Reject the Proposed Lime Ridge Open Space FLOW Trails

Read the Lime Ridge Master Plan It states that Lime Ridge Trails are intended for passive use by hikers and equestrian riders, and that use for cyclists is not appropriate. That IS the master plan.

Im a mountain biker, we will always ride on lime ridge, and if you take away our trails, well, we have no choice but to create new ones. And don't even get me started on the miles of huge fire roads. Yea one tiny single track will do sooo much "damage" compared to a 6foot wide fire road going for miles through out the open space. We want one trail. Its not that much. There are also designated parking lots, and lots of room still for you guys to park. Besides, we are trying to keep nature the way it is so that we can have fun in it. We are not big monsters trying to destroy all of whats good in the open space.

Outsiders?!?!? We don't try to harm/scare hikers. Just the other day, I rolled up slowly behind someone and rang my bell. They didn't listen or move. So i called out, again nothing. So I biked past her and she got startled. This is what happens. NOT MTBers racing down a hill and past someone. If we don't have trails to ride on, we will ride on your(hiking) trails. Give us some trails.

No to the project.

Even though motorized bikes are illegal in the Open Space, an influx of bikers on electric bikes and other motorized vehicles is also inevitable since Walnut Creek only has 3 rangers to police all the Open Space and they have not been able to enforce existing regulations (thus the damage to current wildlife areas). I doubt the mountain bikers will even leave existing damaged areas alone - they will just expand their sphere of damage to include the open space directly abutting Rancho Paraiso. Past performance is the best indicator of future performance! The good intentions and promises of some more civic-minded bikers will not prevent the others from going off-trail again as they have always done. Mountain bikers already enjoy many miles of legal trails within the Lime Ridge Open Space. They currently have access to 87% of the trails in Lime Ridge and 74% in Shell Ridge, not including the illegal trails created by cyclists in both locations. It is not necessary for the City of Walnut Creek to build them an extra-fancy new Flow Trail in our protected Open Space just because they want it. I am also very concerned about increased fire danger and losing the cows that graze the hills to keep vegetation down in the buffer zone abutting our homes. Cattle-grazing will be eliminated in the area close to our homes in order to provide bikers with an uninterrupted, downhill ride on their fancy new roller-coaster trail. There have been 4 fires on the hillside behind our homes in the last 25 years and many residents in our neighborhood have recently had their homeowners’ insurance cancelled because our street was upgraded to a high-risk fire zone. To make matters worse, this is just “Phase 1” of the plan. This first Flow Trail is meant to be a “proof of concept” for more expanded and connecting Bike Flow Trails slotted to be carved out of the Lime Ridge Open Space in the future! We must protect the Lime Ridge Open Space from this ill-conceived project lest we lose it fo

The proposed new trail is a “Flow Trail”, for mountain bikes only. The definition of a flow trail is a "unidirectional trail, built specifically for mountain bikes which emphasizes speed and rhythm, featuring berms, rollers, jumps and other features that are designed in a way that uses the rider's momentum to minimize pedaling and braking" (think downhill pump track). It is intentionally misleading and a misnomer to call the proposed flow trail a “multiuse trail”, because by definition, a bicycle flow trail cannot be multi-use for both bikers and pedestrians. It wouldn’t be safe. If this glow trail is built, those on foot would have to traverse an extended section of the new advanced bicycle Flow Trail at their own risk just to access the hiking paths that local residents have enjoyed immensely for the last 25+ years! Additionally, this new, advanced Flow Trail will be one of the only legal flow trails of its kind in Contra Costa County and a huge draw to trail bikers from all over the East Bay, thus bringing many additional bikers into our area who would not have come otherwise. Designated parking areas will be located at both Boundary Oaks on Valley Vista Rd and Arbolado Park, but some bikers will undoubtedly try to enter and exit the new trail off of Timberleaf Court which they will soon learn is an easy shortcut halfway up the hill! The small cul de sac of Timberleaf Court is likely to become a defacto “staging area” and an alternative parking spot for trail bikers to Arbolado Park and Boundary Oaks. Anyone who has actually bothered to make a site visit to Timberleaf Court would realize how inappropriate it is to have an access point to the proposed Flow Trail at this location! Even though motorized bikes are illegal in the Open Space, an influx of bikers on electric bikes is also inevitable since Walnut Creek only has 3 rangers to police all the Open Space and they have not been able to enforce existing regulations (thus the damage to curr

This new, advanced Flow Trail will be one of the only legal flow trails of its kind in Contra Costa County and a huge draw to trail bikers from all over the East Bay, thus bringing many additional bikers into our area who would not have come otherwise. Designated parking areas will be located at both Boundary Oaks on Valley Vista Rd and Arbolado Park, but some bikers will undoubtedly try to enter and exit the new trail off of Timberleaf Court which they will soon learn is an easy shortcut halfway up the hill! The small cul de sac of Timberleaf Court is likely to become a defacto “staging area” and an alternative parking spot for trail bikers to Arbolado Park and Boundary Oaks. Anyone who has actually bothered to make a site visit to Timberleaf Court would realize how inappropriate it is to have an access point to the proposed Flow Trail at this location! Even though motorized bikes are illegal in the Open Space, an influx of bikers on electric bikes is also inevitable since Walnut Creek only has 3 rangers to police all the Open Space and they have not been able to enforce existing regulations (thus the damage to current wildlife areas). There have been 4 fires on the hillside behind our homes in the last 25 years and we are very concerned about increased fire danger and losing the cows that graze those hills to keep vegetation down in the buffer zone abutting our homes. Many residents in our neighborhood have recently had their homeowners’ insurance cancelled because our street was recently upgraded to a high-risk fire zone. I doubt the mountain bikers will even leave existing damaged areas alone - they will just expand their sphere of damage to include the open space directly abutting Rancho Paraiso. Past performance is the best indicator of future performance! Good intentions and promises from some of the more civic-minded bikers mean nothing. To make matters worse, this is just “Phase 1” of the plan - more expanded and connecting Bike Flow Trails

Please protect our open space from reckless mountain bikers who don’t seem to respect the marked trails, pedestrians or preserving nature. Our local taxes are not meant to encourage outsiders to destroy our protected lands.

NO FLOW!!!!

This proposal is an assault on our precious open space. It places priority on outside interest groups at the expense of community residents who hike and walk the trails. Moreover, it would pose serious increase threats of fire, noise, traffic congestion, and crime. Reject this Ill-conceived proposal.

This is a residential area and this will bring a lot of traffic and parking issues to a quiet neighborhood.

It’s too close to homes and would definitely impact residents, especially with respect to parking and traffic, let alone the environmental issues

I would hate to see this preserved area turn into a noisy one. It would be an outrage.

Absolutely not

Hell no to bikes at Lime Ridge!!

This is NOT in our communities best interest.

I am writing to strongly object to the proposed Flow Trail behind the Rancho Paraiso subdivision. Owners in Rancho Paraiso bring in some of the highest tax revenues of all of Walnut Creek. None of these homeowners expected the City to install a Flow Trail behind their homes in the open space and open up the neighborhood to privacy issues, increased traffic/parking, noise, fire risk and loss of natural habitat. This is not a revenue generator for the City. The people using these trails do not stay in the city and spend money here. They drive here to use our parks from other cities, bring a sack lunch or snacks and leave. The proposal of this trail will serve an infinitesimally small group of people in Walnut Creek. You would think the Open Space Commission would offer up plans for a larger group of Walnut Creek residents. The trail at Ygnacio Valley Road and Montecito Drive is never full and that is the most used trail used by bikers in all of Lime Ridge! Please say NO to the Flow Trail proposal. Jeremy Swann

I'm shocked that the city of Walnut Creek is violating the rules of open space and is trying to push this through without the proper review, including and environmental impact report.

We dont need a destination thrill ride on protected open space parts of Lime Ridge look like a quarry due to overuse by bikers.

Please protect the mountain!