Ojai Bike Trail Too Crowded, City Begs County for Expansion
In a strongly worded and desperately pleading letter received today in the County Supervisor's office, all five members of the Ojai City Council asked - nearly begged - for County-level support to expand the Ojai Valley's dangerously overcrowded bike trail.
"As Ojai's commitment to our precious environment becomes reflected more and more in the personal actions of our citizens," it read, " and as we undertake the focused marketing of our City as a model of green and sustainable development, the number of bike trail users has reached a critical mass with undesirable safety concerns."
The proposal calls for, among other things, "reduction of certain parts of the 33 Highway/Ojai Avenue to one alternating lane of vehicular traffic, to accommodate the expansion of the bike trail to four lanes, two in each direction" and a "total ban on mining trucks, which pose a significant noise hazard to bicyclists."
Oh, wait. That's the post i WISH i could legitimately write. But today's April Fool's Day.
The truth is that i'm a recent two-to-four-time-a-week bike trail user, and an easy convert. i reduce my weekly vehicle trips by around 36 miles, which saves me a little bit of money and the planet a lot of heartache. but more importantly, riding is good for my body and my community. i get to see things as i ride the 6 miles to work in Oak View (from downtown Ojai) that i've never seen before...i get to say hi to people i've never met...i get the wonderful gift of a 45-minute commute full of fresh air and exercise, where i'm neither at work nor at home, free to think and breathe!
The truth is that the bike trail IS used a lot, and that's wonderful. but i'd love to see us as a community using it more. using it recreationally is one thing, but using it as an actual venue of traveling from one place to another requires some commitment and lifestyle change. is that simply too much? dare we risk to slow down, plan ahead, and sweat a little?
i hope to see you on the trail!
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Comments (5)
evan, that's awesome, you totally got me. "the focused marketing of our City as a model of green and sustainable development" was priceless. i know there is some support at the council level for the ojai valley green coalition, but i'd like to see more leadership on this issue, particularly the signing of the Mayor's Climate Agreement, which i've written about in the past. great post.
Comment #1 Posted by: Tyler | April 1, 2007 12:52 AM
You got me good as well. It would be nice to have more bike trails around. I always thought it would be nice to have one that went along the actual river bottom.When in Ojai, I used the trail allot for running, sometimes to Oak View or on to Casitas Springs."To a Greener Tomorrow"
Comment #2 Posted by: Dana and Alyeska-kg6amv@yahoo.com | April 1, 2007 08:12 AM
for the true peace ... an end to the automotive violence against child, elder, pedestrian, bicyclist ... against quiet and love and wisdom ... a start here in the Valley of Goddess Moon.
Comment #3 Posted by: Millennium Twain | April 1, 2007 01:04 PM
Wow, I fell hook, line and sinker! Good one, evan!
Comment #4 Posted by: Lisa Snider | April 1, 2007 05:17 PM
I use the bike trail nearly every day. One of the things I love about this town is that I can ride and walk everywhere I need to go. (I generally use my car once a week to go to class in Ventura, only because the bus stops running before my class lets out.) Ojai is an expensive place to live, and one thing that makes it possible for me, is that I have extremely minimal transportation costs. I imagine the costs of driving will only increase, so it would be in the interest of the city to begin to provide solutions now for those who will be seeking relief from increasing transportation costs in the days to come.
On a separate note, since I have been transporting myself on bike or foot and have become accustomed to the trail, I have noticed that the sound of the cars through town really shakes me up. I would love for more of those cars to be parked, and I welcome those drivers as fellow riders and walkers.
Comment #5 Posted by: McKinley | April 2, 2007 10:32 AM