Committee leaders
Kahlil Zaloom and Andrew Cimonetti
Committee History
Our committee was formed in February of 2010 to explore the possibility of building a bicycle freestyle terrain park in Essex Junction. The committee members include staff of Essex Junction Recreation and Parks department, an EJRP recreation advisory boardmember, a professional mountain bike rider and course designer, and approximately 35 community members of varying ages from grade school to adults.
What is a freestyle bike park
Freestyle bike parks contain a variety of jumps, banked turns (berms), pump tracks and wooden features that can be ridden with a freestyle mountain bike or BMX bike. These features will be built with the specific geography of the property in mind and for riders all ability levels.
Plans for the proposed park include 2 pump tracks, and several dirt jump lines ranging from beginner to expert level. The wooded section of property behind the skatepark would make for a very unique riding experience and make for a relatively low maintenance park.
Please see the photo gallery below for illustrations of typical features in a bike park.
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Image Gallery
1. Where will the park be located?
The proposed location is a wooded section of property at Maple Street Park immediately behind the skatepark and adjacent to the wooded ravine.
2. Will there still be trees left after the construction?
Yes. The plan calls for leaving most of the woods in place. There will be clearing out of dead trees, and some underbrush, but the features will be designed and constructed to leave a majority of the healthy trees intact.
3. Will there be lights?
There are no plans to install lights.
4. What materials will be used to construct the park?
The majority of the features (jumps, berms, pump track) will be made of dirt. Some features will be made of milled lumber and where possible we will use natural logs to maintain an integrated aesthetic to the area.
5. What is a pump track?
A pump track is a looped course with multiple rolling bumps combined with banked turns. Riders enter the track by pedaling up to speed and once on the track use their body to pump the bike through the track without pedaling. Pump tracks are ride-able by people of all ages and abilities and provide a great full body workout.
6. Do you have to be a good rider to use the bike park?
The park will have a variety of features for riders of all levels. Keeping in mind that the rider is responsible for knowing and respecting their own ability level, this park will provide a safe, exciting experience for riders of all levels to progress as far as they want.
7. Why should we have a bike park at Maple Street Park?
This park will provide a great compliment to the current offerings at Maple Street Park. There is a large population of local riders who would benefit from a park of this nature. The only other options are to drive one hour to the parks at Stowe and Johnson or to build your own jumps in remote areas that do not provide the safety and quality infrastructure of Maple Street Park.
Maple Street park provides a great infrastructure (bathrooms, water source, emergency vehicle access, proximity to public transportation) for a park of this nature.
The wooded section of property proposed will provide shade for users of the park, will help reduce maintenance of the park, and it will create a unique experience for riders and spectators.
8. How will the park be maintained?
A combination of efforts from volunteers and park staff will work to maintain the facility. The committee will form a group of Bike Park Stewards to play a key role in jump maintenance, building and design.
9. What other benefits will the park bring to Essex Junction?
The bike park will provide expanded opportunities in recreation for local youth, and an opportunity to get involved with building the park and creating a strong sense of ownership and community.
There will be expanded opportunities to offer camps at the Bike Park.
Biking is a great way for parents to interact with their kids and this will provide a great opportunity to take part in learning new skills together that often become life-long pursuits.
Adding this to Essex Junction will provide a positive attraction to new residents as well as help retaining current residents looking for unique recreational opportunities.
10. Aren’t big jumps dangerous?
As with any sport, there is always a risk involved and it is up to the individual to understand their abilities and ride within their limits. The most important safety factor of any bike park is quality design and construction. The committee is working with a professional rider and course builder with experience building parks for local municipalities as well as world class competitions. We are confident that his experience will result in a high quality, safe and fun experience for all users.
11. Will it be noisy?
The noise from actual riding will be very little. No more than riding your bike on a dirt path. Dirt will absorb the energy of a bike impact and will not transmit sound like concrete or metal impacts.
12. How much will it cost?
The preliminary proposal is ~$25,000 for design and construction.
13. How will we pay for it?
The committee is working to identify specific sources of income from fundraising events, grants, personal and business donations, corporate sponsorships, and local and state funding sources.
14. What is the timeframe for completion?
Fall 2010: Complete design drawn to scale for proposed site, seek committee and community input on the proposed design.
Fall/ Winter 2010: Based on community feedback, finalize design and submit applications for appropriate planning & zoning approvals and permits. Continue identifying and begin implementing fundraising strategies. Identify and apply for grant opportunities.
Spring 2010: Earliest construction COULD begin based on outcomes of final design, approvals, permits, fundraising efforts, and secured grants.