Garden City Bike Ban - Important News
As many of you know, Garden City officials have told the public, residents of Riverside Village, and media that the Riverside Village Greenbelt has historically been a "Pedestrian Only" Path? Over 250 pages of public documents in our possession and interviews with many key public officials say otherwise. The facts are this:
Riverside Village Greenbelt was mandated by the State of Idaho to be a bicycle path as a condition for approval of the Riverside Village development in 1980.
For details, read on:
* 1980 – State of Idaho Department of Lands required Riverside Village developer to construct a "bicycle path" on public trust lands adjacent to Boise River - commonly called the "1980 Agreement".
* 1983 – Numerous letters and petitions (100's of signatures) to Idaho State Lands Board protesting developer proposal to divert "greenbelt bike path" away from Boise River to Riverside Drive.
* September 1985 - Intermountain Forest Industries (John Evans, Development Manager) and Evans Brothers Construction Company takes over as developers of Riverside Village.
* 1988 to 1992 – State sends letters to John Evans, Development Manager, Intermountain Forest Industries (IFI), Evans Bros. Construction, and Garden City concerning failure of developer's "construction of a paved bike path" on the Riverside Village greenbelt.
* May 1994 – State files lawsuit against Intermountain Forest Industries, Evans Bros. Construction Company for failure to abide by 1980 Agreement for construction of a bike path on the Riverside Village greenbelt.
* September 1996 – Settlement agreement with IFI, Evans Bros. Construction, and City of Garden City to abide by the 1980 Agreement and perform various pathway improvements.
* 1997 - Garden City adopts a Greenbelt Master Plan with a map that shows the pathway adjacent to Riverside Village as a "walking path"; in violation of the 1980 Agreement and 1996 Settlement Agreement
* May 1998 - Quitclaim deed conveyed to GC by State Department of Lands for Riverside Village Greenbelt.
* May 29, 2007 – Garden City passes ordinance that claims to prohibit bicycle riding on the Riverside Village Greenbelt
We have informally presented this information and supporting documents to two Garden City council members - Jeff Souza and Elfreda Higgins. Both claim they've relied on information about the Riverside Greenbelt from Mayor John Evans and residents of Riverside Village. Even after providing them with documents they insist they 1980 Agreement is not valid!
A group has been formed called Citizens for an Open Greenbelt (COG). COG is a grassroots advocacy group dedicated to supporting the stated goal of the Treasure Valley Greenbelts... to provide continuous open space along the river for non-motorized, mixed use for the citizens of Idaho. COG's current initiative is to open the Garden City Riverside Village Greenbelt to bicycles, as well as pedestrians, as these public trust lands were mandated to be by the State of Idaho over 30 years ago. We will post more information at our website that will soon to be available.
At this time we ask that you do two things:
1 – Convey this information to others who believe that the Greenbelt should be open for ALL non-motorized users without restriction all the way from Lucky Peak to Eagle Island State Park. Ask them to send us an e-mail so that we can keep them posted on developments - greenbeltbikeban@clearwire.net
2 - Contact Garden City Council Members and Mayor John Evans and demand that the RV Greenbelt be opened for mixed, non motorized use. We will compile a record of actions and messages, so if you would be so kind as to share a copy of your correspondence with us, we would very much appreciate it.
2 - Write letters to the Statesman and Boise Weekly and demand that the RV Greenbelt be opened for mixed, non motorized use.
Ride on!
Gary Segers
Citizens for an Open Greenbelt
Here are e-mail addresses for your reference…
Mayor John Evans jevans@gardencityidaho.org
Pam Beaumont pbeaumont@gardencityidaho.org
Elfreda Higgins ehiggins@gardencityidaho.org
Jeff Souza jsouza@gardencityidaho.org
Mike Moser mmoser@gardencityidaho.org
This seems to be quite an
This seems to be quite an interesting topic that's starting what looks to be a rather heated debate. Figured it was about time for me to throw my two cents in (might even go for the whole nickel if the mood strikes). I'd first like to state that I am by no means trying to further this fight, simply trying to clear some things up that caught my attention.
Secondly, I'd like to call attention to the fact that the TVCA is not around to promote cycling on bike paths, or on streets, or on trails or people's backyards. They're here "to raise awareness that bicycling is a healthful, economical, and practical mode of transportation; and ensure that people of all ages can ride bicycles competently, safely and lawfully." (I admittedly stole that from TVCA's Mission Statement) I see no reason to revise the charter.
