Then you may want to see this http://austintx.swagit.com/play/11072012-629

Item 5F in regards to Emma Long trails

Looks like the main issue is with what the trials riders are doing. I'm not pointing a finger of blame, but the Conners Creek area is the playground for trials riding. Per the video of the city council meeting they're looking to close unauthorized trails and ensure all traffic rides the authorized loop that is out there.

i think you are spot on Jason H, and the one other would be the go arounds some people have made. (it is also mentioned) but not shown in video

Ya'll don't think it's because the BCP is using a map from 1998 and not the current map on the Austin Parks and Recreation website? Most of the BCP unauthorized trails are mark as two-way or E.M.S./911 trails on the current Austin Parks and Recreation map.

http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=178545 (BCP 1998 map see page 8)

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/parkmaps/images/trails_emma_long.jpg (current map)

Sorry for all the detail, I had to research it to make sure we were talking about the motorcycle park and not the larger bird sanctuary across the street.

Craig

Larry, given that a number of AMSA members frequent Emma Long, any chance that someone from the club leadership could help represent us in the next city meeting on December 5th? I plan to be there and can speak as well.

Regards,
David

Greg is all over this...... and has been for years.

Currently the concern is with the creek bed and "cheater lines"

I hereby appoint David as the AMSA City Park Coordinator and spokesperson.

Happy to help Larry. I know the Trials club (CTTA), is very involved. I plan to attend and will do my best to help represent the trail riders interests. If anyone has any questions or suggestions, drop me a pm.

David

I can tell you that the trials club, the CTTA, is definitely involved. I think the word involved doesn't even do it justice. They will be working to get some time to make a proper presentation to the city council. Steve Thompson, the man behind the TPWD sticker program, is also involved. The CTTA is an AMA club, and the AMA is involved. There are even some mountain bikers and motorcyclists in the PARD.

The presentation given by the water utility representative had some factual errors, along with some judgement calls that are unsupported by fact. The presentation implied that the entire creek looked like her photo, which is not true. They basically mentioned the golden cheeked warbler, and the creek damage as their main concerns. But there is a stable bird population, with nests right off the trails, and there is no sediment leaving down the creek due to trials riding in the creek. Actually, the "creek" does not match the definition of a creek. It is actually a drainage channel, or a large erosion rut.

Here are a few details that have come up in the last week: Someone has found a trail map from an "old" PARD website that shows a lot of the trails they say are illegal. I haven't seen it, but I think it includes the creek trails. The critical issue with the maps is that once the BCP took responsibility, the existing trails were grandfathered in and are legal. Also the existing trials sections. The trials club has had a hard and fast rule since I've known them that says no new trials sections can be created there. It's not necessary, anyway, since I think there are nearly a hundred distinct trials sections there.

There is a section of trail that used to be hidden until the trail got turned around a couple of years ago. Now you can see the sign that they put at the entrance to close it off. The sign says "This trail closed due to illegal cutting. Trail will reopen in ten years, in 2008." I think 2008 is the year. Anyway, it was years ago that it should have been re-opened and added back onto the main loop.

Also, I found out that people have been riding trials there for nearly 40 years. Someone said they saw a european trials magazine that included city park in its list of the 15 best places to ride trials. It is also a one-of-a-kind park - a city-owned park that allows motorcycles and bicycles on the same trail. There are no problems there. The only negative is that the park receives a high number of EMS calls for injured people.

Doug knows the man who made most of the main loop. If you have any details like that, you can send them to me and we will add them to the presentation.

The loop, with the exception of the new bypasses, should be untouched. So the AMSA and the Austin Ridge Riders mountain bike club really have little to be concerned about. They do want to do something about the bypasses. But here is how that could work. Someone at a desk says "fix that", and then the park people get volunteers to fix it. Guess who the volunteers will be. If things go well, we will get to fix the bad parts ourselves, with money from the TPWD sticker program.

A big part of the reason the damage is as bad as it is, comes down to the PARD limiting us from maintaining the trail. If we could fix the damage when it begins, the huge ledges and ugly ruts could have been stopped when they were small, possibly eliminating the reason for the bypasses.

What we will be trying to get across is that we trail users care as much about the park as the BCP and the Austin Water Utility. We don't intentionally tear up the place, we don't leave litter, we don't disturb the birds. Everyone who visits that park, animals, birds, and people, get along, with very few exceptions, and there is no reason to limit access for the small problems there.

Greg

I nominate Dave AND Greg as the AMSA City Park Coordinator(s) and spokesperson(s).