay involved and continue to support ROMP's efforts to advocate for off-road cyclists.