http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/06/in_forest_park_biking_and_hiki.html
By the board of directors of the Medical Society of
Metropolitan Portland
We would like to address the issue of single-track
mountain biking on the hiking trails in Forest Park. Many legitimate concerns
are raised by allowing bikes on trails designed for, and until now restricted
to, hiking. Some of these issues include damage to trails, destruction of
sensitive plants and their habitat, disturbing wildlife and changing the
current wilderness atmosphere. Although the aforementioned issues may be deemed
important, as a medical society we are most concerned with the health and
safety issues.
Single-track mountain biking is often done on trails 3 to 4 feet wide. The
current city ordinance pertaining to Forest Park allows cyclists to share a
trail with hikers only if it is at least 8 feet wide. Due to the twisting
trails and uneven terrain in the park, the sight lines are often short. It
seems unreasonable to expect vigorous, exuberant riders to cautiously approach
every blind corner or bump. What kind of fun would that be? Because bicycles
and hikers are relatively quiet, one can envision many sudden, unexpected
encounters, which would be particularly hazardous for young children and the
elderly. A stark demonstration of this was the death of a woman hiker during
the month of April in Renton, Wash., when she collided with a cyclist on a
shared trail.
Collisions and major trauma are much more dramatic than healthy lifestyles and
exercise. However, one of the routine activities we perform as a profession is
to advocate for regular exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. A large number
of people use the park for walking and jogging on the trails. Presently about
30 miles of trails are suitable for the combined use of cyclists and
pedestrians. Part of the proposal now under consideration is to turn some of
the most popular trails into shared use for single-track mountain biking. The
international experience with "multi-use trails" to be shared by
pedestrians, equestrians and cyclists has been that the horseback riders and
hikers avoid the trails used by the bicycle riders. It's easy to imagine why.
Even for the most nimble, it would hardly be relaxing to remain vigilant about
what may be coming around the next bend. For the elderly or families with young
children it would be especially dangerous. Allowing bicycles on the narrow
hiking trails of Forest Park would discourage pedestrian use of these trails
and would be counter to our efforts to encourage exercise.
There are not controlled studies or widespread case reports in the medical
literature about accidents between cyclists and pedestrians. However, we should
not assume the lack of studies implies safety, nor should we allow the absence
of scientific certainty to stand in the way of exercising our common sense. We
as physicians see the shared use of these narrow trails as hazardous to both
pedestrians and cyclists. Because these dangers are inherently obvious, as has
happened elsewhere, pedestrians would begin to avoid these shared trails,
reducing their options for recreation and exercise. We ask that the current
restrictions regarding cycling on the narrow trails in Forest Park remain as
they were wisely written.
Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland Board of Trustees
Glenn Rodriguez, MD, president
John Evans, MD
Marianne Parshley, MD
Robert Hayes, MD
Michael Dorsen, MD
Bradley Bryan, MD
R. Bryan Bell, MD
Sharon Meieran, MD
Brenda Kehoe, MD
A.G. Lindstrand, public member
Cody Evans, MD, resident trustee
Evan Los, medical student