SHIFTING GEARS SARA HARPER MOUNTAIN BIKING
Two of the most prominent are the Cleveland Area Mountain Bike AssociationÕ s (CAMBA) effort to build more mountain bike trails and Fast Track CyclingÕ s project to build an indoor velodrome in Slavic Village. While progress on both is being made, itÕ s been in low gear.
ith cycling season under way, itÕ s a good time to review the progress of some Northeast Ohio projects that aim to increase cycling opportunities.
Mountain bikers led by CAMBA have continued to press their case for more mountain bike trails in Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). The open- ing to be heard by the Metroparks came in January during three public meetings as part of its decennial mas- ter planning process. At one of the meetings, CAMBA members talked informally with park leadership and submitted written requests to add mountain bike trails. “I’m happy they held the sessions and asked for public input,” says Mike Farley, CAMBA’s founder and
advocacy VELODROME Brett Davis, board president at Fast
Track Cycling, admits that, “barring a sizable lead gift,” raising the needed funds for its indoor velodrome and sports complex will take a couple more years. Still, the nonprofit, now in its fifth year, is pushing forward with planning.
Since entering into a real-estate purchase option with the City of Cleveland to acquire a nine-acre site at McBride Avenue and Broadway Avenue (southeast of East 49th street and Broadway), the organization has had architects and contractors create more detailed plans for the building, giving the group more detailed budget estimates. Previous illustrations, Davis says, were concept drawings.
In the meantime, Fast Track is working on a plan that will increase local cycling opportunities and provide a “proof of concept” for the velodrome. Negotiations are under way with a bike-race organizer and a track builder to make a temporary track available in Cleveland during the summer months. With the plan still in the early stages, Davis says, the group is scouting three or four sites. Fast Track hopes to use the summer track to demonstrate demand for a permanent velodrome and also as a site for fund-raisers. Fast Track continues to seek naming-rights sponsors, corporate sponsors, foundation grants and federal, state or local grants. The group also seeks contributions from the cycling community with its Founders Club. Davis reports that the latter effort is two-thirds of the way toward the goal of getting 150 pledge commitments of $1,000.
In addition to the 250-meter, banked cycling track, the sports complex will include a turf field and sport courts. Project costs are estimated at $7.5 million. For more on the velodrome, visit
www.fasttrackcycling.org.
ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF VOCON.
representative. “I hope we see significant action.” A Metropark spokes- man notes that 300 people attended the three public meetings, which were part of a process that will con- tinue through next summer and include, among other projects, more public and staff meetings and two large- scale public surveys. The resulting plan will set the course for the Metroparks for the next 10 years. CAMBA also has pro- vided input to CVNP’s Trail Management Plan (TMP), a complete review of the trail system conducted by the National Park Service in cooperation with Cleveland Metroparks, Metro Parks Serving Summit County and others. The TMP will develop a preferred trail plan and an implementation strategy. “We’re working the pro- cess and are fairly optimis- tic,” Farley says. “I’m looking forward to the next stage.” The national park is developing a Draft Trail Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, according to documents on the CVNP Web site. The draft, to be made available to the public for review and comment, is expected to be released this summer. n
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WWW.OHIOSPORTSANDFITNESS.COM Sara is a category 3 cyclist in road, cyclocross and mountain biking, and has competed as a long-distance runner.
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