The Tri-Cities Off Road Cycling Association (TORCA) is expanding its agreement with the city of Port Moody so it can maintain additional trails in the city.
Representatives from the mountain biking club appeared before city council’s committee of the whole Jan. 16 to seek renewal of an agreement it made with the city in November 2014 for the use and maintenance of two trail networks: North Starz in Bert Flinn Park, and Imby at the top of Fernway Drive on Eagle Mountain. That agreement expired in November 2016.
The mountain bikers now want to bring four additional trails — about 5.4 km in all — that they’ve been improving and maintaining into the agreement, which city staff has recommended should be extended for five years, until January 2023.
Steve Sheldon, TORCA’s vice president, said the group will maintain the trails to International Mountain Bike Association and Whistler Trail standards, with individual volunteer labour and group trail days. It would submit an annual report to the city of any work done to the trails, their health and the surrounding environment.
“A well-maintained trail encourages riders to stay on trail,” TORCA’s Ken Porter told councillors. “If you create a trail that is appealing, then people will ride it.”
TORCA would also increase signage on the trails and could eventually install information kiosks at access points where users can get maps, information about the immediate environment and community events as well as guidelines about trail user courtesy.
Mayor Mike Clay said signage would be especially important for reminding new users to the trails that they could encounter speeding bikes.
“People walking just don’t know what’s going on, if we don’t have a way of letting people know this is a downhill trail,” Clay said.
Two of the additional trails, Flavelle and Starz, are in Bert Flinn Park. A third, Home Run, is in North Shore community park, while Blue Line forks off Imby at the end of Fernway Drive on Eagle Mountain.
In December, TORCA put the final touches on letter of understanding with land managers, user groups and various levels of government to legitimize access for mountain bikers to a network of about 40 kilometres of trails on Eagle Mountain from Port Moody into Coquitlam.
Karaleen Gioia, TORCA’s president, said that agreement, which took five years of consultation and negotiation, could pave the way to putting the mountain on the international map as a cycling destination.
The new agreement will go to Port Moody council for ratification on Jan. 30.
