View Royal Bike Park

TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL PARKS AND RECREATION REPORT

TO: Committee of the Whole
DATE: September 7, 2018
FROM: J. Rosenberg, Director of Engineering and Parks
MEETING DATE: September 18, 2018

View Royal Bike Park

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the Committee provide confirmation to staff that they would like to proceed with building the bike park in View Royal Park;

AND THAT the Committee give direction on the type of bike park to be built;

AND THAT the Committee direct staff to construct a paved pump track that includes skill stations as funding allows;

AND THAT the Committee establish the ultimate budget funding for the project.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS:

I concur with the recommendation.

PURPOSE OF REPORT:

To provide an update on the proposed bike park for View Royal Park.

BACKGROUND:

During the 2018- 2022 financial plan discussions Council allocated $50,000 for 2018, and an additional $100,000 in 2019 for the construction of a bike park in View Royal Park. The funding was established to allow staff to research potential bike park design/construction alternatives. As part of the process, staff were to survey the local residents on various aspects of the project. The survey was completed and staff are now looking for direction on how to proceed.

PROJECT INFORMATION:

The survey was posted on the Town website and was available for input for 15 days. Staff mailed out 500 notices to the surrounding area, as well as delivered 125 notices to the Pheasant Lane co-op units. We received 435 responses. Listed below are some stats:

In favour of a bike park?

Yes- 390
No- 45

Preference of type of bike park?

Pump Track- 56.7%
Skills Course- 27.2%
Jump Park- 16.1%

The majority preferred a pump track. An additional question asked if they would incorporate other skills within the pump track.

Smaller pump track to incorporate other features?

Yes- 73.9%
No- 26.1%

If yes to other features, what would you like?

Skill Stations- 72%
Jump line- 28%

Staff were hoping to get clear preferences on the surface of the pump track by asking if dirt or a paved surface were preferred?

Paved pump track- 55.7%
Dirt pump track- 44.3

Although the preference for paved is only slightly higher and has an initial capital cost increase, staff is recommending that the pump track be paved. Maintenance of a gravel track would be onerous for the Town’s limited staff, and there is not an organized bike group that could take on this on-going task with support from the Town.

Based on the above results, staff recommend building a pump track, as well as two or three skill stations incorporated within the track or adjacent to the track depending on the final design configuration.

There are two approaches to building the pump track:

Hire a specialty company through a Request for Proposals process to design/build the pump track establishing a budget for the final outcome. This approach would ensure the track is built to very specific standards that have been successfully incorporated in other bike parks. In this process, a premium would be paid for design, administration and construction that would have the actual constructed park relatively small in size but be very user friendly. This process would determine at the outset a dirt track or paved track as the specialty tracks are built differently depending on surface (asphalt or dirt) selected. Once the company is chosen, the final design is fixed.
Initially staff researched the internet and spoke to bike park operators on various aspects of pump track designs. Staff engaged a local contractor to facilitate a concept for designing and building a pump track and creating space to add skill stations. Staff could work with the local contractor on a time and material basis. A dirt pump track would be built, letting riders utilize the track for a couple of months for kids to ride and enjoy. Staff would engage with the riders during the dirt phase and incorporate suggestions from the riders prior to paving the ultimate design. This process would result in the costs being focused on construction of the park. Ultimately the park could be built smaller for less funding or the park could be bigger as costs will be focused on the construction of the park rather than the design and administration of the park.

BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:

The current funding allocation for 2018 is $50,000. It would be difficult to build a park for that figure unless it was a small dirt pump track. The total funding combining the two years of 2018/19 of $150,000 would be enough to build a pump track and two or three skill stations.