Watchung Reservation MTB Access - This Is It!!

[Matt_]

I hope all these letters from adults speaking on behalf of themselves and their children help paint a better demographic in the Freeholders minds about who our mountain bikers really are. Unfortunately they probably have the inaccurate vision of x-games watching mountain dew drinking teenagers ripping through their tranquil park on mountain bikes...

 

[Robert Wasilewski]

Those last two letters were great, heck I enjoyed reading them and they were honest and genuine. I tried in my letter to address the differences between x games type of events and recreational mountain biking. Tuesday night I wet on my first Jorba group ride, it was a lot of fun and for me the highlight was a woman and her young child (who kept up without ANY problems) came along. I snapped a photo and posted it, I think one angle that might be worth pursuing is sending some photos of the diverse and especially young faces of mountain biking here in NJ. Maybe some have some better photos, I'm not sure the freeholders emails will take photos but maybe links work, hopefully they do read them. If any of you have such photos I think it'd be great to share them with the decision making minds over there in Union County.

 

[Robert Wasilewski]

I couldn't help but send another letter to the freeholders, I wonder if they take phone callas as well? Anyways here's a copy, it was titled sometimes a picture is worth more than words...

Hello Union County Freeholders,

I'm attaching a photo I wanted to share taken just yesterday at a Jorba sanctioned group ride. These rides happen often and are open to anyone that wants to join us, in fact I'd love to see some of you come out and see what our sport is all about, feel free to email me back if you don't have a bike as I do have an extra and would welcome anyone to join on a ride. Anyways I think as mountain bikers we get associated as being a group of young white males like you'd see on x-games or any extreme sport and while probably .001% are that most of us are from many walks of life, ages, religions, etc. Coming from a background of many sports I don't think I've ever encountered so many helpful encouraging people as I have in the mountain bike community. On this particular ride along with a group of men spanning probably age 18 up to mid 70's a woman brought her son, you can't see her, she's on the purple bike to the left of the young guy in orange but what a great time this kid had! By voting to allow mountain biking in the Watchung Reservation you'll be opening possibilities for more young children to enjoy this great family friendly sport, some which wouldn't have the chance if they or their parents have to drive 30 minutes to legal biking grounds.

Thanks for reading

PS - If the photo didn't come though or your email filtered it out here's a link to my facebook where I also posted it.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...heater&notif_t=like&notif_id=1494379314655064

 

[TheLonerider]

The problem is a handful of people with a bias are as loud as they are ignorant of mt biking. This whole thing about cancelling it via vote is just a distraction from actually getting access. It doesn't take 3 years to build a darn trail either. I was there back in February 3 years ago when they promised the plan would be approved and construction would start in "a few months". The county must be using that new math they all talk about because 3 years is a long few months, and now this delay.

My question to Freeholder Bergen would be, you said repeatedly you support mt biking -- when are you going to do something about it?

 

[Matt_]

@Robert Wasilewski

I'm the super proud dad/husband. The icing on the cake is that young boy also works his ass off giving back to the park. His younger sister will be joining us on the trails this year as well



We're going to be moving in a few years (family outgrew our house), and I won't move to a county that doesnt allow mountain biking. It's quite frankly one of the best things for getting outdoors, learning community service, and exercising together as a family.

 

[Robert Wasilewski]

I just came back from an evening ride at 6 mile run and the photos and story of your son put a smile on my face! I'm going to see if I can get one of my employees and his son out either with myself or on one of these group rides, I think we all love seeing the future of the sport out riding. When I move or retire moving to a bike friendly community is a top priority as well. Thanks for sharing the photos and the story.