Jann has a great point "that families with children on bikes or those who simply don't want to ride on streets with cars can enjoy all the sections of the greenbelt, EXCEPT the section through Riverside Estates." This is totally true. I'm not entirely sure why these folks necessarily need to touch ALL the sections of the greenbelt. No, it's not possible for them to bike from Lucky Peak to Eagle without ever touching a road but honestly...how many people that would rather not ride on a road are wanting to ride the whole darn thing? One thing I am a little curious about though is if we absolutely positively have to go through the Riverside section and we absolutely positively can't go out onto a road, why can't we simply get off our bikes and walk them through this short section? The Greenbelt isn't designed for a Time Trial so a few extra minutes wouldn't kill anyone.
I feel like it would be a better use of time and resources to work on educating local cyclists more. The roads are not as scary a place as some make them seem. Having to jump off the Greenbelt and use a quiet road is pretty mellow. Looking back at Boise Bike Week from this last year, there were tons of folks who would never have ridden off the Greenbelt before that are now riding on busy streets. It can be done. People just need a little help getting there.
Gary you've got a really interesting point about an elected official withholding information about his connection to a company. I'm glad you were able to bring to light that Mayor John EVANS had a tie to EVANS Brothers Construction. It seems that some serious sleuth-work has been done and we're actually getting somewhere. I don't think we can possibly say that Mayor Evans had it in his mind the entire time to go behind everyone's back and make a walking only path. Mayor Evans is not a king. He doesn't hold up a mighty scepter and command from atop a mountain that "THIS IS WHAT SHALL BE". He's not the only decision maker in Garden City. There are other folks involved to keep the "ordinances" and "master plans" in order. In your original post you even listed four other names to contact within Garden City. Evans is just one man among many making decisions that are hopefully in the best interest of the city.
The fact that Garden City is willing to spend the $17,000 to set up an alternate route is great. Yes, it requires people to exit the Greenbelt and enter the big bad road. At least there will be directions lending a helping hand during their "out of Greenbelt experience". And yes, it seems as though $17,000 is a lot to spend on something like this but in the grand scheme of things, it's not. A new stoplight costs between $50,000 and $100,000. Just a thought. What the alternative route is doing though is taking a complex problem with lots of sides and coming up with a solution. It's not a bad solution, maybe it's not going to be a good solution. Lets give it a shot and see what happens. I for one think it's going to work just fine.
TVCA position
While the BikeTreasureValley.org forums are open to everyone to post about bicycling issues, the viewpoints expressed are not necessarily those of TVCA. In this particular issue, we do not feel that bicyclists need to be given access to the Riverside Village Greenbelt. We have met with representatives from Garden City and we feel that the route that they are in the process of building on the north side of the river will be superior to the Riverside Greenbelt. Among other things it will provide better access to the residences and businesses along the route. It may not be the specific route along the river-side path that some people seem to be insisting on, but it meets the needs of transportational cyclists better. We would like to encourage Garden City to continue working on the route that they have planned.
Dwight Tovey
Treasurer, TVCA
Work to Live : Live to Ride : Ride to Work
Some bicyclists don't want to ride on the streets
Dwight - I'm an avid bicyclist and I use both the streets and the greenbelt (where I'm allowed to ride). What I think you're missing is the fact that families with children on bikes or those who simply don't want to ride on streets with cars can enjoy all the sections of the greenbelt, EXCEPT the section through Riverside Estates. The solution Mayor Evans has come up with still puts EVERYONE out on the streets, albeit not State St. Yes, if one is a road bicyclist and is interested in a fast commute, then the newly proposed route would work. BUT according to all the documents, the State of Idaho gave the section of greenbelt through Riverside Estates to Garden City with the MANDATE that it be used for a greenbelt that allows both pedestrians and bicyclists. People of Boise, Eagle, Meridian, and Garden City need to be made aware of this that Garden City has chosen to ignore the state's mandate.
A section of river with walking only is good
Riverside Village is no different than it's counterpart, River Run on the other end of town. There is a section of walking only where bikes are diverted to the street for a short distance on quiet streets. I like being able to jog thru Riverside Village on the dirt. I would like to see this section declared a "Nature Trail" . I bike to Eagle for recreation from Glenwood frequently. The new connection, which we hope to see paved when weather permits is a great solution to an old problem. I can bike from Lucky Peak to Eagle without having to use any busy streets. The ride thru Riverside Village on Riverside Drive is beautiful. The speed limit is 20 mph and STRICTLY enforced. Garden City didn't have any money back in the 80's to maintain the path. Evans' Brothers took a near bankrupt subdivision of gravel a created a beautiful place to live. We are finally connected!
