At the April board meeting, Jeff Beach, Mt. Diablo Trails Coordinator, Dan Stafanisko, MDSP Supervising Ranger, and Lorrie Thomas, Diablo Vista District Maintenance Chief, gave a presentation to BTCEB on the new Mount Diablo State Park Trail Unit Plan. The presentation involved a 20 minute computer presentation and then a hour of Q&A.

Back in July of 2007 BTCEB formally ask MDSP to open 19 new trails to cyclists. The request was made under the California State Park Trail Conversion Project. Recently the California State Parks have embraced the need for multi-use trails and developed a new trail policy that provides a process for the public to request trail use conversions in state parks. As part of the new TUP, staff will be considering BTCEB's request and looking at access and trail issues on all park trails.

Several members spoke out forcefully against past practices. Needless to say it was a reaction that is all too familiar when you close people out of a trail system.

For the most part, however, cooler heads prevailed and there were passionate requests for mountain bikers to summit Mt. Diablo on the dirt from all sections of the park. Currently there is no safe route for bikes from the bottom of the mountain to the top, and we're forced out onto the road. Nor is the quality of the experience comparable to what other user have as we're excluded from most of the narrow and more scenic trails. Several attendees also ask that more loop opportunities be created, as well as unique experiences just like any other user group. The various request are hardly extreme as we represent a very large community of users who deserve the same quality of opportunity that other users have enjoyed for years.

While some cyclists are certainly disappointed with the long time line, the TUP looks to be a very positive step. With continued participation by our members, BTCEB directors, and IMBA California, we should see some welcome changes down the road. In the coming months local riders will be able to fill out surveys on the trails and members can contact Lorrie Thomas directly at ldoss@parks.ca.gov or 707-769-5652 x218.

It's not unrealistic that if we stay positive, informed, and active, East Bay riders will finally enjoy the same opportunities provided by other regional state parks.