 

[mike_243]

@Robert Wasilewski
Great meeting you Tuesday night and I must thank you for the letters and the kind words.
I think we all run into the few "dew drimkers" on the trails from time to time that unfortunately is the image that is out to the public.
I hope a few of the council members take you up on the ride invite it would be good to cross pollinate them as to our message.
if any of them need a better idea of what JORBA can do to a trail system let them check out the history of Jungle Habitat or Ringwood to see what can be done to make the trails fully multi-use.
They can also come down for a ride at Allaire as well, I'm sure we can get a ride together that would suit just about any skill level.
We at Allaire faced some bad times in the past and thanks to Frank, JORBA and the ATUG group we now are in very good standing with our park owners.
As you know JORBA is a advocate of multi trail use.
Again thanks for the kind words.

 

[stilluf]

All of these testimonials really make me smile....keep it up!!!!!

 

[TheLonerider]

my 2 cents...
The freeholders have a chance to do the “right thing” – to replace a policy hastily created behind closed doors nearly a quarter century ago, a policy even the county spokesman Sebastian Delia could not explain or defend when interviewed in a 2014 Star-Ledger newspaper article on the subject.

Winston Churchill once said that in politics there are no lasting enmities, only lasting interests. The interest of justice, fair policy, and good governance should outweigh whatever enmity some people have against mountain biking. This means voting “no” on the resurrected measure to kill the mountain biking part of the new trail plan, which was approved this past December and already paid for.

This isn’t just about mountain biking – which, by the way, is the norm is almost every other New Jersey county park system. It is about just government policy. Moreover, given how the county has dragged this out over the last three years, it is also thanks to the county's own words about whether the county government, from parks employees to the freeholders themselves, can be trusted to keep their word. Are they our representatives – or some kind of scoundrels? Given that from the parks department to the contractor CME to Chairman Bergen, they have all repeatedly promised over the last three years to allow mountain bike access, my question to them has to be, do they intend to keep their word, or forever shatter whatever fledgling faith anyone involved has developed in the integrity of Union County government?

If they vote to kill mountain biking in Watchung, after three years of repeatedly promising mountain bike access was just around the corner, it would not be some generic “politicians are dishonest” generalization; it would be a three year long incident, complete with many specific examples of how these people cannot be trusted as far as one might throw Watchung Mountain.

However, if the county votes “no” on this measure to kill mountain biking, and moves forward swiftly to keep its word and provide trail access at Watchung, the freeholders and others in government can stand proud, knowing they have helped undo a bad policy, imposed hastily in a backroom meeting over 20 years ago, and kept in place since, with no reason beyond the fact that no one had the guts to challenge it.

If the Union county government keeps its word, once so freely given, they can be proud of the fact that they have taken the first step down a new road, one where policy is based on fact and citizens are not arbitrarily and unreasonably excluded from parks they pay for.

The vote is scheduled for May 18, 2017 – and I urge anyone who bikes, or is concerned about fair government policy, to contact their Freeholders from now until then. Or if possible, to attend.

For the freeholders themselves, the choice is simple: be seen as restoring faith in county government, or as proving correct every suspicion and second thought thinking citizens have long had, about the nature and ethics of those who govern Union County.

I stood in the freeholder meeting room when the Freeholders clearly stated they supported mountain biking and intended to allow it. Do those same people still sit in their chairs? Or have they become lesser men and women than we have been led to believe?

The future of the reputation of Union County is at stake here. This is beyond mountain biking. It is now about the very integrity of government itself, and those who hold its offices.

Can they be trusted? Or will they stomp the concerns of mountain biking citizens and honest governance underfoot – along with their own decency and honesty and everything else their word stands for?

We will soon find out.

The lonerider

 

[michael.su]

Bumpety bump!

 

[Xler8]

It goes without saying that its all hands on deck in a few days. And it's not just about Watchung. It's about everyone who enjoys cycling and the outdoors. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

We need the entire village.

 

[thegock]

It goes without saying that its all hands on deck in a few days. And it's not just about Watchung. It's about everyone who enjoys cycling and the outdoors. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

We need the entire village.

That would help. The "opposition" sent a flyer by US Mail to some of the Mountainside residents near the Watchung Reservation. They had previously sent their flyers out illegally by stuffing mail boxes, including those of the many MTB, who live near the WR.