A better route?
I respect but disagree with Dwight's position on this matter. It is very disturbing that this is the official position of TVCA. Dwight's riding interests are similar to mine in that I prefer to stay off the Treasure Valley Greenbelt during times of heavy usage, e.g., spring, summer, and fall. What the Citizens for an Open Greenbelt (COG) is advocating is that the TV Greenbelt is intended for all bicycles riders - not just those of us who are serious riders. That means we are also advocates for bike riding families with kids, occasional bike riders, or visitors who should be able to use the Greenbelt in the TV as it is intended. Unfortunately TVCA would prefer to support the interests of a smaller segment of the bicycle community in the Treasure Valley. Perhaps TVCA should revise it's charter?
Dwight's comments about the alternative route providing better access to business is bewildering. What businesses? A cluster of business in a strip mall on Ulhmer Lane? And what Dwight failed to mention is that this costly $17,000 "alternative greenbelt bypass" is a 2 mile detour from the established greenbelt system.
What Dwight has also failed to comment about is that an elected official of Garden City, Mayor John Evans, has withheld information about his significant involvement in this matter since 1995 as on-site manager of the development company called Intermountain Forest Industries and partner in the Evans Brothers Construction Company - the developers of Riverside Village. Most of us would expect elected officials to be more forthcoming about their role in this issue and, at a minimum, abstain from any decision making in this matter.
We at COG hope that TVCA members will consider this matter in the broader context of what is in the best interests of the Treasure Valley bike riding community. In essence, the State of Idaho gave public trust lands and right-of-ways to us for an intended purpose and Garden City has chosen to take it away.
By the way, I have offered to discuss this issue with the TVCA Board and have received no response. That's unfortunate - I would hope they would be open to learning more.
Respectfully,
Gary Segers
Citizens for an Open Greenbelt
A better route!
Gary,
I appreciate your efforts to uncover alleged deceit and/or corruption in city government. However your fight, as you are currently waging it, is not our fight. Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance is committed to ensuring that “people of all ages can ride bicycles competently, safely and lawfully.” This in no way suggests that the entirety of the greenbelt must accommodate cyclists. It does suggest that the majority of cyclists be provided reasonable passage through an area like Riverside Village so that all portions of the greenbelt that do allow cycling are connected. To clarify:
Before the new alternative route proposed by the Garden City Council there was no reasonable passage that connected the Boise and Eagle greenbelts. On your recommendation I personally rode the route around the Riverside Village foot path because I wasn’t familiar with it. I was appalled. The path that did accommodate a casual greenbelt cyclist was horribly maintained and nearly impassable, with weeds in the path standing twice as tall as me. Worse, cyclists were forced onto a 55 MPH portion of State Street if they wanted to travel between Eagle and Boise. As an experienced cyclist I didn’t hesitate to ride this portion of State Street but it was, in my opinion, unreasonable for inexperienced cyclists and families. Continuing west into Eagle, with their beautiful and well-maintained multi-use portion of the greenbelt, I was struck by how comparatively little regard Garden City had for the quality of life of its residents. Speaking with several Garden City residents I ran into along the route only reinforced my perception—they were uniformly dismayed and, frankly, embarrassed that there was no reasonable way to bicycle between the Eagle and Boise portions of the greenbelt.
Shortly after this ride, TVCA began a dialog with Elfreda Higgins of the Garden City Council. In short, we are satisfied that the proposed alternative via low-volume residential streets will provide reasonable passage through this area for most cyclists. Basic cycling skills will be required—families with very small children or individuals with zero experience riding on streets may choose not to ride through Riverside Village. Or they may choose, as Greg suggested in a previous post, to simply walk their bikes along the foot path. For the vast majority of cyclists, the Boise and Eagle greenbelts will be connected, providing continuous bicycle access along the greenbelt from Lucky Peak to Eagle, something for which all of the Treasure Valley can be proud.
Gary, you’ve served the cycling community well by raising this issue. Thank you! Now that there is a reasonable solution on the table I urge you and COG to focus your efforts where they will continue to benefit cyclists the most. I hope COG and TVCA can work together to ensure that Garden City follows through with its proposal.
Best regards,
Kurt Ziegler
President, Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance