Cassinonorth
Well-Known Member
I talk to people all the time about it... Everyone from LEOs to council members to regular citizens and no one has a clue. Unless you're a MTBer you probably don't.
Essex County
- Thread starter Kirt
- Start date
I talk to people all the time about it... Everyone from LEOs to council members to regular citizens and no one has a clue. Unless you're a MTBer you probably don't.
Gene
The Dancing Machine
I think we need to start and become better ambassadors of our sport. Tonight while riding South Mountain Reservation I saw a friend who is a trail runner. We haven’t seen each other in a while so took time to catch up. After a few topics I asked her jokingly to not say anything about me riding here... her response was 9 out of 10 bikers that she’s bumped into are rude to her and/or flying by on tight single track.
All of the comments about Joe D and his freeholders are true. I’ve personally had face to face conversations with Joe on this exact subject. He is worried about losing votes for legalizing it, but he also told me just don’t get caught and you’ll be fine.
I freely am an ambassador for biking within the South Mountain Conservancy. I am the trail keeper of Orange and also a membet of the chainsaw gang that clears downed trees that obscure the entire trail and not passable.
My belief is understand the policies and rhetoric behind the conservancy and the county and see how we can help.
Ive found most recently that the majority of grants come from the Green Acres Fund. Why not write a grant proposal to clean the trails we are considering washed away and show the county and conservancy that the biking community is a value.
Yes, I’ve see the effects of Watchung and past issues with the effort at SoMo.
In order to move this forward a group (NICA , JORBA, whoever) needs to work as a coordinator of the direction we want to take this... Hilltop Bicycles made a damn good effort with Watchung and it made me upset that the vote came out the way it did, but would it have gone that far with just a small group of riders? My thought, no.
All of the comments about Joe D and his freeholders are true. I’ve personally had face to face conversations with Joe on this exact subject. He is worried about losing votes for legalizing it, but he also told me just don’t get caught and you’ll be fine.
I freely am an ambassador for biking within the South Mountain Conservancy. I am the trail keeper of Orange and also a membet of the chainsaw gang that clears downed trees that obscure the entire trail and not passable.
My belief is understand the policies and rhetoric behind the conservancy and the county and see how we can help.
Ive found most recently that the majority of grants come from the Green Acres Fund. Why not write a grant proposal to clean the trails we are considering washed away and show the county and conservancy that the biking community is a value.
Yes, I’ve see the effects of Watchung and past issues with the effort at SoMo.
In order to move this forward a group (NICA , JORBA, whoever) needs to work as a coordinator of the direction we want to take this... Hilltop Bicycles made a damn good effort with Watchung and it made me upset that the vote came out the way it did, but would it have gone that far with just a small group of riders? My thought, no.
terrabike01
Well-Known Member
Nothing will change bike wise in both Union and Essex Counties until the Freeholders are voted out. Nothing else will change it.
Gene
The Dancing Machine
Agreed, but realistically that won't happen unless the county knows who voted against riding Watchung... what effect has Joe D had on the parks besides his beloved Turtle Back Zoo area... what opinion piece has ever been submitted and gone viral through local towns that backed biking?
These are the starting points and changing hikers\runners\bird watchers\families from understanding this should be first to allow change at the freeholder level.
Cassinonorth
Well-Known Member
He won 80% of the vote last time. He isn't worried about votes.
robmaurizi
Well-Known Member
IIRC, he usually runs unopposed
Cassinonorth
Well-Known Member
Nope. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex_County_Executive
2002: 70%
2006: 76%
2010: 75%
2014: 77%
2018: 80%
Dude aint worried about no votes.
robmaurizi
Well-Known Member
I stand corrected; thanks!
Internet angst. Otherwise yeah, spot on.
in for burning shit.Ok. So the feedback has been fuck Joe D, ride whatever and whereever we want and don't respect hikers\runners\bird watchers so you can get your punny PR on Strava. Geez.
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Zaskar
Well-Known Member
Ok. So the feedback has been fuck Joe D, ride whatever and whereever we want and don't respect hikers\runners\bird watchers so you can get your punny PR on Strava. Geez.
9 out of 10 are rude? Who are these savages? I know i'm not and sounds like you aren't either.
I would agree that Strava is a problem.
Cassinonorth
Well-Known Member
Ok. So the feedback has been fuck Joe D, ride whatever and whereever we want and don't respect hikers\runners\bird watchers so you can get your punny PR on Strava. Geez.
Not sure where you're gathering that. I think most people are just past the point of trying to salvage the relationship with the county and until the guy running it is on board, there's no sense in throwing shit at the wall. There isn't a bridge to speak of. There hasn't been for 2 decades. I'll ride the 10 other well maintained legal places within 30 minutes of my house and if things change in my lifetime, great. Not holding my breath though.
Dingo
Well-Known Member
Weekend warriors are everywhere. The past few months at Allaire and 6-mile has changed my op of "other mtbbr's" some of the rudest people in 50yrs of pedaling. Gonna come to a fist fight soon enough.
robmaurizi
Well-Known Member
Also not really sure where that's coming from. I get that that seems to be the prevailing attitude of a certain portion of the MTB community (see Kingdom Trails, et al), but I think the goal here is to try to change the current situation through advocacy, education and action.
Xler8
Well-Known Member
I strongly believe that there’s just not enough people who ride their bikes on trails and have a vested interest in bettering the situation. Especially at a county level. There are way more people who don’t ride bikes on trails and they are more vocal, bitch more, know more people in higher places, etc.
Gene
The Dancing Machine
It's an italian thing