The draft plan of the proposed Ultimate Cycling Network that was unveiled by the Township’s engineering division at an open house last Thursday will have a major impact on trail riders and rural residents along the proposed routes. The deadline for public input is Thursday, Feb. 3 (tomorrow).
The trouble is, almost no one from the equestrian community knows anything about it. Although the open house that was held to get public input was publicly advertised, maps showing the routes were not released and published on the Township of Langley website until the day after the workshop.
That gives local trail riders and possibly affected homeowners along these routes almost no time to respond.
Of keen interest to equestrians and rural residents in South Langley is a plan to re-route cyclists from Zero Avenue to popular off-road riding trails at 4 Avenue and 224 Street, along 8 Avenue east of 232 Street and along the off-road trail between 240 and 248 Streets.
Although the draft plan was created in consultation with the Greater Langley Cycling Coalition, the Vancouver Area Cyclist Coalition and the Abbotsford Cycling Action Group, and other stakeholders, claims on cycling blogs that the equestrian community was consulted are being questioned by Larri Woodrow, a provincial director of Trails BC.
The avid trail rider and cyclist said he attended a meeting Jan. 6 in Langley of a group of representatives from the cycling community. It was held to consider the cycling network proposal and make some general comments, but was not asked to make written recommendations. Nor was he aware of the specifics of the trail network.
His great fear, he says, is that the powerful and well-organized cycling lobby groups in the Lower Mainland will push to pave gravel off-road trails and shoulders of rural roads currently used by equestrians in Langley.
“We have problems sharing gravel or unpaved trails with cyclists. They can use compacted gravel trails but complain when horses break them up. They also complain about horse manure on the trails. Paving the horse trails will ruin them for horses,” said Larri.
He is not suggesting that cyclists and equestrians cannot co-exist on public roads and trails. But he hopes that the equestrian community will actively participate in the design and execution of shared use trails.
“I guess you could say we will get the trails we deserve. If we don’t get involved, we could lose them.”
Langley residents can to go to the Township’s web site http://www.tol.bc.ca and click on information about the Ultimate Cycling Network on the home page.
This has the maps of the proposed cycling network. That link provides access to a questionnaire where residents can comment on the plan. Once again, the deadline is Feb. 3.
You can also send comments on the plan to the engineering division of the Township at: enginfo@tol.bc.ca.
Anne Patterson is a Langley writer and horse owner. Contact her at accidentalrider@yahoo.com.
