The Park Record Editorial, May 29-31, 2013, Author at Park Record https://www.swiftcharge.net Park City and Wasatch Back News Fri, 24 Jan 2025 17:57:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.swiftcharge.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cropped-park-record-favicon-32x32.png The Park Record Editorial, May 29-31, 2013, Author at Park Record https://www.swiftcharge.net 32 32 235613583 Gated communities and cyclists should be able to coexist https://www.swiftcharge.net/2013/05/28/gated-communities-and-cyclists-should-be-able-to-coexist/ Wed, 29 May 2013 04:55:24 +0000 http://dev.swiftcharge.net/news/gated-communities-and-cyclists-should-be-able-to-coexist/ If those first warm weekends of May were any indication, Summit County roads are going to be teeming with cyclists this summer. While the community has built miles of mountain bike trails, the county's rural highways and byways have also become a growing attraction for road cyclists.

That may please businesses that like to tout the area's reputation as a sports Mecca, but it is worrisome for others who see cyclists as a menace, especially on steep, winding two-lane roads where there are no shoulders and visibility is limited.

That conflict of interest came to a head last week when the developer of The Preserve, a gated community north of Interstate 80, announced the property's intention to prohibit cyclists from riding on the private road through the development. According to the developer, there will be a lot of construction there this summer and the property owners have safety and privacy concerns regarding bike riders.

The announcement, however, sparked a protest from cyclists who are already barred from riding through most of the area's other gated communities. Some of those roads, like the one through The Preserve, present challenging uphill climbs and thrilling descents and are considered by many local athletes to be among the top reasons for living in an alpine setting.

Unfortunately, for reasons both real and imagined, those stretches of tempting pavement are currently off limits for road riders. The real dangers are apparent when cyclists speed unchecked past blind driveways and sharp turns. But cyclists do not deserve to be vilified as a whole. Many riders are respectful of private property rights and, by choosing a nonpolluting form of recreation, are far less destructive than other sportsmen.

Park City prides itself on being forward thinking, environmentally sensitive and athlete-friendly. If local cyclists and this developer, who has shown a genuine willingness to reopen the discussion, can come to an agreement and make it work, it would be a truly groundbreaking step forward, one that could potentially unlock other gates around the county.

For that to happen, though, cyclists will have to patrol each other to ensure they are not terrorizing drivers or making homeowners uncomfortable. In short, they need to understand that they are guests in the neighborhoods where they ride and the privileges they enjoy can be revoked due to the reckless behavior of a few.

Some of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Summit County are interwoven with ski runs. Hopefully cyclists and mountainside property owners can coexist as well.

The post Gated communities and cyclists should be able to coexist appeared first on Park Record.

]]> If those first warm weekends of May were any indication, Summit County roads are going to be teeming with cyclists this summer. While the community has built miles of mountain bike trails, the county’s rural highways and byways have also become a growing attraction for road cyclists.

That may please businesses that like to tout the area’s reputation as a sports Mecca, but it is worrisome for others who see cyclists as a menace, especially on steep, winding two-lane roads where there are no shoulders and visibility is limited.

That conflict of interest came to a head last week when the developer of The Preserve, a gated community north of Interstate 80, announced the property’s intention to prohibit cyclists from riding on the private road through the development. According to the developer, there will be a lot of construction there this summer and the property owners have safety and privacy concerns regarding bike riders.

The announcement, however, sparked a protest from cyclists who are already barred from riding through most of the area’s other gated communities. Some of those roads, like the one through The Preserve, present challenging uphill climbs and thrilling descents and are considered by many local athletes to be among the top reasons for living in an alpine setting.

Unfortunately, for reasons both real and imagined, those stretches of tempting pavement are currently off limits for road riders. The real dangers are apparent when cyclists speed unchecked past blind driveways and sharp turns. But cyclists do not deserve to be vilified as a whole. Many riders are respectful of private property rights and, by choosing a nonpolluting form of recreation, are far less destructive than other sportsmen.

Park City prides itself on being forward thinking, environmentally sensitive and athlete-friendly. If local cyclists and this developer, who has shown a genuine willingness to reopen the discussion, can come to an agreement and make it work, it would be a truly groundbreaking step forward, one that could potentially unlock other gates around the county.

For that to happen, though, cyclists will have to patrol each other to ensure they are not terrorizing drivers or making homeowners uncomfortable. In short, they need to understand that they are guests in the neighborhoods where they ride and the privileges they enjoy can be revoked due to the reckless behavior of a few.

Some of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Summit County are interwoven with ski runs. Hopefully cyclists and mountainside property owners can coexist as well.

The post Gated communities and cyclists should be able to coexist appeared first on Park Record.

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