Provo River Trail Closing to Bikes?

Ever since the Daily Herald article about the potential of bicycles (and long boarders) being banned on the PRT hit press our email has been blowing up, and rightfully so. For those of you who have not read the article make sure to click the link and read it in full. The short of it is there have been concerns that bicyclists (and long boarders) are too dangerous in certain parts of the trail, and the County is considering turning those points of concern into walk only areas (this is not a new concern). We have done some digging and have found out a few more facts but first we need to clear up the one thing that bugged me the most about this new information. The thing that disturbed me most from this article was not this continuing concern and conversation, but instead what seemed to be the uncharacteristic comments that were made by John Hales from Boards of Provo. After making a quick call over to BOP John cleared everything up, and let me know that he is all for bikes (he even owns a few himself). His comments were directed specifically at those who are using the trail, ‘as their own personal velodrome/raceway.’ So, if you read this article and were a little confused and angry like I was let it be known that John is a great guy who is all about everyone (biker, boarder, ped), using and enjoying the trail as long as they are being responsible. We could not agree with him more! Now on to some of the facts.

What the article does not tell you is that the County is only looking at one point in particular. The area they are eyeing for a potential ban is the part of the trail which runs parallel to the campgrounds that are just West of Nuns Park. This area of the trail is very similar to the pedestrian only zone that now exists at Bridal Veil Falls, it is filled with people on the trail who are accessing one very particular destination, and are usually only on the trail because their destination happens to lie on it. The good news about this whole concern is our wonderful City Council, Mayor’s Office, and Bicycle Committee have already sprung into action to work with the County office so that all trail users can have an enjoyable, and safe experience. We will keep you updated on all the details as they unfold, but until then wether you are walking, riding, or boarding lets all be a little more mindful. Also, a big thanks to BOP for being willing to answer our questions, and for being such an awesome part of our community.