It flogs all the usual urban legends of MTB, quite dishonestly, because @Shorepoints had done a great job presenting facts over the last nine months. Their flyer is posted on the Watchung MTB Facebook group page for your viewing pleasure. It presents the tired, old arguments that Billy Toth puts forth in his Letter to the Editor in the Scotch Plains Fanwood Times and the Westfield Leader.

Get there early. We expect a sell out.

 

[TriChick]

That would help. The "opposition" sent a flyer by US Mail to some of the Mountainside residents near the Watchung Reservation. They had previously sent their flyers out illegally by stuffing mail boxes, including those of the many MTB, who live near the WR.

My head almost blew off of my neck when I received that flyer in my mail box last week! I quickly fired off another set of emails to the Freeholders, in favor of the trails.

I will be there again on Thursday to plead my case for access The trails are literally a three minute bike ride from my house and will have a huge positive impact on me and my family. Thanks to everyone for helping fight the fight.

 

[TheLonerider]

Even after 3 years of this i am still amazed at the trouble some people will go to to keep someone else from having fun.

 

[Shorepoints]

Every little bit helps at this point. We don't have very clear info on how each Freeholder will vote, but the expectation is that it will be a VERY CLOSE vote. Could be 5-4 either way. So do whatever you can to get to Thursday's meeting (7pm 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth) and get there a bit early because I hope it will be over-capacity filled with MTB advocates.

 

[stilluf]

REMINDER - freeholder meeting is tomorrow Thursday 5/18 at 7pm in Elizabeth. Please make sure you have sent the freeholders a comment, and do everything you can to get to the meeting!
Thank you and #freewatchung

 

[knobbyhead]

Bump

 

[Steve Vai]

Working...

 

[MadisonDan]

Call in sick... we won't tell the boss...

 

[stilluf]

My comments for tonight:

Back in February 2016, this body approved the Watchung Master Trail Plan that included MTB access. The vote was Unanimous, meaning each and every one of you recognized the clear benefit to Watchung and Union County of MTB.

What has changed since then? Has MTB become somehow less safe? NO

Have any potential environmental issues changes? NO

Has the benefit of encouraging healthy outdoor activity changed? NO

So what has changed?

A small group who opposed MTB in any shape, any place, any time, and At All Cost, has used misrepresentation, half-truths, and straight up lies to fear monger and demonize MTB and MTB riders. They would have you believe that allowing MTB at Watchung will result in an “environmental catastrophe,” that there will be countless “catastrophic injuries,” that there will be “huge verdicts” against the County, leaving it in financial ruin.

Of course, each and every one of you recognized in February 2016, when you all voted in favor of MTB access, and again the past Fall when the revised MTB trail plan was approved, that these outrageous claims were false, and that MTB will benefit Watchung, and, more importantly, Union County Residents.

In other words, nothing has changed. MTB will still benefit the County and its residents, by

· Encouraging healthy lifestyles

· Providing access to the outdoors for more residents, including those without a park outside their door, like underprivileged kids

· Improving home values and quality of life

· And, MTB will benefit the Reservation itself, with the introduction of a passionate, dedicated, and responsible user group, committed to the creation and maintenance of sustainable trails and shared trail etiquette.

And let’s take a minute to talk about that user group, the Union County MTB community. We are not a mountain dew commercial. We are not the dare devil law breakers that the “Never MTB” crowd wants frighten you into seeing. Instead, we are 40 something dads and attorneys, we are mothers and grandmothers, and we are a 12 year old young lady from Berkeley Heights who just won the first ever MTB interscholastic race in NJ!!! In other words, the Union County MTB community are as diverse as the County itself, with one common thread: we all love MTB, and we all love Watchung reservation.

In closing, I urge you to ignore the fear, and falsehoods. Instead look at the facts, and ask yourselves, what is the best thing to do for Watchung, and Union County residents. The answer today is the same as February 2016. Vote No on this resolution, and keep MTB at Watchung.