jfoley
May 24th, 2005, 01:01 AM
Two very important chances to help mountain biking. They are a public hearing and a public forum concerning the future use of public parks and open space in Montgomery County.
On May 19 at 7:30pm there will be a hearing about the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail and on May 24th at 7pm ther will be a forum on the future use of puclic parks and open space in the county. Both will be held in M-NCPPC's auditorium at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910.
We really need people to speak up about the need and desire for more mountain bike opportunities in Montgomery County. There is only one park in East Montgomery County that allows bikes: Fairland. Now a new corridor trail, the Rachel Carson Greenway, is being proposed that will not see bike access unless people testify or write in that they want access. Both the hearing and the forum listed below need to hear from the mountain bike community and with passion. It helps to state your interest in person, but even if not a single person attended, but we had a hundred statements in writing then we have a chance to make a difference. A lot of the new trail we have open now would not be open unless people spoke up. Do you want to see miles of new trail created with no access to bikes? Consider doing something.
If you plan to write a letter, could you please e-mail me your comments.
The County makes it's decisions on future park amenities from input during these forums. I have also been told that they place just as much value on write-in comments.
More Information is available on the MNCPPC website at this URL:
http://www.mc-mncppc.org/department/news_releases/news_release_pdf/nr051305.pdf
The County puts allot of weight on information gained from the above forum. This info is used to make decisions on what we will see in our parks in the future. This is the opportunity to tell the County that we want better and safer places to ride bicycles than roads and sidewalks!
I also wanted to remind everyone that the hearing for the Rachel Carson Trail is this Thursday. While talking with the County and mentioning that some of the trails they plan to use were actually build by mountain bikers I learned that there is the possibility of some of the trail being opened BUT only if they hear from a number of people that the desire for trails to be open to bikes does exist.
Information on the Rachel Carson hearing can be found on the MNCPPC website by following this link: http://www.mc-mncppc.org/trails/rc_greenway/RCplan_staffdraft/rc_staffdraft.shtm
The County assures us that they do take write in comments just as seriously as they do verbal testimony. So if you don't have time to speak, then please write in and tell them your desires. If we don't speak up then there will be very few safe places for future generations (and us!) to ride bicycles.
Austin Steo
MORE Maryland Advocacy Director
301-847-1023
and
Joe Fritsch
Upper Rock Creek Park Liaison
On May 19 at 7:30pm there will be a hearing about the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail and on May 24th at 7pm ther will be a forum on the future use of puclic parks and open space in the county. Both will be held in M-NCPPC's auditorium at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910.
We really need people to speak up about the need and desire for more mountain bike opportunities in Montgomery County. There is only one park in East Montgomery County that allows bikes: Fairland. Now a new corridor trail, the Rachel Carson Greenway, is being proposed that will not see bike access unless people testify or write in that they want access. Both the hearing and the forum listed below need to hear from the mountain bike community and with passion. It helps to state your interest in person, but even if not a single person attended, but we had a hundred statements in writing then we have a chance to make a difference. A lot of the new trail we have open now would not be open unless people spoke up. Do you want to see miles of new trail created with no access to bikes? Consider doing something.
If you plan to write a letter, could you please e-mail me your comments.
The County makes it's decisions on future park amenities from input during these forums. I have also been told that they place just as much value on write-in comments.
More Information is available on the MNCPPC website at this URL:
http://www.mc-mncppc.org/department/news_releases/news_release_pdf/nr051305.pdf
The County puts allot of weight on information gained from the above forum. This info is used to make decisions on what we will see in our parks in the future. This is the opportunity to tell the County that we want better and safer places to ride bicycles than roads and sidewalks!
I also wanted to remind everyone that the hearing for the Rachel Carson Trail is this Thursday. While talking with the County and mentioning that some of the trails they plan to use were actually build by mountain bikers I learned that there is the possibility of some of the trail being opened BUT only if they hear from a number of people that the desire for trails to be open to bikes does exist.
Information on the Rachel Carson hearing can be found on the MNCPPC website by following this link: http://www.mc-mncppc.org/trails/rc_greenway/RCplan_staffdraft/rc_staffdraft.shtm
The County assures us that they do take write in comments just as seriously as they do verbal testimony. So if you don't have time to speak, then please write in and tell them your desires. If we don't speak up then there will be very few safe places for future generations (and us!) to ride bicycles.
Austin Steo
MORE Maryland Advocacy Director
301-847-1023
and
Joe Fritsch
Upper Rock Creek Park Liaison